Inner Ear Problems w/ Fullness - Need Help - Going on 8 weeks now..

[socalgolfer]

I am someone who rarely gets sick but have been battling an inner
ear problem for the last 8 weeks..

It started with sinus, ear pain.. I was prescribed a Z pack and told
most likely it was a sinus infection.. Finished the Z pack and I
still felt sick and the fullness in my left ear was still present.

My GP, saw me and prescribed 12 days of amoxycillin - 2000mg per day
to kill the infection.. After the 12 days I felt better but my ear
fullness had not subsided at all.

I get a referral to and ENT and they run many
tests.. They all come back normal, even hearing test.. He only sees
that my Eustachen tube is slightly swollen. He prescribes Flonase to
help with the swelling.. 3 weeks into taking the flonase, the
fullness in my left ear is still present and I still have moments
where I get dizzy with cold sweats at times..

I go back a few days ago and he runs a few more tests which all come
back normal but prescribes Dyazide and tells me to watch my caffeine
and salt intake.. This should help with the fullness in your ear he
says..

It is 5 days later and I am still having fullness and looking for
answers.. I find your user group.. I am considering going to another
ENT to get a 2nd opinion..

The fullness has kept me from sleeping and is going on 8 weeks.. I
can only sleep 2 or 3 hours before the fullness in my ear wakes me
up and is very bothersome..

Looking for answers and help..

Sincerely,

[ removed ]

[littleone1972]

Erik, depends if you have labs or VN, I was initially diagnosed with labs which went into neuritis, I had ear fullness on and off for about 10 months. Then one day it just went away. Each person is different as you will see from the posts on this site. The only thing I did was take some nasal sprays to keep the eustacian tube open, did lots of steaming. Believe me it will go just as soon as it came.

[socalgolfer]

I am not sure what VN is??

I am using flonase right now in addition to Dyazide which is a water pill.. This is supposed to reduce excess fluid in your body..

Like I said in the previous post, I rarely get sick and my ENT gave me this look last time, like I was making the ear fullness up..

The steaming you are referring too, is it a steam room or something else??

Will a drying agent like Sudafed provide any relief?

Sometimes the ear fullness is moderate and other times it feels like my head is going to explode.. Last night was the later, could not get any sleep at all..

[Wowwwweeee]

Just throwing in my two cents, which you may want to run by your doctor first.

I experience ear fullness when my disequlibrium (wooziness) symptoms are very bad. Usually the ear fullness feeling comes on with pressure, like my inner ears are being filled with water or cotton. I also have ear ringing during that. What helps me is antihistamine, like Dimetapp or Benedryl. The Benedryl may also may you feel a little sleepy, which will help you drift off to sleep better, even if you are uncomfortable.

I sleep with my head elevated, which is the pits, but if I lie down I feel that I will "spin" most times. You may want to try elevating your head also.

You mention cold sweats with your feeling of dizziness. I'm sure that that is just anxiety from feeling off balance. It's very scary to feel dizzy, so your body is producing a little more adrenaline in reaction, which is normal when you feel nervous or scared. It's a rush of adrenaline and can't hurt you.

A second opinion never hurts. Take care.

[BennyGibb]

SocialGolfer: It sounds like you have a middle ear infection, inner ear infections are completely different beasts... The innerear is not the area behind the eardrum - thats your middle ear, the innerear is deeper than that and houses your cochlear and labyrinth. The dizziness people with innerear stuff get is Vertigo (spinning/rocking/swaying) which is different to the lightheadedness/fuzzyness people get when they have flu/middle ear/sinus problems, which I think you are describing. It sounds like your ENT has gotten rid of the infection but is now trying to clear up the remaining fluid and inflammation, the steroids should help, but getting a second opinion could help.

Wowwwwwweeeeee: I experience ear fullness when my disequlibrium (wooziness) symptoms are very bad as I'm sure you know can be signs of endolympthatic hydrops (gradual exacerbations can occur instead of the more typical violent attacks) or MAV.