do i have an inner ear problem! other symtpoms as well

snowmelts

I can suggest that you take an over the counter Dramamine, sold for motion sickness.
(Be sure to read label warnings and see if it is OK with your other meds and be aware you should not drive when taking this cuz it can make you drowsy)

Dramamine shrinks inner ears if they are swollen.

I have allergies to breathing certain fumes which swell my inner ears and that is what I was told to do about it.
I do it and it works for me.
I have learned to recognize the signs (pressure feeling in my ears and a need for me to rush around sort of hyper acting, vauge dizziness, weird feeling) of my inner ears beginning to swell and I take ½ a Dramamine then and it stops the problem before it gets bad.

A whole Dramaine makes me very sleepy. Although if my allergy is acting overly worrisome I will take a whole one and relax at home.

I never take 2 at once now, even though the instructions mention that's OK, but I sure did when advised to by the Dr when the ugly problem first arose and I landed in the ER.
When the inner swells suddenly and bad believe me it's VERY scary.
The world goes tilt!
The walls move fast around you.. there is no up and there is no down.. I can't even describe how bad it is when the sense of balance is gone totally tilt!
I don't mean to scare you .. but I do recommend you try Dramamine (if possible) to nip any inner ear swelling problems in the bud.
The ER Doc asked what was wrong and I told him "I think I lost my marbles".
He looked in my ears and said "Nope, they are just very swollen"

I certainly try not to let it get bad after that horrid first time, but if it is bad then it takes a while, taking the Dramaine regular, until the inner shrinks enough so I feel normal.

I do not take it when I do not have the problem.

My problem is caused by an allergy to fumes from petrolium based products like gas, paint also fresh ink and man-made scents like scented cleaners, scented candels and perfumes. I cannot breath around those things at all. (my nose closes immediatly now although it didn't when I first developed the allergy) and oh yeah I gotta get out there fast. I cannot pump gas my own at a gas station because of the gas fumes swelling my inner ears.

That may not be your problem but it's the only personal experience I have that is any way related to the problem you are describeing.

I hope you find the cause of your problem soon.

Mac2

Hi

Just to let you know, I suffered from dizziness two weeks after I had an upper respiratory tract infection which is typical of Labs/VN. I suffered from dizziness and being off balance for a few months before the anxiety kicked in. The dizziness and anxiety subsided after I had been ill for 6 months and I returned to work. I have been to the ENT on a few occassions and though I have never had any MRIs or CAT scans, just the usual hearing tests etc, I was diagnosed first with Labs and then later with VN. I am now left with an off balance feeling, which happens daily but does not last all day. I can now cope with that and live my life pretty normally. However, I cannot work when I catch a cold or virus as it seems to play havoc with my balance. The thing is you can be tested for inner ear disorder and give normal readings even though you do have a problem because they can't actually get to the inner ear, that is what I have heard anyway.

I have also never suffered any deafness but I know that it is my ears that are causing the problems because I do suffer fullness and feel worse when that happens. I am always worse at period time because I retain a lot of fluid and this I believe affects the ears.

I find it interesting that you have trouble swallowing, because I also have the same problem though only when I am trying to fall asleep. I wake up with a jolt, feeling a bit dizzy and I can't swallow which sends me into a panic. I asked my doc about this today and he said that this is normal. Wow, it's great to be so 'normal' isn't it. So bloody frustrating when every test is normal and you just don't know what's wrong!!! I too, often worry that I have something more serious going on inside my head but that is probably because I have not had (and don't want) an MRI etc. You have had all these scans and they have come back normal, so try and be positive and be patient. This inner ear thing has a slow recovery rate so set yourself up for a few knockbacks because that is the way with this illness. Most people who get this problem can recover within 5 weeks, it's just the unlucky ones like us who have to suffer!

You say you have already seen the specialists in this area so I suppose there isn't much more you can do apart from self help, i.e. lots of walking and keeping your head moving.

My balance rehab doctor told me that I wasn't a typical case but my symptoms are exactly the same as lots of people on this board and I have lots of the symptoms listed on the VEDA website. Maybe I am some sort of freak, haha.

Take care and try not to cry too much. Take charge of your life again and beat this monster.

snowmelts

Showing my ignorance but What do the initials VN stand for?

billybignose

VN= vestibular neuronitis

That phrase is often used interchangably with labyrinithitis (though technically VN is inflammation of the balance nerve, and Labs is an inflammation of the balance apparatus/inner ear and often includes hearing loss), it is impossible to differentiate between the two, so some docs will only label it labs when there is also hearing loss. Both are damage/inflammation to inner ear normally via a virus, and both are very common following a cold/flu.

In some people it comes on severly and violently, in others it comes on insidiously over a number days/weeks (though in these cases it could be that the worst of the vertigo occurs in peoples sleep, and in the waking hours the brain is suppressing the symptoms). The virus often leaves damage in it's wake, and the body has no propensity to heal that damage, however the person normally fully recovers through central compensation (ie the brain learns and adapts to the new/faulty signals) this process usually takes about 4-6weeks, but in some it can take longer and in a minorty it won't occur without VRT (special physio aimed at retraining the balance)...

No test can conclusively demonstraight whether you have VN/Labs or not. An ENG is most important test as a positive result (it compares the function of each ear and looks for a comparitive weakness) is indicative of dysfunction. However, as an ENG only tests one of the three canals in the vestibular apparatus and only at certain frequencies then a normal ENG result does not rule out VN/Labs.

I can't comment on whether the ear is the source of your problems, but from what you've said it does seem a little odd to be ruling it out at this stage..Especially as 95% of vertigo is inner ear related..

Mac2

Billybignose (love that name!)

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Just wanted to say that I had the ENG test done and it was normal, which as you say does not prove anything. I wouldn't have the caloric ear test where they squirt the water in your ears because I was suffering from mega anxiety at the time and was really really scared. It was all I could manage to actually get to the hospital. I have been told it is VN I am suffering solely because I only now have balance problems and everything else has disappeared so my balance therapist thinks it is a balance nerve that has been damaged as opposed to inner ear. Don't suppose it makes much difference though.