Hi everyone, im new..ive been lurking and trying to read up on some of the old posts, but sometimes they can get overwhelming...lol...and i read alot of good info, but wanted to let u know about me :) Im 28, female and I get ETD twice a year for about 4 months at a time..and i hate it! I get the dizzies, the foggy head, vision blurry or distorted. I have extreme panic attacks (take effexor XR) about this and ive had it for 4 years now, i can just pretty much plan on it coming back to me every year. I just recently was referred to an allergist to see if i was allergic to something that it is triggering it. Well she told me i had ETD in both ears, fluid in both and i was very clogged in my sinuses. They cant get my appt until May 8t to do the actual allergy test...i mean come on thats a month away, they might not think its a big deal, but i sure do! So after that i called my doc and told her i wanted to see an ENT...she has referred me to a ENT, but after much hesitation, telling me it will only last a certain amnt of months, well i know this...its been 4 years. I have tried, steroids, nasal sprays, sinus meds...nothing works...the steroids work for awhile then its back to the same ole thing. Does anyone share the same feelings as me, i just want to know im not alone! Have you tried everything? im going in and asking my doc to put tubes in my ears......or if that is an option.....help me! :) :rolleyes:

I feel your frustration. I have been dealing with the same thing now, but its been a constant ETD for me for about 2 years now. There are points where I feel 70% and then revert back to about 30%.

I had the tubes placed, and although they help most people, it did nothing for me (my ENT only placed one in the left ear) but super sensitize (sp?) my ear, cause increased occurrences of tinnitus and a CONSTANT earache. I had it removed in Jan - after I had it in for 3 months - and I'm still suffering. It apparently "slipped" out of place and wedged in between my ear drum and my ear canal, or something like that.

I have an appointment with a new ENT on the 23rd of May... long waiting lists here.

I too have tried Sudafed, Nasonex, prescription decongestants... nothing seems to work. And I am dizzy, suffer severe brain fog and mental confusion and so on.

My Docs cannot figure me out, and the last GP I saw told me to "live with it!". Easy to see he does not suffer from ETD, or never has.

I don't really have any advice. Sorry. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. And keep pestering your docs. By all means, if you think a tube/grommit will help, it's worth a try - what have you got to lose?

Angela

THANK YOU soo much, i havent talked to anyone who has gotten the tubes, did they put them in locally or did you go under? It does make me feel better to know there is someone like me, and i hope we all get better. I hate this ETD...why us???? i guess there could be worse things to be upset about, but sometimes its just soo frustrating! I just want to be normal again..im sure you guys hear this all the time, whining and all, i think to let it out instead of keeping it in helps.. i wish i had more positive news to share....im from california....and they say where i live the allergies here are the worst in the state...maybe i need to move...lol!

Has anyone moved and gotten better? :)

Hello. Sorry to hear about your ETD. My ENT told me that I have ETD and that there was nothing he could do about it. Talk about a helpless feeling.

I've had my issues since around this time last year with the dizziness/balance problems really hitting me since August of last year after a very bad cold/sinus infection. I'm thinking about going to an allergist to see what else can be done.

I spent 25 bucks tonight on Claritin D and Nasalcrom and for now, it's working great. It has cleared me up and my freakin' ear feels somewhat normal. I'm pumping more crap into my body as far as OTC drugs and prescription meds because I'm so desperate. I have never been one to take medication but I'm so desperate to rid myself of these issues. I totally feel for you guys. I truly do. If we don't have each other to vent to, who else do we have? I feel bad for my mother, who is my confidant of late and she's actually had it with me since she's sick of hearing about my maladies. It's difficult to talk to friends about it because they have their own issues and when I was married...(haha) my wife had more problems than me so I was always listening to her complain. Go figure...

Hope you gets get some relief soon!

LOL - I hear you on people being sick of the "complaining". I think my fiance is about done with it. He gets so pissed everytime i mention anything health/medical related. Then again he hasn't gone to a doctor in about 14 years! My mother is the same way. She asks about my visits to the doc, but then when I tell her she tells me to just deal with it!

