i had given up hope, but decided to post anyway. - Inner Ear Disorders Message Board

scurvy · 01-10-2003, 11:48 PM

Hey all. Well i may as well tell my story just in case anyone can help me. About a year and a half ago i got what a i believe was an ear infection. I had gone swimming at a hotel one night with some buddies and we were just messin around in the hot tub and pool. I remember going UNDER WATER in the hot tub.

The next day about mid afernoon i felt a bit dizzy and thought it must be from not eating.. so i went to the store and stocked up on food.. still feeling very strangely dizzy..

Ok i'm not sure about the timeframe or exact events of the next few weeks but heres a shot at what i remember.

- I went to the hospital and told the doc i thought i might have gotten an ear infection and i was feeling slightly dizzy and what not. He told me he could not find anything wrong with me at all.. He prescribed antibiotics anyway and i got them hoping they would get rid of this dizzyness.. it got much worse but this was before i took the antibiotics... i remember sitting in the car as a friend drove me to walgreens to get the prescription..i could barely see.. i remember looking out the window and just seeing blurs of light and whatnot.. so i took the prescription and it helped. A few weeks later i still did not feel right so i went to see another doc. He told me i might have gotten an infection but he was not 'sure' (What the hell good are doctors) he mentioned something about my tubes by my throat and they were a little swollen.. i dont recall the names of these tubes.. SO..

I told my family and they were very concerned.. last summer i saw a family doctor.. told him everything and he said there was absolutly nothing wrong with me.. my ears were fine.. and that was about it..

To this day i dont feel the same as the night before i went swimming.. i miss my old life and have a hard time explaining what i feel like. I try to block it out and not think about it most of the time but it is very hard. It's almost like i dont feel like i'm really alive.. i'm not dizzy anymore but i'm in a very dream like state 24/7. I don't know what else to say. By the way i'm a 20 year old male.. if anyone knows anything at all please post. Thanks for reading.

Mica09 · 01-11-2003, 02:29 PM

Sorry to here about your condition, but I know exactly how you feel. Your symptoms are not exactly the same as mine but I've also been feeling dizzy 24/7 for the past fifteen months and doctors don't know what I have even though I saw all kinds of doctors and had all kind of tests, but don't let this discourage you.

Dizziness can be caused by so many things.

Did you see a specialist (Ear, Nose and Throat)? Did you have blood tests done especially for the thyroid gland.

Some people that felt in "a dream world" 24/7 were helped with allergy medication (Chlorominitron?)- go see the allergy section. Some other people who sometime feel dizzy or in "a dream world" suffer from anxiety, you could check that section also.

Good luck and don't give up. Keep us up to date.

[This message has been edited by MPaiement (edited 02-11-2003).]

Just tired · 02-10-2003, 10:01 PM

Sounds like anxiety disorder. Check out the listings for stress & anxiety disorder. Just a thought.

hbep · 02-11-2003, 01:47 AM

Hello Scurvy,

Your family doctor was wrong - if you feel bad 24/7 and have done so for a year and half then there is something wrong! You feel bad, you didn't before, you have a right to be taken seriously. Do not be fobbed off with 'there is nothing wrong.' This just means that the doctor you are talking to doesn't know what's wrong.

People who complain of a dreamlike state with no vertigo sometimes have eustachian tube dysfunction. I don't know if it's possible to have this without ear symptoms, the best person to tell you this is an otologist (ear specialist.) If a doctor checked your throat and saw that your eustachian tubes were inflamed then I'm guessing this could be the root of your problem. They could still be constantly a bit inflamed causing you to feel 'off' all the time. Anxiety is also possible - this is a serious condition that deserves to be taken seriously and is treatable, but I would be wary of opting for an anxiety diagnosis before your ears have been 100% checked out. Mention your eustachian tubes, get them to look in to this properly.

Do not give up hope, demand help, if your family is supportive get them to back you up. You feel bad and have done for a year and a half and you need answers. You need to start seeing specialists who can provide you with those answers. I would have an otologist look at you again, if they really feel they can't help you, they can refer you on to someone who can.

Good luck, I really hope you get the help you need.