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Wed 24 Oct, 2007 08:48 am
I'm a 32 year old male caucasian....
Back in 2005 I had what one doctor referred to as vertigo caused by an inner ear infection. I don't know what criteria, other than deductive reasoning, brought him to this conclusion, but it lasted about 6 weeks, maybe a bit more. I was essentially immobilized because any upright movement was extremely unnerving and nauseating.
I was given SERC, and it was ineffective in treating the dizziness. It had zero effect.
Concerned for what I was feeling, and feeling that perhaps I was misdiagnosed, I visited another doctor who said he did not know what it was, but it he was clear that it was not an inner ear infection.
Since then, I have been experiencing many dizzy spells and occasional nausea. None to the degree or duration of the original, but nevertheless a consistent visitor still. I had my entire GI tract x-rayed, had a CAT-scan...the full meal deal. I came out clean.
I'm curious what other things need to be considered.
My diet is clean, I'm in good shape, work out 4-5 times per week, mountain bike, play badminton....drink occasionally and lightly, maybe a few times a month.
However, a few years back I used to do quite a few recreational drugs--cocaine, ecstasy (and whatever else was in it....PCP, meth etc) , and mushrooms.
I have been clean from all that for close to 6 years.
I'd appreciate some advise, some opinions, maybe some experiences from others.
I've no idea, but am sorry you've been going through this.
Bump...
Oh, wait, let me check a medical site or two.
I know one doctor said no, but still... read the signs and symptoms and treatment, etc. on this, just in case -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534
Have you checked in with a chiropractor/acupuncturist?
my dad was getting severe dizzy spells about 10 years ago.
his dr put him on an eye-excercise program, and after a short time, they went away completely.
i'll ask him about it...
If you have had no other "side effects" of the drug use, and it was not extreme, I doubt that that is your cause.
My only personal experience with the symptoms that you describe ended up in an operable brain tumor(a very dear friend), but was not found until after extensive testing.
(I am not in the medical field, just attempting to help)
This site seems slightly better than those others - I googled vertigo + nausea to find it.
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch080/ch080b.html
Is there a pattern to the episodes? are they seasonal? do they happen before/during weather 'events'?
Have the docs had you keeping a log?
~~~
When I was going through the process of trying to determine a cause for my episodes of vertigo about 15 years ago, I had to do a fair bit of diarying and it really helped sort things out for me.
Good luck with this, candidone. Episodes of vertigo are truly horrible to experience.
~~~
After a lot of investigation (CT scans to rule out brain tumor, etc.) I was determined to have developed post-viral scar tissue in one ear, which means that the Eustachian tubes in each ear don't adjust in the same way when there are changes in the barometric pressure - which can cause dizziness/balance disturbances, and then that (if unchecked) can lead to nausea. It's treated in much the same way that seasickness/motion sickness is - antihistamines like Benadryl (chemical cousin of Gravol) work for me. I'd originally been prescribed something called Anti-Vert. When I looked it up, I discovered it was an antihistamine - talked to the doc - tried a couple of antihistamines to see which would work best for me.
very interesting, ehbeth.
Wow, thanks for all the responses.
I guess I have just been frustrated with my doc just being satisfied with a c'est la vie attitude over something that really affects my quality of life.
I have learned to cope with it, not via any reputable or effective coping mechanisms, rather, I just suck it up--which can be hard at times because of the varying degrees and durations of the episodes.
I was curious to see the one response that asked if I see a chiropractor or acupuncturist, and I have been a regular IMS (Intramuscular Stimulation) patient for about 2 years. I had a few athletic injuries to my neck, spine and other soft tissue areas in the back and neck. I have long thought that there was a correlation between the needling (relief) and the releif of the vertigo spells.
I think I need to be keeping a log that will allow me to see time of day, foods and liquids consumed, activities, temperature, pressure etc during the vertigo spells.
I am not dying to be diagnosed with something if there is nothing wrong with me....but in this case, something just doesn't feel right.
Rockhead wrote:If you have had no other "side effects" of the drug use, and it was not extreme, I doubt that that is your cause.
My only personal experience with the symptoms that you describe ended up in an operable brain tumor(a very dear friend), but was not found until after extensive testing.
(I am not in the medical field, just attempting to help)
I have ruled out the drug use as a root for any of this. I had many years following the drug use years where I felt phenomenal. It was a light recreational period of usage, hardly something that would bring on this kind of side effect.
I had a CAT scan and that came up negative....there was a concern that it may be cancer or something brain-related, but that can now be dismissed.
I'm late getting back to this thread.
I have had great success with acupuncture.
I was badly injured in a mugging incident, damage to the wide faci-lata muscle on the left leg and neck injury which impacted my hearing.
I responded to chiro with the faci-lata, but continued to have spells of being disoriented, sometimes dizzy, sometimes not being to hear very well, unsteady walking at times.
I finally went to an acupunctrist at the suggestion of my chiro. Treatment was a success. I would certainly investigate acupuncture and see if it has any value for you.
good luck
If the problem is vestibular in origin, there are head/neck excercises your PCP can give you to help with the dizzyness.
Sorry...what's a PCP.
What I know as PCP isn't what you're referring to....
primary care physician - traditional medicine man
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