My world is topsy-turvy

[balzaccom]

Thanks for the food wishes an advice, guys. According to my PT, my symptoms are not connected to loose particles in my ear--they tested for that. So the usual Epley maneuver won't fix this...we tried various things in the hospital. I have a follow up on Tuesday, so we'll see where we go...

[Wandering Daisy]

Not sure if this even pertains to your problem. I had a bad reaction to a novicain shot when I had a crown put on my back tooth. I did not get vertigo, but had nasty tinnitus for a month, perhaps some nerve damage. I thought I had wax in my ears, but there was none. May be pure coincidence, but I decided to bubble my ear with hydrogen peroxide and the tinnitus stopped. If it is an inner ear infection, I would think a round of antibiotics would work. I doubt you are going to have vertigo forever.

[balzaccom]

Thanks for the follow up, everyone. I'm just taking it day by day, hoping things get better. I do have a follow up appointment on Tuesday...hoping for ways to make this better, but it may just depend on beating the virus.

BTW, for those of you who like this kind of stuff, (Harlen and Rlown, this means you) here's a quick analysis. And by the way, I am not a doctor and may have all of this completely wrong, but here's what I think happened... (anyone who gets medical advice from me on the internet is an idiot...)

In my video visit, my doctor immediately focused on a stroke---but I didn't have a single other symptom of stroke, so we moved that to the back burner. And he had me do a series of physical movements to eliminate blood pressure issues as well. At that point, I was only mildly affected, and the major life-threatening causes were not likely, so we agreed to just keep tabs on it. I was to call him right away if it got worse.

But then Wednesday night happened.

In the hospital, the first concern was stroke, so they took an immediate MRI--and I got that good news. No stroke. And they took my blood pressure, and it was a bit high, understandably, but not a problem. So the two most life-threatening issues were not the problem. They gave me fluids to reduce my obvious dehydration. Third problem resolved. But my eyes were displaying extreme nystagmus--fluttering back and forth uncontrollably from side de to side. It was so obvious that the doctor actually invited another doctor to come check it out--a textbook case, apparently. I think that was a key factor. By Thursday morning the doctor told me that the Physical Therapist was the next step in diagnosis.

The PT had me do a series of exercises, most of which focused (sorry!) on seeing how moving my head would affect this vertigo. Turns out, it didn't affect it very much at all. I could close my eyes and move my head in all sorts of ways, and the vertigo got neither better nor worse. If those tests HAD affected me, then it was likely I had small, loose particles in my ear canal. But apparently I didn't

So then she connected me to a set of VR goggles (that's what they looked like) and measured the movements in my eyes as she moved my head. And those findings indicated the problem in the left ear. So now we're treating this as an inflammation of the ear, affecting the nerves, and probably caused by a virus. I have no other symptoms. And as we have all learned over the past six weeks, ain't no such thing as an effective anti-viral drug for whatever ails you.

I have been able to walk a bit around town, but it takes all of my concentration to avoid turning walking into a contact sport. I need all my energy just to keep myself vertical and moving in one direction. But at this point, I'll take that over Wednesday morning!

A couple of additional thoughts:

1. I was enormously grateful that our local hospital, while treating Covid19 patients, was not overwhelmed by them. They had staff and space in the ER to treat me fully independently from Covid19 patients. Thank God. A reason the social distancing makes a difference.

2. I was completely impressed with my Physical Therapist. And so was my doctor. He fully trusted her diagnosis, and she was the one with the equipment and exercises that would determine the cause of all of this.

Hope you see you all out on the trail, sooner rather than later.

[rlown]

Get back on the trail work, Paul.. Or convelece at your cabin.

[SirBC]

Bad news is that I am still suffering from serious vertigo. When I sit still, the whole world slowly revolves to the right, which is quite disconcerting. I can walk, but I have to pay attention to every step. And if I turn my head quickly, all bets are off.

Something similar (but not close to your degree) happened to me about a year ago. My wife and I were just getting ready to go out to dinner (I was feeling 100% fine) and all of a sudden the world started spinning like I stepped off of a merry-go-round. I took a step and fell to the ground I was so dizzy. I laid down and about 2 minutes later it went away and I was totally fine. I would say that it has never returned but a few times since then for no apparent reason if I turn my head I get that crazy dizziness, but it only lasts for a few seconds.

I assume they checked you for an inner ear infection?

EDIT: Just saw your post on page 2 about thinking it may be a viral inner ear infection. Hopefully that is all it is and you are well on your way to recovery

[wildhiker]

Hi Paul,

Best wishes for a quick recovery. And how do you type so well with vertigo?

-Phil

[The Other Tom]

I'm bothered by vertigo from time to time. Thanks robow8 for the video

[balzaccom]

I now have a series of PT exercises for my eyes and ears. And I am doing them with great "discipline." Probably because I know I have a finite number of years left on this planet, and I don't want to spend them wandering around in a dizzy haze, worrying about whether I am going to topple over or not. (That will come soon enough.)

So my exercises now are to put a sticker on the wall at eye height and stare at it from an arm's length while moving my head from side to side quickly. When I move to the right, all is normal. When I move to the left, the whole world looks like its sheet feeding to the right. Which is disconcerting. But I can live with that. I may have to. And this exercise is teaching my brain to adjust.

Second exercise is to go stand in a corner with my feet tight together, arms folded. Balance there. If I get good at that, try it with my eyes closed. Or put one foot slightly in front of the other--you'd be amazed at how big a difference THAT makes.

And third one is to walk a straight line while moving my head to look at things from side to side, forcing my brain to adjust to the new me. That's fun. Disney should sell tickets.

I'd write more now, but I have to go do my exercises...

[maverick]

Sorry to read about you condition B, my dad, and a friend of mine, have vertigo, both are affected differently, though one is in his 90's, the other in his late 30's. My dad's comes and goes, affects his hearing and balance quite significantly, a couple of falls, luckily no broken bones.
Wishing you the best outcome, and getting back onto to the trail soon!!

[kpeter]

Best wishes, Paul, for a full and speedy recovery. It sounds very scary. One of the worst phases of an illness is in that early period when you do not know what you have, and so your imagination runs wild with worst case scenarios. Thank goodness the worst cases were averted, as unsettling as it still is. I will eagerly wait your next trail report, whether this year or next, which will no doubt feel like the most important one you have ever done!