I live in the UK which unfortunately means being almost in the dark ages in some areas of medical science and diagnosis, so can any of you inner ear guys help me out?

I have been suffering with very severe panic attacks for several years which have stopped me being able to work and drastically impacted on my social life and going out with the wife and kids. My Doctor has taken the standard route of giving me a small supply of Valium to take as and when required (his words) and sent me to a pyschologist. Nice lady but hasn't helped the panics and high anxiety at all. Doctor has now put me on Buspirone (Buspar). Been on that a month, no help just makes me dizzy and spaced out for an hour after taking it.

There's obviously a lot of mental and physical causes for panic attacks, but one I have recently seen mentioned is Inner Ear Disorder. Having looked at the symptoms I recognise some - I get motion sickness in planes, boats and can only travel in a car as the driver, never a passenger. Sometimes I feel light headed and dizzy. I do recall as a child waking in the night many times with terrible dizzyness (I'm trying to remember the feeling, but it was 30+ years ago) I can only compare it to feeling like you're being flushed down the drain! I also know that for many years as a young child (4 - 10 years) I had to have my ears syringed out for wax build-up at least once a year. But what I don't ever recall having is the ringing in the ears that so many IED sufferers seem to report.

So my question is, does it sound possible I could have an inner ear problem? I do have high blood pressure and hypothyroidism which clouds the issue somewhat.

I think I've read that a hospital test can be performed (ENG?) that will diagnose it, but my Doctor hasn't heard of it and I can find no reference to this test in my local National Health or Private Hospitals. I've certainly never heard of a 'balance centre' as mentioned on these boards.

Sorry for the long post, but I know that people on this board are so willing to help others, compared to the three minutes consultation with your Doctor. I just want to find out WHY I am suffering, so I can work on getting better. Thank you.

Hi & Congratratulations,

You landed in the right place!!

And, there are a number of people who post here that should provide some help/understanding.

Also, a number of the poster's here are in the UK and have recently traveled the path---that you are going to have to go down---to get to the right Doc and I'm sure when they see your post---they will jump on it---since many of the problems you talk about(with the Doc's) they have been through.

Here is a web site that will bring you up to speed---if you want to beat this study it closely:

http://www.opt.pacificu.edu/ce/catalog/COPE7282/Dizzy.html

The short answer to:

...."my question is, does it sound possible I could have an inner ear problem?"..

Yes---it does--very much so---and---even tho:

..."have high blood pressure and hypothyroidism which clouds the issue somewhat"....

It does not explain---the going-on's when you were young.

Good luck!!

:cool:

Hello there,

Wish I could remember where, in my long trawls through the internet, but I know there was a study done, I think in Australia, that indicated many people with panic disorder my have an underlying inner ear problem.

Anyway, clearly I can't say whether this is you, what I can tell you is where there's a balance centre in the UK. There is a neurotology (different from neurology) department in The National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. Ask to be referred to Linda Luxon. They tend to start off with all the tests - ENG/rotary chair/caloric and then take it from there diagnosis wise. If you want to know more about neurotologists put 'hbep' in name search and 'Which Specialist to See' in word search. I don't know where you are in the UK. I know there is another balance centre, I think, in Leicester. As you aren't a clear cut case I think you would need a balance centre to get to the bottom of this. Although some ENT's are good with dizziness, some aren't, and can miss even the more obvious cases, ironically often telling people they are suffering from anxiety/panic.

Hope this helps,

best,

hbep.

Believe me Simon it's not only in the U.K. that you wonder just what on earth it is that doctors do know. Same probs here in Australia and we've got "one of the best health systems in the world", well that's what we're always hearing. So along you go to the doctor expecting that he/she will either know, or have an idea of what the problem is, at the very least you expect interest and a desire to help. The reality is very, very different. Years and countless visits later you realize that they know very, very little indeed. Oh our medicine is great at surgery, whipping it out, cutting it out, and the big crisis events, but the myriad of things that blight your life without actually killing you, well that's another matter. Look have you tried the beta blockers for both blood pressure and panic attacks. I was getting some of these attacks and blood pressure kept going off the scale, if I wasn't anxious to begin with I soon became so, but one beta blocker a day has settled all that down. Now if we could just get this thing in my head fixed I might have a few enjoyable years before me before finally popping off the planet.

Hi Simon - welcome. Am also from the UK. I second what Hbep has said, go to the London hospital. I found a good ENT though am now infact going to London for a second opinion. They seem about the only place in the UK who do balance testing PROPERLY. Most hospitals do do ENG's but not well. Three people on this board have been to the hospital and have come back with v good reports about it. Good luck xxx

Hello,

Could anyone whos been to the neurotology department at the national hospital of neurology and neurosurgery hospital in london please tell me what the waiting time for an appointment is?

I also noticed on their website that they deal with both NHS and private appointments. Has anybody been privately, and if so how much does a single appointment cost?

Thanks for any info.

Hi Ilia knows more about this...but I do know the waiting list for private is 6 weeks to see Linda Luxon (and I would see her). 1 consultation costs about 120 pounds. Tests are more. Good luck xxx