LightheadedBob

I greatly apologize for the length of this post, but I'm at my wit's end. Please, please, please read on:

Over 11 years ago, I began suffering from what I initially called “dizzy spells.” The general traits I have are a slight dizziness that doesn’t really seem to throw me off-balance, but puts me more into a foggy-like feeling that affects my ability to process information. I guess you could more accurately call it lightheadedness. It’s as if I feel disconnected with what’s around me; almost like I’m watching a movie of my life, instead of actually living it. Very rarely has the dizziness actually “pushed” me into a wall, but I have had infrequent incidents of feeling like the ground has waved underneath my feet or literally falling into a wall when standing still without realizing that I was leaning. I’ve also on occasion experienced a rocking motion (very slight motion, but I’m definitely moving back and forth) on occasions when I’m sitting still (I’ve noticed it most often while reading when sitting on the floor). This disconnectedness is usually accompanied by a fatigue/sluggishness and the inability to perform any real analytical or creative work. Participating in conversations is terribly difficult when I’m in a “fog”.

These episodes generally last a few hours to all day long; there have been times during which I’ve experienced them over the course of several days without much respite. Even when I feel good, I don’t think I’ve ever truly felt the way I did before this all began (11 years ago!), as I am absolutely more sensitive to some motions than I was before this began. But, there is a definite “ebb and flow” to how I feel; for instance, the sensations are much less intense right now.

Some of the activities that have brought on the dizziness/fog include shifting focus from one object to another (especially while driving), walking through stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s, blowing my nose (especially when I’m very decongested), scrolling up/down on the PC (this will do it every time), keeping my head turned during conversations/watching TV, watching my kids spin around or swing on a swing set, or even focusing on objects far away (when I try to broaden my field of view, such as from a balcony, etc.). Although it sounds crazy, there are times when it’s as if I can actually “feel” motion in my eyes, as if I can actually feel my eyes focusing or adjusting to a new field of view. I am uncomfortable holding my head upside-down or in awkward, non-level positions. I also can be very sensitive to motion, including riding as a passenger, swinging, etc. I literally avoid bending over to pick up things on the floor; if I do so, I try to keep my head fairly level. On the other hand, there are days in which I seem to get out of bed with this feeling and can’t think of what I did to bring it on. All of these symptoms become much more prevalent when I’m heavily congested.

I’ve seen several doctors/specialists, including family physicians, ENTs, neurotologists, otologists, and psychiatrists. I was initially diagnosed with anxiety attacks and have been prescribed just about every SSRI on the market. For the most part, they didn’t help. After some intense research, my wife and I felt that I could have a vestibular disorder and made an appointment at an ear clinic here in Atlanta. I was incredibly relieved to be diagnosed with BPPV by an Atlanta-area otolaryngologist and receive therapy, but didn’t seem to get much in the way of results from it. After another period of simply “living with it,” I went to Emory’s Dizziness and Balance Center, was given a rotary chair test, and told conclusively that I did NOT have BPPV. I was sent back to the SSRIs and, again, have simply put up with the occasional episodes. I am honest enough to say that these episodes do seem more frequent during periods of stress, but they also come about at times when I’m relaxed. Every now and then, my patience will run out and I’ll again take up the task of getting to the bottom of it.

The questions I have are:
*Should I continue to pursue a vestibular condition?
*If so, what should my next step be?
*How could I be diagnosed with BPPV by one doctor and then told by another that I don’t have it? Is it likely that I “came down with it” several times over the years and simply visited the last doctor after it cleared up? If so, why do I keep getting it? And, why do some motions ALWAYS seem to bother me?
*Why didn’t physical therapy seem to help me?
*If I do have BPPV, are there any treatment options other than physical therapy that you would recommend?
*Any other advice you have.

Your advice is sincerely appreciated.