AbitdizzE- I had the tube placed right in his office. Took about 10 minutes total. He got me to lie down, then "deadened" my ear drum with a needle (which was kind of a burning sensation, but that went away after like 10 seconds - if that long) and then he proceded to place the tube. A rather simple procedure. But like i said, I had all kinds of problems with mine. I wasn't even out of the building when I heard a big pop, and then it was like the worst "fullness" feeling ever! I think this may have been where it "slipped" out of place - but me being naive about and thinking this tube would fix all my problems, I didn't go back for 3 months! (and I ended up wearing an ear plug for most of that time to try and drown out sound/noise because it hurt so much! - and I still have the sensitivity) It was supposed to be 4 months, but i just couldn't take it any longer - the pain, super sensitivity, more severe tinnitus etc - it was driving me insane. BUT, I think my case was and is atypical, I think for most people, or at least what I can tell, are helped by the tubes.

This is one long frustrating journey.

OffBalance - I think we have a similar time line - I have been suffering for about 2 years, but what I am experiencing now has been since about last August without letting up at all!

Hey at least we can compare notes and complain to each other! ;) I am thinking allergies may have something to do with mine... although I'm not sure.

Questions - Do either one of you suffer from TMJ? or impacted wisdom teeth? I have both and am beginning to wonder if there is a connection there maybe? Do you get reoccurent sinus/throat infections and/or swollen glands in the neck? I always have an infection, and the glands are always swollen, sometimes being tender and painful and throbbing (more often than not), and sometimes just swollen. I was told its all connected somehow.

I hear you on the complaining....my husband too get sick of hearing me complain, i have asked him to come with me to the ENT this time for my appt, because i feel when i get in there i feel hopeless and i give up because i have gone thru this so many times and i just end up agreeing with the ENT. So i am hoping this time the ENT will listen to me and my hubby.

I am too hoping if i have an allergy maybe its something i can get a shot for and head this off before it starts. It does seem to go away after awhile but the 4-5 months i have it just plain sucks! The other 2-3 months is great before it comes back again....ahhhhhhh!! lol..... :D Man, i wish my appt was sooner!

On the teeth problems, i thought that was what was causing all my dizziness, i have terrible tooth problems, i brush everyday and floss, but no matter what i do my teeth are bad, i have had almost all of them fixed, i have one crown i need done, my dizziness started up again in January 06, i noticed i had a loose crown and i went to the dentist, they decided to pull the tooth, i thought heck yeah, thats what my foggy head and dizziness is from, sure enuff after it was pulled i felt better no pressure or the dizziness...etc etc...then bam, it came back like a week later...so i dont know if it helped or what. is there anyway for you to get the wisdom teeth pulled out? i am sure that will make u feel at least halfway better, i know when i had my pulled...oh my what a relief! Whenever i mention my dizziness to my dentist tryin to see if it was related, she would say ohh no way it cant make u dizzy...i think it can....lol..... :confused:

Well, I can have my wisdom teeth pulled... but that is out of pocket and very expensive... I don't have dental coverage. But I never really thought on making a connection until I read on here that it could possibly be a cause of ETD and such. I don't know. I guess anything is worth a shot. I have never treated my TMJ except for taking painkillers - maybe it's time I start.

I completely hear you on giving up while at the ENT. I find alot of ENT's have what is referred to as the "God Complex" and what they say is gold and cannot be questioned. Mine gives tops 5 minutes for your appt and then sends you back out the door with some prescription or something. Sometimes I think he has a deal with a pharmaceutical company and gets comission or something lol. I got my GP to refer me to a different ENT, so hopefully he's different and will actually listen to what I have to say.

I wish you luck at your next ENT appointment, and hopefully hubby will stick up for you with the ENT and you will get the answers you need. :)

Has anyone ever tried Meclizine for the dizzies? my friend mentioned it and i was curious as to how it made u feel.....


also....lol...do your eyes water with the ETD? like i mean feels like its constantly dripping water..... :eek: