In reading about this subject, I'm not sure if this is what I am experiencing. My problems started when I woke up one morning approx 6 months ago with what I thought was a sinus infection. After taking some over the counter medication for it I started feeling dizzy. It seemed to get worse so I went to an internal medical doctor that sent me to an ENT. They both thought it was inner ear problems. I was given meclizine to take care of the vertigo.

I have never gotten rid of the vertigo feeling, but the heaviness in the back of my head is not as bad. Right now while sitting at my desk, I am having bad dizzy problems, like all of a sudden I could faint.

Anyone experiencing the same thing? What could this be and if it is inner ear does it take a long time to get over it? While driving is my worse time for feeling the vertigo.

Hi CRC,

Sounds like you've gotten the same answer from your drs. that many of us have - the symptoms point to some sort of vestibular problem. Did the ENT order any tests? Sometimes these can help give a little more definitive diagnosis, though there are many people here who have come up with all normal results and yet still have all the miserable symptoms.

Take a look at some of the posts here - get to know as much as you can about all the inner ear disorders. Chances are, as you continue to read and research, you're going to be able to better pinpoint your specific symptoms, which will help you know which direction to work in. (For example, if you've had some sort of vestibular nerve damage, you'll want to begin seriously looking into vestibular rehabilitation therapy.)

We all know how difficult this is, and you've found a lot of company here - people who know by experience how hard life is with this stuff. Be sure to take a look at all the information that is located in the Information Archive at the top of the page. It's full of really helpful information that will be of great assistance to you as you trudge through this! Yes, it can take a long time to get better for some of us (though you'll read in different places the VN/labyrynthitis may be gone within 6 weeks.... not for a lot of us here!!!) - I've been dealing with this for 15 months. Improvement is very, very slow, but it is coming. Hopefully, you won't be one who has to wait that long to be better!!!!

Take care!

The ENT didn't order any kinds of tests. He simply had me close my eyes to see if it would throw me off balance. Then he had me hold my nose and blow and said this should act as an adjustment for my eardrum.

I've noticed this gets better and then it will get worse again. Something I noticed the other night is when the door bell rang I could still hear the doorbell in my left ear. I can't seem to stand many loud noises. This concerned me as I read in some of the instances that people could loose their sense of hearing.

Is there anything different I can be doing to help with this?

Well, I'm wondering if you might benefit from some testing. (I was going to say "further testing," but realized that you have had none!) There are other avenues to explore with these types of symptoms, but as you'll find if you read the expeiences of so many of us here on the board, so many docotors in family practice, GP, and even ENT would just as soon not deal with us dizzy patients! The diagnosing can be hard, the symptoms relentless, and I think sometimes they just hope the things will go away!!! (For some it does, but for lots of us, it remains a miserable force to be reckoned with!)

Don't worry about the noise sensitivity - loud noises truly made me feel worse when I was at my worst point. I seriously doubt that it's an indicator of a coming hearing loss on your part! When you say you notice that it gets better and then it gets worse, what specifically do you mean? Do you have true spinning at times, or just a woozy, rocking feeling? What makes you worse, if anything? What keeps your symptoms at a minimum?

You'll see lots of references here to a specialist called a neurotologist - this might be the next dr. to make an appointment with, if you have one in the area. Keep researching, and keep as active as possible....

Take care,
Robin

I have never noticed what makes this worse or better. It just seems that one day I will be fine and the next day and for days further the feeling of "rocking" or dizziness comes back. I work about 15 minutes from my house and it's almost a drudgery to think of driving it every day that I have this. If I look down and back up, the whole car seems as if it's spinning.

We recently took a trip to San Antonio, Texas. It was one of the worst car rides I have ever experienced. A feeling of doom or unexpected spinning just washes over my body.

In thinking about what I'm feeling right now, I always seem to start having trouble with my left ear. Like an ear infection. I'm getting tired of just taking antibiotics and meclizine. Is there anything else out there?

I mean't to ask you also. I see where a lot of people are referring to BPV. What is that?

BPPV is a condition where tiny crystals of the inner ear come loose, which then stimulate the nerve endings and provoke vestibular symptoms. There are specific exercises that can be done to remedy the situation, which you can read more about in the information archive, or just type BPPV into a search engine and you'll have tons of resources to refer to. Probably the best thing for you to do is go to get to be very familiar with the terms/symptoms of BPPV, VN and labyrinthitis. As you get a better understanding of each one of these conditions, you just might be able to get a better handle on identifying what's going on in your case.

Good luck!