Hello all,
I have been reading here for months, but have not yet posted. I am just at the end of my rope...
For me, this all started in early 2006, although I didn't know it at the time. I had a spell of dizziness/vertigo when I was out shopping and felt like I was going to black out. I went to the Dr. and he told me it was due to a cold I had just gotten over, prescribed me Deconamine and sent me on my way. The meds helped and through the rest of the spring/summer and fall I was ok.
January 2007, I started having this full headed feeling and dizzy spells. I thought that it was perhaps due to my allergies. Went back to the Dr, he gave me more Deconamine, a prescription for Zyrtec and some Flonase. It helped a little, but I still was in misery most of the time. I would have such bad dizzy spells at work that I had to get up and walk quickly because I felt like I was going to faint.
March of 2007, the spells get worse. The Dr. finally exams my sinuses, he tells me that I have chronic sinusitis and severe allergies. They refer me to the allergist, but the allergist wanted me to go sans antihistamine for 3-4 days before my appointment and I just couldn't do that, I felt terrible enough with the medication. More decongestants, more antihistamines, a different allergy medication and an order to flush my sinuses with saline 3-4 times per day. Still no real improvement and at this time, my ears were starting to make all sorts of crazy noises, popping, etc when I laid down at night.
Over easter weekend last year, I had the first spell of shortness of breath. I laid down and just felt like I couln't breathe. I was actually terrified that I wouldn't make it through the night. My husband assured me that my breathing was fine, normal. But I felt like I couldn't take a full breath and it scared the heck out of me.
Back to the Dr., where they tell me that my allergies are triggering some very mild acute asthma I had as a child. They put me on Singulair and give me an albuterol inhaler.
It didn't help, at all. At this point I am on 4 different pills and an inhaler and I still feel like garbage. I started having palpitations and the feeling that my heart was racing. I let a week pass and had many more episodes of breathing difficulty, I went to the ER several times where they told me that my pulse ox was fine and my lungs were clear. Then why am I gasping for breath?
Back to the Dr. mid-April 2007, this time he tells me that he thinks I have mild viral pneumonia. He put me on inhaled steroids but tells me that I don't need antibiotics because it's viral. I still didn't notice a difference. My sinuses were constantly congested, my left ear felt full all of the time, more heart palpitations and breathing difficulties.
Finally, about a week after this, I felt acid in my throat for the first time and my esophagus was so swollen I could barely swallow. I did some research myself and realized that I had many symptoms of GERD. I began self treatment with Prilosec OTC and Zantac. Cut down on the caffeine. It worked a little.
I went back to the Dr and told them that I thought I had GERD, even though I didn't often feel a burning sensation. They put me on Nexium, and it seemed to help a bit. However, after a few months on Nexium, I felt as if I was constantly bloated, had a strange metallic taste in my mouth and was gaining weight.
I went off of the Nexium and have tried combatting the symptoms with Zantac 150. It was working pretty well, but now that my husband has deployed again to Iraq, I think my nerves are shot and the reflux seems to be kicking back in. The last two nights I have had palpitations and breathing difficulty at night. I am so tired, all of the time. I don't sleep well and my entire body aches at times. I still have the dizziness, the ear fullness and popping.
I guess I need to go back to the Dr. and get back on the Nexium and maybe an endoscopy. I am just so leary of Dr's because they seem to be able to help so little. I was misdiagnosed so many times, and all of the medications they had me on seems to have made the problem so much worse. Does anyone have any suggestions of other things I could try?
I am sorry for the book, but I just needed to vent. I have not felt "normal" for a year now, and I am truly at the end of my rope.
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