Ear, Nose & Throat Community

I am pleased that you are seeing a neurologist, because this would be the next step. No...based on what you have shared, I don't feel that your dizziness would be due to taking antibiotics four months ago.

Vertigo and dizziness may be one of the most difficult medical conditions to diagnose and treat. There can be hundreds of causes, involving nearly every body system, but commonly in the inner ear. Vertigo can also arise from the brain itself. As much as I would like to solve this mystery for you, it would not be possible for me to sort out these various causes via the Internet.

The mechanism of vertigo is very complex. People with vertigo will tend to use words such as spinning, tilting, swaying, or rotating. Vertigo is a hallucination or feeling of movement. The most common type of vertigo is a sensation that a person?s surroundings are spinning around them. A subjective sensation (the feeling that the patient himself is spinning) is also reported. The sensation most often arises from a part of the inner ear - the semicircular canals. Under normal conditions, the position and movements of the head are detected by tiny hair cells in the semicircular canals. Movements cause hair cells to transmit impulses to the brain. Calcium carbonate crystals or otoliths that are usually embedded in the membrane may occasionally float freely within the fluid of the semicircular canals. When free-floating crystals migrate to the far ends of the semicircular canal, these crystals cause a person to sense movement when there is none. The various tests that are performed (MRI, CT scans, ENG, etc.) are all important to help pinpoint the location of the problem. Unfortunately, a cause is often not found in many cases, so people (and their medical providers) are often left frustrated. This is where you are right now.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo. The person usually describes bouts of recurring vertigo lasting several minutes or less. Episodes may be as brief as 15 seconds. Specific movements of the head often provoke the attack, usually following a brief delay of several seconds. Patients can often indicate the specific head motion or motions, which tend to trigger an attack.

The second most common cause of vertigo is labyrinthitis, also termed vestibular neuronitis or vestibular neuritis. The disease is thought to be a sequel of a viral infection, like a simple cold or even the herpes virus. It is gradual in onset, reaches maximal intensity within one hour, and resolves within 24 hours. The episode is associated with nausea and vomiting. Hearing loss may or may not be seen. There is often a significant phase of dysequilibrium (balance problems) that may persist from days to months.

M?ni?re?s disease, acoustic neuromas, medication side effects, otitis media (middle ear infections), sinusitis, migraines, trauma, brainstem dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, reactive hypoglycemia, anemia, hypovolemia (loss of blood), hypoxia (low oxygen), hyperventilation syndrome, epilepsy, heart rhythm problems and other heart disease, and various neurological disorders all can cause vertigo. There are even psychogenic causes. as you have been informed.

I know you are frustrated and my heart goes out to you. Even if a cause is not found, there are treatments to help alleviate some of your symptoms. Hopefully, the neurologist will be able to find the answer.

How did your neurologist appointment go? I have all of the same symptoms and have had all of the same tests done with no answers and still no relief???

My neurology appt. went ok. The neurologist said he thinks I have vascular headaches. He prescribed cyproheptadine every night , it has helped tremendously with the headaches, but i still have the woozy feeling often and have not gotten back to my normal self. Please write back and let me know about your symptoms and exactly how you feel.

Hi, I am a 50 year old male. I am based in England. I was amazed when I saw your post as I have almost the same symptoms at the present and they do worry me a bit.. I went to my doctor and he said it would be a waste of time refering me to a specialist as there is nothing concrete, nothing big. He said I should go away and have a mri scan and he will look at it and give me a view. But unless I had something really serious like bad headaches and vertigo then I should do nothing. I have some low level headaches and slight headedness. Also I feel tired once it gets to early evening. It has been going on now for at least 2 months now. As your situation is dated a year ago I was wondering how things turned out. Please let me know how your situation resolved itself. Thanks

Hi! I read your post and your symptoms matched mine exactly. I was wondering as this was 5 years ago if you ever found out what is really wrong and what the doctor found out?
Are you well now? Did the woozy feeling went away? I have no room spinning dizziness but just a floating feeling. Hoping to hear back from you. Take care!