Hi guys!

Do any of you feel the sensation of off balance when walking and standing. I describe it as a kinda shifting sensation combined with the sensation that your balance just isn't right. Its worse when looking down at times and is not obvious to any one looking at you that you are unsteady. If you have this please let me know - what you feel like, is it 24/7 or intermitent and how do you cope?

I robertson,
24/7 for me pal. always to some degree or another. It almost feels like my eyes are playing tricks on me or something. Do you notice your eyes having problems keeping an object still when focused on it.(like something across the room or the full moon or whatever) That's another thing for me. Or when im in a grocery store sometimes walkin down the aisle it seems like stuff on the shelf is moving in my periphal vision. I also developed floaters in my eyes which add to my stress. had'em checked by eye doc. all normal. Do you feel worse in mornings? or evenings? do you have anyother symptoms like fatigue or sleeping problems?
Well I'll talk with ya later. Hang in there! --Eric--

Hi Eric - yes I have the floaters in my eyes too. I feel the symptoms I mentioned like you to some degree or other 24/7. Its always best in the morning and worse at night. I am beginning to feel a bit hopeless. What is your diagnosis. It really scares the heck out of me.I do alot of positive self talk to cope but then frankly ot really does not seem to improve the symtoms at all. Tonight I cleaned the kitchen out - this is difficult - I am just so aware of my balance - it drives me nuts. Then all of a sudden the counter seems to shift about and I feel very unstaedy - my body feels very unsteady and I get very hot - this feeling will persist until I lay down - it also makes me feel freaked and anxious - I am never sure if this is a near faint or vertigo type symptom. Sometimes I drive myself nuts trying to ascertain if I am imagining this whole thing - even though I ma sure I am not. Although ma deffinately sensatised to the balance thing. What do the doctors reckon is wrong with you? how do you cope? does it freak you out? thanks

Hi eric - I did not answer all your questions - yes I get the feeling that my eyes are like focusing at different speeds - hard to describe - or if I turn my head sometimes what I am looking at appears to wobble. I deff. think that my fear of it all makes it worse but I do think something is wrong with me to cause this in the first place. After all with the best will in the world even when I am happy and not stressed that damn feeling is still there. Do you feel ok when you are sitting down or laying down? Do you manage to get on with every day activities - this freaks me out and I have started to avoid going out alone and being alone in the house. Also I often put off seeing my friends because of this. I tell you the othet thing that even looking at something moving can make me feel very uncomfortable and dizzy. What are all your symptoms? catch you later.

I robertson,
Well bro it sounds like you and I are on the same boat ride. I know exactly what you feel. I avoid going out with friends and doing anything I used to like doing. I use to golf like it was going out of style and now if I muster up the courage to even try, I'm so freaked the whole time that by the time I get done with 9 holes I'm ready to get in my car and jam out of there asap and I'm exhausted from all the constant worry and feeling like I'm gonna have a terrible dizzy attack in the midst of all the off balance feelings. I know what you mean about cleaning or doing anything is difficult because of the constant devil on your shoulder not letting you have a minutes peace. Sometimes after I do something around the house I feel worse.

I had to quit my job because of being constantly freaked out to the point I feel like I can hardly function. It honestly feels like a thief came and stole all my abilities and talents etc....Sometimes I get so frustrated that I want to just throw things and break things and yell and scream and cry. I'm only 27 and just feel hopeless myself.

I've had all necessary tests done. The neurologist did some tests with a tuning fork and hand eye coordination stuff and dizzy and balance tests and determined it wasn't anything central. She could tell I was stressed and tried to prescribe me some anti anxiety and/ anti depressants.

I had a trip to the ER one night because I was so freaked and that's when I got a CT scan and that was normal. The ENT couldnt find anything. My ENG tests were completely normal. My blood panel was normal. I don't know what else to say. Sometimes I fear I have chronic fatigue because I get so depressed and down about it I don't feel like doing anything and I'm tired a lot. It's always worse for me when I'm tired at night.

So every doc I went to wanted to prescribe me anti anxiety meds or anti depress meds, but I haven't taken any meds for fear of the side effects,(which alot of'em happen to be dizziness).

So I pretty much have obsessed about finding natural things to help, I've been to a couple therapists, but it just doesn't seem like they really understand. I am a bit better now then when it all started 6 months ago, but it's still here. My only diagnosis is anxiety with depression.

