ello Everyone,

I was trying to take a break from the boards -- to try not to obsess over this thing. It seems I am still in dire straights and had a major breakdown today. I was sooo upset that this thing has not gone away yet, I just collapsed..... Its been a bit over 4 months, and I am wondering about the recovery days... I have had some days here and there that have been ok days.. .the last one was over 3 weeks ago, 2 in a row... but have been having bad days ever since...

I know its different for everyone, but ca you tell me when you started experiencing the first good days?? I am not talking total recovery 100%, 95Z% etc.. but good days intermixed with bad days...

I am experiencing A HUGE amount of anxiety with this condition... ABsoluetly HUGE!!

Can anyone Help me..... I am dying here...

Tum

Hey Tummy
The good days come out one by one with the crappy ones in between. I found that I would have a good day or two and it is amazing how quickly you fall into the feeling normal routine only to be pegged down a couple of notches the next few days when you hit a low again. But eventually you will find that you will begin to have more good days and soon after that more good days than bad.
Even when you think you are there you will have a day or two (or a week or two) when you feel like you have made no progress at all.
Believe me, you will get better. I would be encouraged by the fact that you have had a couple of good days in the four months you have had this. It took me more months than that to get a good day in, and now, almost 4 years post labs and 15months post BPPV I am pretty much at 100% now.
Keep working at it and keep moving, no matter how you feel. Those head movement that make you feel off are the ones you need to be doing.
Go for it! Feel better soon!
FC

Hi Tummy,

So sorry to hear you had such a horrible day and are feeling at the end of your rope. I didn't start seeing some light until after about 6 months had passed. And it coincided with me stopping the anxiety. In my case I needed meds it was so bad but it is probably doable without in many cases. I can't emphasise enough how important it is that you find some way of stopping your anxiety over this, whether it be through meds or counselling (CBT or emotional freedom techniques - EFT - work well). It will simply keep you stuck in the storm otherwise. The anxiety that develops is the most insidious part of this because it keeps you trapped in the symptoms. And the longer it goes on, the more you think it's you - and it's not.

Hope you have a much better day tomorrow.

All the best...Scott

Hello, My vestibular neuritis hit me in June. I was really dizzy until the middle of August. I then had 4 perfect weeks of no dizzyness until I was hit again and that time it lasted about 4 days and then went back to being fine (fine in my case was having a few days where I felt a little off but it was no big deal). I again was hit at the end of September when I went to the dentist (guess I wasn't use to having my head back that far, I sleep with my head propped up). Anyway that lasted a week. Now it's the beginning of October, I'm ok, sometimes I notice a little dizzyness (like sidewalk moving underneath me but I ignore it). I can get by ok the way it is now, would like it completely gone but it's so much better then the previous months (just can't get myself to go back to dentist).

Hi Tummy,

I was wondering how you were doing. Being that we have similar symptoms and generally feel crappy every day. I can assure you that within 6 months I felt slightly better and now at 9 months am even better than six but am no where fully recovered. From reading the boards it is different for everyone and everyone recovers at their own pace.

I, like you suffer a lot from the anixiety and depression this illness has brought on. I do always feel better when I am really down and I post on the boards. The people here are so nice and comforting and I always feel a little better. I do suggest not reading any negative posts for it makes matters worst. I have learned who the positive folks are on this board and gravitate towards their posts more.

I know that over the course of 9 months, I've had a day or two inbetween that I felt that ok, this is it, it is going to end. I feel better today and will only improve in the next, but unforturnaletly I'd have a horrible day again. I remember a day back in March when I was talking on the phone to my sister and told her that I thought it was going away, but here I am in October and still have it. But the days do get better, it just takes a really really long time. As for the anixety, I am still trying to figure out how to control that and I am considering taking something. Talk to your doctor and check out some of my posts. I got a lot of responses from other on the boards in regards to coping with the anixety.

Take care and I always find a big hug to be a great rememdy when I'm down so here is one for you.

Gloria

Thanks everyone for the kind words.... I know the anxiety is a huge part of my problem and I am trying to combat it.....It just gets pretty difficult sometimes..


I just hope I start having some more good days... I think when you start having them atleast you have more hope and can kind of always go back to 'remember -- I had some good days' etc...

Scott -- I started taking SSRI's but they seem to make me feel so strange... even after 1-2 doses... I have this pit in my stomach that seems to be caused by them. I am going to give it another shot... I need to get on something.



