Went to see specialist last night(paid to go private) and he said my symptoms could be caused by stress! He checked my balance and said it wa fine,and my hearing is perfect apparently. He said from my symptoms it's not typical of Meneire's. Does this sound about right? I asked if it was possible to suffer dizzy spells for 13 years due to stress( i am a very anxious person and a worrier and have been since i was small),he said yes. Also stress can make tinnitus worse.
Do i go for second opinion? He also gave me some exercises to do to help regain my alance as that is the main problem for me.

Did you have any kind of test?, VNG, MRI or somehting to check on your problem?

Stress sure can give you hell vestibular injury or not, I'm not sure if it can get you off balance as well.

Nope, nothing like that.

tested my hearing, said it was perfect and did a couple of balance tests.

Hello,

I'm guessing this was an ENT? Think we've spoken before and I mentioned a neurotologist but you were worried about finding one as you're in the north?

Got to say I was fed the anxiety/stress line by 2 ENTs - both were talking rubbish. If he hasn't done an ENG test then he can't know whether you have damage to your vestibular nerve. I was tested post my ENT bogus diagnosis and do have damage to my vestibular nerve and have VN plus migraine. It's also entirely possible that the symptoms you mention are migrainous vertigo - and it's unlikely he'd be familiar with that either. Stress won't make you lose your balance and to be honest I don't think it really makes people have dizzy attacks, (apart from the odd bit of minor lightheadness) louder tinnitus or fullness in the ears. It's a clutching at straws diagnosis by someone who doesn't know enough about dizziness which 90% of the time ENTs don't.

After I got my initial bogus anxiety diagnosis I trawled the anxiety boards looking for symptoms of ear fullness, dizziness, increased tinnitus etc... funnily enough the only people I could find with ear symptoms were those who then went on to be diagnosed with inner ear disorders.

It's a crying shame people are sent to ENTs when they are dizzy as they so often come away with this bogus rubbish. I also paid to see an ENT only to be told a load of rubbish.

In your shoes - especially if you are in a position to pay for a private visit then I'd get on a train and go to the neurotology department in the hospital I mentioned in London. A lot of people travel for miles to be seen there. There are hardly any neurotologists in the rest of the country and it's without a doubt the best clinic in the country. It's a train ride with a good book and well worth it - they have all the right equipment, run all the right tests etc...

I think a stress diagnosis can seem comforting, but in my case I always knew it was wrong.

best,