Last night I got freaked because I went to meet my little sis for dinner and when I got there and got out of the car I started to freak and had to force myself to go in. I was uncomfortable the whole time and couldn't wait to leave. After I left I was so drained and tired from that experience that I felt so tired I couldnt keep my eyes open and my mind was racing so much I couldn't sleep, so I started getting shaky and freaking out. Needless to say I didn't sleep well last night at all but I generally haven't slept well since it all began.

Now was there or is there anything going on in your life that is causing you stress that you're not dealing with? When you say that you'd see the counter shift and then you'd get feeling hot, that feeling hot thing is a definate anxiety related thing. I do know that I need to get off the worry and what if treadmill because that keeps the sensitization and everything going. The more you fear the more it feeds it. Logically even if it is an inner ear thing, it will not go away like it should as long as the constant negative fears and thoughts are constantly keeping us on guard..For example, there has been a few times where I had 2-3 days in a row that I was feeling pretty good.(not 100% by any means)but better than usual. So one half my brain is thinking alright Im getting better finally, while the other half constantly on the look out for feeling worse again and negative thoughts and fears about it and sure enough I do it to a point where I'm right back where I was.

Do you have inner peace about yourself? and life? Do you try and eat healthy? do you have any probs with your appetite?

Anyway man I'm here to answer any questions and to be of some support. I know there's more I can say but for now that's all that came out. talk to ya more soon.---Eric--

HI eric - well it does seem that we are on the same boat ride -weird huh. My ENT consultant deffinately feels that something is wrong but that like you a stress element is making it worse. Like you I feel freaked out by this whole hing and like you I feel a whole bunch worse when I have to go out and meet up with people. Even when its something that I want to do - like meeting my sister so I can so relate to what you went through going for a meal with your sister. Its annoying isn't it!! You kinda feel like a fool and also a great deal of annoyance with yourself as like you say its like a theif came and nicked your life. I deffinately don't have depression - in fact my life is pretty much normal and happy. No major problems that I can identify. Although I have just had a baby (now 4 weeks old nearly) and the preg was really stressful and we nearly lost him mid way through. So yep I can see that my anxiety levels are raised more than normal. I had a nexcellent therapsist a few yaers ago that taughtme stress management techniqiues - as i had a major problem with anxiety - feeling unreal, tight chest, short of breath, feaked out, constantly ill, extremely tired, no motivation etc etc. But that is not how I feel now - its is just this balance thing. But I relate to you about fearing a major attack of the dizzies - I feel better around the home - well safer any how - but even here I still feel dizzy. Do you feel like you might pass out?. I have had panic attacks in the past but they stopped as soon as I realsied what they were - and this dizzy faint thing is again defferent from that. I suppose what is maybe different form you is that I genuinely had a reecognised problem with my ear - but I am more than prepared to believe that part of this is being fed by negative thinking and sensatisation. What I struggle with is how much if any. I am a dab hand at dealing with the naegative thoughts - but to be honest I have not really bothered doing it as it is an effort - I keep hoping that tommorrow will be better. Its intersting that you should bring the subject of anxiety up at this time as I had been wondering about it myself. As although I have had an MRI albeit almost 2 years ago which was clear - I have been thinking oh my god say something has grown between now and then - should I get another. I am also deffinately on the merry go round of what is this and constantly vigilant as to how I feel and checking my balance. Like you said it is iften unconsious and happens without being deliberate. Annoying or what.......there are a few others I notice here that have issues with anxiety.....I have never really discussed this with them as yet. I tell you a great thing I learned was diversion techniques that effectively block the negative thoughts - basically you repeatedly change to thinking about something else whenever you catch yourself thinking through this whole problem ...AGAIN. I will deff. have to start with that again. Tell me how did your symptoms start and please could you describe the imbalamce and dizzy sensations like you. Oh like you yesturday I went to the hairdressers and was really dizzy and freaked out like you all i wanted to do was get out of there - but I stuck it out and then left. I get so freaked by the balance thing that I hate standing and try to always sit down alot etc. But I even get these odd movement sensations in bed when the matress shifts. Thanks - at least it ain't just me - hey I am only 29! so I know how bugging it is - I sometimes think its not like i am 95 and old - why have i got this......

