Has anyone experienced inner ear problems after receiving a spinal. After my wife got her spinal for delivering our babies (another story) she developed a terrible spinal headache. She got a spinal blood patch 2 days later which got rid of the headache but now - for 5 years - has had balance problems. She has undergone lots of tests but nothing dramatic has been indicated. She seems to have some symptoms of menieres but not all - especially no hearing loss.

Although no doctor will confirm it, in my gut I know it was something resulting from the initial spinal. Too coincidental that everything was fine before and now she is not.

Glad to be part of this forum since I hope it will yield lots of good advice for my wife.

Thanks,
-Rich

If she would have meniers she would know it. Its not like you can have some symptoms of meniers. My brother has it and the whole room sways. HE closes his eyes and he feels like hes flying in circles on a swing or ride. He then starts to vomit. I mean for like 6 hours in a row. He also hears robotic voices in his right ear prior to getting the disease. He is now almost deaf in one ear and cannot eat salt or go swimming without ear plugs.

He has kept it under control with a balanced diet and no alcohol...

But regarding the Spine im not 100% sure. You have to look into where the nerves lie in the spine and if they tampered with the ones that may affect the ear.

I hope you have luck.

Hi Rich, its funny that you mention a spinal tap as I have had 3 myself and felt really really bad during and after the 3rd. That said I had a vestibular problem (labs) prior to the 3rd. Any way long story short, I asked the very same questions about the possible effects of a spinal and was reassured (by a top specialist in vest) that there is no association and that its a conincidence not a root cause. BUT any type of surgery can cause an embolism (blood clot) and its possible to have one in your inner ear, I say this because its just what happened to my aunt during abdominal surgery and she has on-going dizzy problems, although luckily for her almost resolved now but initially had horrendous bouts of vertigo. Hope that helps.

I too after having a spinal delivering my son have experienced dizziness ever since, it has been nearly 4 years now. Have had MRI, ENT and the doctors look at me as if I'm from another planet!! I think I may have Labyrinthitis but only because I tick all the boxes when reading about it on the internet. The doctors tell me its anxiety. Is there anyone out there who has had balance issues after receiving spinal block?

Was not like this before and would love to be normal again!!

I too after having a spinal delivering my son have experienced dizziness ever since, it has been nearly 4 years now. Have had MRI, ENT and the doctors look at me as if I'm from another planet!! I think I may have Labyrinthitis but only because I tick all the boxes when reading about it on the internet. The doctors tell me its anxiety. Is there anyone out there who has had balance issues after receiving spinal block?

Was not like this before and would love to be normal again!!

How soon was it after your spinal that you experienced symptoms. I had an epidural for my son since I had a csection and he is only 11 months old but I have had these symptoms for only 3 months

I can remember feeling rough on operating table I couldnt look to my left. I was also told that my iron levels were low and the reason I felt dizzy was because of this, but it carried on. So I dont know whether I suffered from the day of surgery or it came on afterwards. I think it was from the day of surgery. I used to feel so dizzy and unbalanced more so when I sat down and I hated sitting down for a meal I just wanted to stand up all the time because it never felt as bad. I could never get on the floor with my boy and play, but as time went on and I've had the all clear from MRI scans and ENT, blood tests etc I've just had to get on with it. There are lots of things I hate still but I wont let it get me down!!!!

I am now pregnant again (after lots of thought) and it does seem to have kicked off more whether hormones make it worse I dont know. I do deep down think something happened to me that day that all doctors shrug off as if I'm losing it whether something was there and the spinal tap kicked it off I think its something I will never get to the bottom of. I am now hoping that having this new baby (hopefully naturally) a miracle will happen and it will disappear for good!! Since being pregnant this time I was diagnosed at an early stage with Benign Positional Vertigo as well so I can only sleep on my left hand side. Things can only get better - surely!!!!!

Hope this helps let me know