One more question I have for everyone -- I am trying to figure out if this symptom is anxiety related or inner ear related.

I have this sound sensitivity -- but not usually when I am awake, its like whenever I am dozing off or asleep, any little sound will eat through me..... Goes right through me, makes me feel dizzy and i get pretty upset...Makes it quite hard to sleep. All this starts in the morning -- I dont thnk I have th eproblem at night when I go to bed though -- or maybe there is just no sound? Anyone else have this?

Tum

Hey Tummy

I can say that month 4 was like being in the thick of it for me, I was at a point where symptoms felt worse and worse, I was walking straight again after loosing my gaight, but the anxiety and brain fog were peeking. So to have good days in month four I see as a very good sign.

The thing to remember and what these boards helped me understand is you'll feel better so you'll do more and push yourself and then you'll feel the affects of that push cause your brain is readapting. I am in month 13 and have some days that feel like month four but I have to remind myself ok, you were in florescent lights for 6 hours, you drove, you swam and it makes sense (only in the vestibular sort of way) that you feel like this. And you could have done none of that months ago. Its a head trip. Literally

Subs has some good posts on the readaption process that I would read to myself when I was feeling frustrated. I think some of them maybe in the archives.

The anxiety is tough. I agree with Scott EFT is very helpful. You have to find ways to control it. It tried the meds and they did not work for me. But I would recommend you give them a shot if other efforts don't help. Acupuncture, herbs, deep breathing have helped me.

I wish you well with your recovery. But you will recover!!!! It takes time. It's not very rational and the Doctor's don't know much. But you will recover. Your body wants that, you want that, so you can't go wrong. :)

Peace
Jade :angel:

jade --

Thank you for that -- it made me feel so much better to read your post. I have been trying.. Been sticking with my VRT for the last 6 weeks and hoping it starts to make me feel much better.

I feel if I can just get through this thing, I will be amazing... All the stguff I took for granted in the past -- forget about it FORGET!!! Hehe.... I just want to feel normal again, and I think that is what is giving me anxiety as I wake up everyday and think, damn this is not gone yet.. then get severly upset. I am trying to change my way of thinking... and trying to accept that this may take longer, but its def hard!!

Tum

This "dizzy business" is so terrible. It brings with it anxiety and depression. I've been gradually getting better and the big payoff is this: I get to appreciate the small things in life and I don't take things for granted.

In the beginning of my situation I was extremely anxious. I was unable to function and cried for hours. Once my anxiety subsided (with the help of counseling and zoloft), I was able to cope better. I think it's a vicious cycle. The dizziness provokes the anxiety; the anxiety provokes the dizziness.

When you recover (and you will), you'll look at life quite differently and probably for the better.

Lynda

Wow....what great words Jade. You gave me goosebumps.

Tummy, I know you have a lot of the symptoms I have like the strange pulsating in your head (by the way, I think mine is pretty much gone) and a lot of the other ear symptoms. Did you have a virus? Mine started with a virus and ear infection and I believe mine is 100% inner ear despite what the doctors say. Did you have a lot of anixety before this? I had none at least none that wasn't everyday normal.

I'm not sure what you mean by sound going through you, but I have tinnitus really bad with mine. Seems worse in the mornings. It sounds like wind or crickets maybe or water running from the sink spicket and seems like it is deep in my ears. Is it noise that you are referring to?

Take care and try to go for walks. I found that that helps me the most out of anything at all.

Hugs,
Gloria

Oh....I just saw your other post and made more sense to me now. I think it is hypercaous (s.p.?). I had it for just a little bit in the beginning. It went away very quickly for me. I don't like noise now, but I think that is me just being over protective of my ears. I would assume if you have this it would be inner ear and not so much anixety, but I'm sure anixety makes it worse.

Take care,
Gloria

I looked up what you had mentioned Gloria, and for me this doesnt seem to be true.... I am not sensitive to all sounds.. It just seems that some, especially when i am sleeping or in a dozing state seem to send me running.. I also get this when the sound is sudden or unexpected. I wonder if it is my nerves, because it drives me nuts.

Hyperacusis -- 'over-amplification of environmental sounds in the auditory pathways. Everyday sounds seem too loud, but other people aren't complaining!'

I looked up what you had mentioned Gloria, and for me this doesnt seem to be true.... I am not sensitive to all sounds.. It just seems that some, especially when i am sleeping or in a dozing state seem to send me running.. I also get this when the sound is sudden or unexpected. I wonder if it is my nerves, because it drives me nuts.

Hyperacusis -- 'over-amplification of environmental sounds in the auditory pathways. Everyday sounds seem too loud, but other people aren't complaining!'

Scott -- I started taking SSRI's but they seem to make me feel so strange... even after 1-2 doses... I have this pit in my stomach that seems to be caused by them. I am going to give it another shot... I need to get on something.

One more question I have for everyone -- I am trying to figure out if this symptom is anxiety related or inner ear related.

I have this sound sensitivity -- but not usually when I am awake, its like whenever I am dozing off or asleep, any little sound will eat through me.....
Hey Tummy,

Starting on an SSRI can be a strange experience. There are a couple of things to keep in mind. 1) Start on a half dose and work your way up to 3/4 and/or a whole tab if you feel it's necessary but stay on 1/2 until you adapt for about 2 weeks. 2) If it is not working out (ie. side-effects are more than you can tolerate - things like increased agitation), then move on to another brand. They all affect us differently.

Your symptoms are likely anxiety and inner ear combined. They are circular problems - one leads to the other when you're in the thick of it. Once the anxiety is removed from the equation however, your brain can get on with completing the compensation process. This is exactly what happened for me and it was relatively fast too.

The sensitivity to sound is happening simply because your entire nervous system has been made sensitised by the inner ear problem and subsequent fear response (both physical and mental). Keep in mind that although it feels horrific, it's normal - that is, a sensitised nervous system produces all of these horrid symptoms. You are still the same person beneath it all Tummy. Do your best to "float" through the tough patches and know that it is NOT you. I've been through all of it and can definitely say that it all normalises again and you feel your old self again.

My advice would be to really focus on eliminating the anxiety if you can. Once your spirit regains its charge, you'll have much more energy to beat the dizziness - and you most definitely will.

Best to you....Scott :cool:

Tummy,

Now that you explain it, it does sound like maybe nerves. I get this feeling sometimes where I feel my heart beating throughout my whole body and feel slightly shaky. I honestly believe that is my nerves getting to me especially since it started months into this ordeal. Your nerves can do strange things. I hope you feel better tomorrow. Each day always seems to be different for everyone so hopefully yours will be less stressful. - Take care.

Scott - I was wondering what the difference is between an anti-depressant like say zoloft and an SSRI? I'm still considering meds when I go to see my neuro oto at the end of the month although I've been coping very well this week. Thanks for the information. I hope your feeling a little better from your trip. - Gloria

I get the heart throbbing throughout the entire body/shaky feeling too and wake up in sweats sometimes in the middle of the night

Scott - I was wondering what the difference is between an anti-depressant like say zoloft and an SSRI? I'm still considering meds when I go to see my neuro oto at the end of the month although I've been coping very well this week. Thanks for the information. I hope your feeling a little better from your trip.
Hi Gloria,

Antidepressants and SSRIs are the same thing. The SSRI group are the newest range of anti-depressants (you could also call them anti-anxiety meds). Zoloft is an SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor - in other words they supposedly keep the neurotransmitter serotonin lingering in your system longer. This has the effect of killing anxiety and depression. But it's also important to get some help with dealing with the anxiety mentally as well. It's fear of the symptoms of anxiety (and the dizziness) that perpetuates it. There is also anxiety created directly from the inner ear disturbance - it seems to be hard wired into our "fight or flight" nervous system. I'm *very* confident that if you kill the anxiety, you'll see substantial improvement very quickly.

I am feeling much better thanks. The good patch started yesterday - back in the 90% range again. Hope it stays.

Best....Scott :cool:

Thanks Scott for the information. I have been coping with this really well the past week even despite headache and ear pain yesterday and really bad vision today, but am afraid of how long I can do that before another breakdown. I have been seeing a therapist since the first week of April and while I feel better talking to her, I guess I won't really be myself again unless this stuff goes away.

So glad your back to normal or what has been normal for you. You've been dealing with this way too long. I hope you had a fantastic trip. Is it Victoria Falls that is in Africa? Did you see it? I saw a documentary on it once and it was so beautiful. I bet the sound of the falls would take away this nasty noise in my ears.

Thanks again for the information.
Gloria