hi i robertson and fighter,
my brain is not firing on all cylinders today. but i relate to all that u r saying.... i like the devil on your shoulder expression .......and the anxiety ....its like a daily event.......
hope todays a better one

will catch up with you later

take care

brina

Hey Brina and Eric - (Brina I replied to you directly on our thread). I meant to say that I too feel worse when I feel really anxious and better when I feel most relaxed - but then again I feel most relaxed when I am not moving around as that is when I feel worse. Eric do you have these symptoms 24/7 - the imbalance aspect any how with kinda intermitent lightheadedness and then severe burst of dizzyness - if so that is me too. Brina has this rocking sensation - I have had that too last year it went on for yonks but did eventually stop. Eric do you get exagerated senstaions of movement? like if you are sitting on your bed and it shifts you feel like you are moving a lot when you are not - I also feel uncomfortable with the exagerated movement - just like I know its not normal. Catch you guys later. Hey I tell you something funny - I just reaslised that both scant and hpeh are female and not male - I just assumed from those names they were guys - a bit dumb huh.

I have a suggestion that may or may not help to some degree. Try MECLEZINE. It's prescription but very cheap and definitely worth trying (before tightrope walking[LOL] or something challenging, or just for some symptomatic relief.)

Hi Zip - thanks for that tip - I am soeaking to my ENt doc tommorrow as the dumbo has prescribed me something that has contra-indictaions when you are breast feeding. I even told him I was - it is soooooo annoying so now i have wasted like another 3 days to start on medication. Its hard as i really feel that i must feed my son myself as my dh has multiple allergies and asthma.......so its hard as I really just want to feel better now. Have you had this imbalance thing?

Hey Fighter,
If you are having problems sleeping try Melatonin its all natural and it has definately helped me. Also do you and I Robertson have any other symptom other than the dizzies and anxiety. Do ya'll feel spaced out or foggy headed. With me it is the foggy feeling that freaks me out, it makes me panic or anxious and in turn that makes me more dizzy. The foggy feeling really makes me anxious around people, I guess it is the way you hear, the more I would hear the more I freak out. I think the reason I so quickly figured this out is because I have had 2 full blown panic attacks and both happened while smoking pot. Needless to say that habit wasnt hard to break. Well the foggy feeling I have feels just like being high on marijuana. I am taking paxil now, it took me a while to start it cause I was scared of yhe side effects. It has helped pretty good, now I am just lightheaded and foggy 24/7.
I hope that both of you have insurance, if you keep buggin them they might figure it out. I am out of money so I guess I got to figure it out on my own. If ya'll ever get a correct diagnosis please let us know what it is.

Hey guys,

Yes I too feel foggy headed and spacey on top of the dizzies. The dizzy feelings are like objects shift in my vision and sometimes feel like I'm gonna pass out or fall over. Mostly just off balance feeling with jumpy eyes. And sometimes I get these little swimmy things in front of my eyes.

I've tried melatonin for sleep but doesn't seem to do it. My mind just races too fast. I even feel unsteady when I sit at the computer which bugs me big time. I'm so sick of it all, I feel like bangin my head against a wall to try and knock something straight. I don't have insurance anymore either so I'm just takin it a day at a time. Besides that all the doctors I've been too just seemed like they really didn't care that much. I was just another number. really pisses me off. that's why they're doctors not healers....sometimes i dont think they know what the hell they're doing. Anyway I'll talk to you all soon.---Eric--

Hi Eric - can you describe the imbalance that you feel - does it vary in intensity during the day and is it there 24/7? It seems to me that form all that I have read and form the doctors that I have seen that this conditions falls into the category of 'non-serious' so although it is really upsetting and frustrating it can't kill ya so thats why they kinda give us the brush of. Also I think that the docs find it hard to actually identify the exact problem that causes it and as such its hard to treat. Ispoke to my doctor today and she and the ENT both feel that there is an anxiety overlay to the symptoms that I have - I had to agree. They feel that yep there is irritation or over sensativity in the ear which is being made worse by my reactions to it. I have to kinda agree - kinda being the operative word. There is no way on earth that these pesky symptoms the imbalance etc can be caused by anxiety alone and they agree. However I will go back to doing my anxiety management and we will see if it helps? This really does drive me crazy!! Oh I have that sudden faint thing too - annoying huh.

BRina - are you OK - you have been quiet on the boards - I hope you are ok and that its the floor tiles that have been keeping you busy.