This is ridiculous! - Inner Ear Disorders Message Board

studyin · 09-15-2004, 06:55 AM

Hi All,

Just when I think I've been in every possible situation that stirs up symptoms, I found yet another one. Today I decided to try and give my neck a break and set myself up on the couch with a big pillow behind me for head and back support and then pillows under the knees for leg support. Next I had a notebook on my legs to work on. Well I was totally comfortable and really chuffed that I had the neck thing solved.....but then.....I started feeling a little freaky while concentrating on the screen. The next thing I know my heart rate is up and the music I am listening to is irritating me even though it normally soothes me. So after 30 minutes I get up off the couch and I'm really dizzy and anxious for about 15 minutes and still feel the anxiety as a leftover effect. Dam it all. I can't win. There seems to be not one position where I can relax and work on a PC without either neck pain or dizziness kicking in. I'm trying to work out why this posture on the couch is setting me off and can only think that my eyes are at a new angle while focusing on the laptop. Just like when the eyes move to the corners and symptoms go nuts so too when I look more upward. Clearly I am still stuck with visual garbage stirring up the symptoms.

Can anyone suggest how to get rid of this? I'm really over it. Is the only method through VRT? ie - eye flicking exercises.

Thanks....I'm really miffed tonight because I know the whole night in bed will be a rollercoaster ride now.

Scott

BennyGibb · 09-15-2004, 10:38 AM

Just a suggestion scott, but I find that listen to music (esp loud) can sometimes set me off... perhaps it was the music your were listening to?

Chris1968 · 09-15-2004, 11:23 AM

Hi Scott,

Im also sat on sofa with laptop trying to get a comfortable neck position - I find any chin out position sets off the dizzies, but sometimes it just starts from any neck tension, like being in the same position for a while. Does the computer often set off the dizzies for you? I just wondered if it could be migraine related caused by the screen or something. Wondering about this myself and going to ask doc about a migraine med tommorrow - anything is worth a try after 6 years!!

I know when Im having a bad day my hearing is oversensitive and everything seems too loud and grates on my nerves.

Hope you manage to get some sleep and you feel a bit better tommorrow,

Chris

studyin · 09-15-2004, 05:28 PM

Hi Chris,

Interesting about the chin out position setting you off. I was kind of sitting with my chin tucked looking down but eyes more up if that makes sense. Eye position still has a strong effect on me and it could also have been the chin tucked for a long period of time however I think it's more eyes with me. Apparently the brain switches over to using the eyes over the vestibular system and so, any new eye input can easily throw us off again. On the other hand, what you've said about the neck starting this is probably possible too considering some neck massage I had the other night kicked it off too. I will have to start the VRT Ilia was told about in London again to try and iron out the eye thing. The eye exercises bring on some big symptoms pretty quickly for me. I can see that it's the last thing bringing me down now. I know it's not the screen this time as I was using it the day before sitting at a table with no issues (except for a sore neck).

Are you generally ok using the laptop on the couch? I'm going to work with it again today and see if I can get used to this. It's just too comfortable (apart from the dizzy garbage).

Chris, just read your story again from a few posts back and can see you've had some killer neck troubles and dizziness for a long time now. Did the neck stuff begin from PC work by any chance? Have you found anything to make any big differences in sorting out your neck at all?

BennyGib - thanks for the suggestion but know music will start irritating me once the symptoms start kicking in again....it's another warning that all is not good!

Scott

stitcher · 09-15-2004, 07:05 PM

Hello Scott - I certainly sympathize with you in regards to the dizzyiness and neck problems. I have had VN for 18 months. My symptoms are good for a few months then wham, I'm bad again. My neck pain is recent in the last month and nothing seems to relieve it. Hurts to turn my head toward the right which is my bad ear. I spend a lot of time on the computer with my chin resting in my hand and wonder whether I have permanently damaged my muscles. A CT scan showed some buldging disks. When I start to feel dizzy I start breathing fast, my vision gets blurred, my eyes feel like they are crossing, noise really bothers me and then I start to shakeand feel nauseous. I am self diagnosing these episodes as anxiety and panic attacks....I can't seem to get any Dr's to label this anything but VN. Neurologist said it might be MAV and put me on 400mg of Vit, B-2 but it did nothing. Did you take any antidepressant medication and if so, did/does it help?
I am so depressed over this. Husband is totally unsympathetic and has labeled me a head case.....I was 90% improved and bingo it started in again 2 months ago. Do you experience any fullness in your ears with this? 2 Dr's told me I do NOT have Meniere's. ENG was positive with 55% loss in right ear last year and I have no hearing loss.
I take Antivert (meclizine) and Ativan (lorezapam) which makes me sleepy but seems to stop mos of the symptoms. I am wondering how much of this IS anxiety or just the VN.. How do you tell? Does anyone have any experience with allergies they think may be causing their symptoms? I was allergic to molds and mildew for years and had injections for them (20 years ago). We just found large amounts of mildew in our home probably due to a very rainy summer here in the NE.....
Has anyone experimented with diet changes with any amount of success?
I wish everyone a good evening. Feel well.....and thanks for any input..
Linda