Anyone out there dizzy too?

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’ve been saying to my other half for the last week or so that I feel a bit dizzy and that at times I felt as if the world around me was moving - or the bed was when I was lying down. I seem to be better if I’m sitting up and even walking although I know I’m kind of focused on straight ahead and have to turn carefully if I want to look to the side.

Then on Saturday morning I discovered while I was vacuuming spider’s webs from along the ceiling (I know, standard of my normal housekeeping obviously isn’t up to much) anyway, I discovered when I looked up I had to hold on to something so that I didn’t fall over. My left ear feels blocked, rings all the time - both ears do but the left is the worst and that side of my face, forehead and eye all feel strange. Plus I feel disoriented. I don’t get any sort of head rush when I get out of bed or stand up when I’ve been lying on the floor to exercise so I don’t think the dizziness is anything to do with blood pressure.

As it is a bank holiday weekend I’ve been trying antihistamines and travel sickness pills to see if I can stop the spinning feeling - not sure it’s working. I’m planning on seeing a doctor tomorrow. I had excess wax vacuumed out about three weeks ago and I was told the eardrum was ok. I’ve not been ill recently or had antibiotics.

I’m just wondering if others have or have had this problem and if so what was the outcome.

[Vibe19]

See GP for advice. I have a balance disorder with tinnitus - floor/seat/bed feels like they are vibrating while static. Hearing therapist sent me away with exercises to do twice a day.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Vibe19]

Thank you, I think I’ll try and get an appointment tomorrow.

[WoodyT]

Yes - I have this daily and feel like I’m on a boat . If I bend my head forward or backwards, there’s a sensation of high electrical static , which runs into my face and upper jaw .

The T has increased to screaming, over the last 8 weeks , along with two new tones .

The consultant told me to learn to live with it as there’s nothing anyone can do . It seems everyone is told the same thing . It’s got to be the most debilitating torture !

The only thing that’s helped is to sit up straight and try not moving your head around.

Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to WoodyT]

Gosh, that sounds awful - worse because it sounds a bit like how I feel! I read about drinking water which I’ve been doing. Not sure it is helping but then without it I could be feeling worse and I’ve discovered sitting up is the best position to be in at the moment. Not much good when you feel tired and want to stretch out though is it and I’m about to make a ferry crossing - considering I feel like I’m on a boat already I’m not looking forward to it.

Good luck with ‘living with it’. Obviously said by someone who doesn’t have too!😉

[WoodyT in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

You’ve just got to push yourself and not let it consume you . Keep with the sickness tablets and once You’re on the boat , you might surprise yourself that it’s not too bad .

Try and ask the GP for a relaxant eg . 2mg diazepam for the journey . This doesn’t take the T away but makes your body relax ( don’t drive though , if you’ve never taken it ) .

Let us know how you get on ?

Also Jimac advise is right - poss see GP for possible Menieres ? They can prescribe Betahistine , which can help with some people. X

[Jimac]

I have meniere's disease, which is an inner ear problem. Symptoms are tinnitus, hearing loss in the affected ear, balance issues and occasional severe attacks of vertigo. It started with dizziness. There are many other medical conditions which can cause your symptoms. See your gp who may request further tests.

[Marius123]

Maybe the otolites in the inner ear are the cause of this. There is a technique called Epley manoeuver that can put them back into their place.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you all very much for your advice. Managed to get an appointment this afternoon. Doesn’t give any time to investigate but with a bit of luck I can get something to tide me over until we get home, I’m ever hopeful that it will be gone soon. Not the tinnitus, I found an online diary I kept when I was being treated for Graves’ disease in 2013 and I had tinnitus way back then. No wonder I couldn’t think when it started. Anyway, thank you all.

[Vibe19 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I hope the appointment was useful...

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Vibe19]

Ah no. Thank you for asking. It was pretty much a waste of time. I saw a locum doctor she wasn’t easy to talk to though which was a bit off putting.

She looked in my ears then said you can’t see the inner ear that way! Then she started to do my blood pressure and I said I always did it at home because my surgery readings were always much higher than at home and when I gave her my most recent figures she switched her machine off and said she wouldn’t waste time doing it.

Then listened held up her pen and I had to move my finger from her pen to my nose several times ‘do it faster,’ she said. She gave me some Stemetil to take ‘as and when’ I feel dizzy. They look pretty fearsome though so they will definitely be a last resort. I wasn’t given anything to sort out a middle ear infection which I’m sure is part of the problem so I feel a bit worried about that.

She thinks it is labyrinthitis and said it could take as long as 6 months to sort itself out or it could go tomorrow. She ruled out BPPV because of how I described it which I probably agree with.

It was a weird and kind of unsatisfactory consultation but from what everyone else has said it was probably par for the course. I left feeling she wasn’t all that interested and wasn’t really doing much to earn her fee.

[Freddy17]

I had this problem years ago for about 2 weeks Non-Stop. Went to see my doctor he could explain it so he told me I had to live with it. I thought he was a moron. I found out that I was at out of balance my equilibrium was whacked out. After years dealing with that. I went to an ENT who actually know what I had. It was funny his remedy to straighten it out I had to sleep in a 45 degree angle for about a week and after that I haven't had that problem. Even though at times I get a little dizzy from the the ringing in the ear but it's not that bad.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Freddy17]

Goodness! No wonder you thought he was a moron. Glad to hear you got sorted out. Was that with your body tilted at 45 degrees today the mattress? Did you prop yourself up on a pillow to stay in that position? It’s funny how you will be told to do something and think it will never work and it does.

I’m off to see a locum in half an hour. It was almost the one and only locum nurse at one point in the conversation with the receptionist then she came up with a doctor.

Think she must have looked at my date of birth and thought I was probably on my last legs. Hopefully not.

[Freddy17]

First have your equilibrium checked out. Yes I use pillows to prop up in that position. I wish you luck and I hope they find the problem.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Freddy17]

How do you have your equilibrium checked?

[Travelrid13]

I seem to be very much like you had my ears vacuumed and have seen an ENT specialist .My right ear I feel is the problem when I turn over on that side in bed the world spins my left side can be bad but not as bad as right.I am asking for a scan.I am afraid to do the Epley Manoeuvre I wonder if anyone has done it with success.