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Could I have a balance disorder?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Bookworm33
Bookworm33

Hello, I'm hoping I can get some advice. I've suffered from dizziness for nearly two years. My doctor (who recently retired) told me it was due to anxiety, and that it would go away in time. I do have a panic disorder, but with counselling, my attacks are now few and far between. The dizziness, though, has never gone away.

I've noticed in recent months that I get dizzy from the oddest things--walking in dark areas, sitting near someone in a rocking chair, facing a revolving ceiling fan, watching a parade go from side to side on TV. I also wake up dizzy most mornings, and sometimes dread turning over or sitting up in bed because of how it makes me feel. 

My ears have started ringing, and feel "full" with pressure, but my new doctor hasn't found the cause yet. I have had 2-3 incredibly minor vertigo episodes, where the room tilts up and down for only a few seconds and then stops. Sometimes it looks like objects in front of me are moving on their own. I usually feel as though I've just gotten off a fast merry-go-round. The room itself doesn't spin, but my head feels as though I've just gone in circles, most of the time.

It's not so bad I can't function, which makes me wonder if it is really my imagination. I keep telling myself it's stress or lack of sleep causing anxiety, but after researching balance disorders I'm beginning to wonder if that's true. I've been to so many doctors in the past two years--I just wonder if I've got enough symptoms of a real problem to warrant going to a specialist about this. (I'm so grateful for ANY advice offered!)

1 like, 34 replies

34 Replies

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  • mudskippa
    mudskippa Bookworm33

    Posted

    If you've mostly dealth with your panic attacks (well done for that!), it could well be a balance issue. Look on the VEDA website vestibular.org. some of these things are very treatable with the right help. 
  • anne05147
    anne05147 Bookworm33

    Posted

    Hi Bookworm,  please tell your doctor that you would like to be referred to ENT.  You get dizzy when you roll over in bed is a classic symptom of vertigo and could be BPPV.  If you google BPPV it will give you more information.  If you're ears are ringing you could have tinnitus and the fullness in your ear might be causing it also.

    Hope you get some answers.  Best wishes.

  • kate47167
    kate47167 Bookworm33

    Posted

    Having been at this game 6 yrs it sounds like u have either bppv or a vestibular injury no doubt
  • Bookworm33
    Bookworm33

    Posted

    Thank you so much--I wasn't expecting replies so quickly! That really puts my mind at ease--just knowing that there could be a real cause for it. I'll be sure to speak to my doctor about it!
  • gillian76726
    gillian76726 Bookworm33

    Posted

    Okay I don,t,know which country your are in, but when you go to your GP ask him to,refer you to a Neuro Otologist.  forget ENT as most of the  will waste your time as myself and a lot,of,others on here have discovered.  Neuro otolgists l know lot, lot more than Ents. they have to study 4 years or more than an ENT, and will be more thorough with their testing and diagnosis.  If your GP tries  to push theENT thing, be firm and say no, you,be had this for too long and done a lot,of,research etc etc and it,is not just anxiety. (Usually the anxiety is caused by the fact that you are suffering from symptoms anyway!)
    • Bookworm33
      Bookworm33 gillian76726

      Posted

      I'm in the US. I've only had a "get acquainted" visit with my new doctor, so I'm not sure what his recommendations will be, but he seems to be very kind and understanding. I'll keep that information in mind, thank you!
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Bookworm33

      Posted

      okay, I have lived in the U.S. (Now in UK), so you will ,probably be better placed than us over here to state the type of consultant you want to see 

      and can cut to the chase and see a Neuro Otologist.  Good luck and keep supported how youget on 

  • Bookworm33
    Bookworm33

    Posted

    I've got an update, sort of...I know it's been a while, but I am going to get this checked out! It's taken me a while to get an appointment with my new doctor (and even longer to work up the nerve to call, honestly), but I go on Sept. 2, and I'm hoping for some answers! 
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Bookworm33

      Posted

      Hi, Well,done you!  Keep strong when you  go and see the new guy!! (Is he  a GP?). just be upfront, and push on the Neuro Otologist  . You can say you have done a LOT,of,research and feel that would be the best route for you! good,luck and remember always, it is your body and you are paying , one way or the other,  for  these guys to treat you, they are not doing you any favours!! Ha ha!! I have to remind myself  that too when I see my GP.
    • Bookworm33
      Bookworm33 gillian76726

      Posted

      Thank you for the advice! He's what we call a "Family Doctor" here in the US, which I think is just like a GP. My mother goes to him and says he's very friendly and patient. I'm going to bring along a very extension list of my symptoms so I don't forget to tell him anything, and hopefully a visit to a specialist will be next!
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Bookworm33

      Posted

      Hi,,yes a General Practitioner,,same thing. It,s,a good start if they are friendly and patient, but don,t get disarmed by that which is easy to,do as I,ve been there and found myself not wanting to ask for anything in case I .upset them or was seen as pushy.  butmimlearnedmthatndidn,t get me anywhere.  I also learned to not only have a list of my a symptoms, but print outs of research I had done, even down to the name of the Hospital, Consultant I wanted to be referred to.  it seems (at least here in the UK) that some Drs like this as it saves them,work and doing it themselves! also,i think  it makes them realise you are taking your health seriously, and are not going to fobbed off!!  I only wish I had known this in my first year!!  Let us,know how you get on and good luck!
  • Bookworm33
    Bookworm33

    Posted

    Another quick update--my doctor's appointment this morning went very well. My new doctor is very nice, and listened to my entire long list of symptoms. He's sending me to an inner ear specialist, so now I just have to wait on that appointment. It could be a month or two before I can get in.

    I asked point blank if it was likely that all my symptoms could be just stress/anxiety related, and all in my imagination, but he said my descriptions of the sensations I'm feeling are so detailed that there's likely a real problem. That makes me feel so much better! I'll update again after my next appointment, whenever that happens!

    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Bookworm33

      Posted

      Wow, that,s great to hear.  Fingers crossed you get a good consultant . Well done on being assertive, and keep that up,as it is really necessary to be taken seriously and getting to the right diagnosis and treatment.   Keep us  Updated okay?
    • anne05147
      anne05147 Bookworm33

      Posted

      thanks for the update, it's good that we can share our experiences of what happens when we see the doctors, between us we might be able to get a diagnosis with some helpsmile
    • Notabene
      Notabene Bookworm33

      Posted

      Just a thought...You could have Menier's syndrome.  Affects balance etc, problem of inner ear.  I've known a couple of people with it, and they were both tall, and thin!  I believe it's also connected to circulation..  
    • Bookworm33
      Bookworm33 Notabene

      Posted

      I've wondered that as well--I'm hoping the next round of tests will pinpoint the problem so we can start working on a solution!
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