Vestibular Neuritis – Angela’s Story

[MrsC]

This illness took me down in a hour. Spinning vertigo and vomiting so severely I had a kidney injury from dehydration. Four days in the hospital and sent home. The hospitalist was stumped. A follow-up ENT appointment was where I learned it was VN. It was a 3 year recovery. I did those exercises I learned in PT 6 times a day or more. I'm a dressage rider and I could finally ride a bit after a year. I feel like I'm 98% recovered after 7 years. If it makes you dizzy, do it more. Keep moving. I did 'retail therapy' walking up and down the aisles hanging onto a cart and making turns. . .over and over. You have to keep MOVING. Do not sit at home waiting for it to go away. Movement is the key. Set goals and reach them, then set more goals. Move, move, move!!

[paigeloudenslager]

This is happening to me as a college student athlete, and it is something more than just vertigo .Thank you for your story!

[worldcinema]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this but the one thing that has helped me the most is acupuncture! Go to an acupuncturist and tell them you are suffering from Vertigo. It might not work for some people but for me it has been a game changer!

[michaelcaputo]

I'm 8 months into this nightmare and just want it over. I understand that I have to retrain my body but I also have to work and pay my bills. I'm tired of getting up every morning and not feeling well.

[Madeline-Cano]

I was taken out for a month in November 2019. It was onset at work, I was rushed to the hospital and after I got home I didn't walk for a month. Luckily, I was young and they got me diagnosed quickly. I started VT by January and now, May 2020, I am at 90% functionality when I am at my normal baseline. When it's dark, I'm tired or I'm not focused on where I am walking, I will fall or get dizzy. I am grateful for the ability to walk and drive, I am grateful for my loving partner who helped me during my recovery, and most of all I am grateful for a quick diagnosis. Thank you for sharing your story Angela!

[NkoDmtryPoletv]

Im on my 7th month now.. It's really hard 😔 it's comforting to talk to people with the same condition

[shonaharris]

I was dx’d with vestibular neuritis 7 years ago, I’m 49 years old, went through VRT. It becomes easier and your brain can compensate to a certain degree. I still have symptoms but have learned to live with them. I know it’s hard but you can push through. Follow the directions of specialists, get out there where there’s stimuli little by little, and you adapt. Just don’t give up. Your life is not over, just different.

[carljames]

To those who are experiencing vestibular neuritis, just have patience. Youll get better, just go on with your everyday life. I experienced it for more than a month, and it was not a walk in the park. Everyday is like the worst day ever, and too add on it, no one beleives me because i look normal.
Just do some vestibular exercises everyday.
Go ride your bike on a slow pace. It helps.

[Megan_Jennifer]

Retraining the brain really does help!! But not just the physical symptoms... also the emotional reactions to the symptoms.

[janasmidova]

Dealing with this for almost 2 and a half years and yeah it's really tough... the first year was the worst, I could barely walk, I was so scared to go out alone, panic attacks, anxiety, barely any control over my own body... now it's better and I basically "got used to it", compared to where I was a year ago I live a pretty normal life and most days I feel "normal" but there are days when all I can do is lie down and pray it will go away... it's just really scary and I'm still waiting for the day when I'll be 100% - hopefully :(

[rebiaahmed]

I'm suffering from vertigo over a year now, finally went to a dizziness clinic the vestibular therapist diagnosed me with vestibular neutritis yesterday, and gived me some exercice to do im starting today but she said it will take long to get better, she said the more I'm going to be persistent in my exercices the faster I'll get better, i hope mine is curable and that she gived me the correct diagnose

[nesekitty]

I myself and many have this as a post covid symptom....the anxiety it brings is awful

[CCB]

Lost my hearing on my left side and have had vertigo since on Dec 14, 2021. I am now a candidate for a cochlear implant on my left side. I am thinking I will have that operation done in March of 2023. I never thought of riding my bike-have been afraid of getting on it, but I will get it tuned up next weekend and give it a try. I used to ride my bike on 50 and 100 mile rides. I workout with weights everyday and walk 5 miles, stand on one leg for minutes at a time when I am done walking. My vertigo is still here. I did go on an extremely low salt diet, hoping that will help. My blood pressure is 110 over 65 and I am 67 years old. I really hate this vertigo-much worse than actually losing my hearing on the left side.

[sketchalater]

I think i have the same thing, except for me the oncoming of the symptoms were slow and more mild, and I'm 22. Funny thing is that my grandpa and dad had something similar when they were in their 20s. My dad said that he just developed this random dizziness and it took him a long time to recover, and now he's fine. livable

[cinnamonatz]

I think this might be what I have. Last Tuesday night I woke up from my sleep feeling like I was falling. It made me so anxious I had a panic attack. I have been dizzy ever since. I have 2 weeks left until classes are over and I graduate from college, but it's so hard to do any work. Anytime I concentrate really hard on something, like writing an essay, I get even dizzier. I see an ENT in about a week and a half. I'm starting to lose hope. I hope this subsides

[rooeydonovan]

I had this approximately 3 months ago, being a 27 year old fit healthy male I was exercising at home doing a form of exercise called the Russian twist, when I went to get up, I had severe vertigo for no more than 40 seconds. I was that frightened from the experience that I was taken by ambulance to ER as my heart was pumping like mad from the adrenalin. At the hospital they did all the neurological checks and performed the Epley to see if it was BPPV related, however my eyes did not react to this manouvre, i was diagnosed with Vestibular neuritis. The first five days of this disease for me was the worst thing that I have experienced in my life, Could not walk properly without the world spinning, what made matters even more scary for me is that I had just started to get blurry vision also on the fifth day, I was later also diagnosed with astigmatism. I would say that i'm around 60% better than before, however alot of days I find it hard to concentrate on particular tasks at hand.

[bennywright]

I've had Vestibular Neuritis since 2007 so 15 years or so. I was a merchant mariner and out at sea when I first got the infection. I ?was on a 100 meter vessel in the South China Sea in rough weather. The ship was getting tossed and turned everyday and I was unable to compensate for the drastic head movements and that I experienced and because of this I think I fried my vestibular system and unfortunately have never recovered. I think I'm a special case and for most people it will be a one time event lasting only a few months.

[jimmcconnell]

I started losing my sense of balance over 2yrs ago. Turning my head left me feeling really dizzy and disoriented. I had a recent visit to a neurologist who indicated it could be a brain tumor or vestibular neuritis and am waiting for an MRI. I’ve also lost some of my hearing. At this point I worry if I will ever get better and would be glad if I never have to use a walker again. I envy people who can walk around normally something I wouldn’t have thought about before.

[keithclark]

Aug 29th I lost all equilibrium I could only look forward. I thought I was a goner. The ambulance came and I could not even get on the stretcher without assistance. Every bump on way to ER I felt like I was being slung outside my body. I was MRI and CT scan cleared and admitted overnight. I had vertical double vision and feeling disembodied. After being sent home I tried to go to work couple days later and drove half hour before I felt like something knocked me outside my body. I had severe anxiety to say the least and following morning I had to go back to ER via ambulance. Had uncontrollable tremors right side and blood pressure 215/110. They gave me something and knocked me out which got blood pressure back. Long story short its all unexplained and 3 weeks after this happened I developed tinnitus which is worsening by the day here. I had pressure in right side of head for which i have completed 2 rounds of antibiotics, one round prior to this event and second round after for my sinuses as I complained enough and expressed that I think I had a bad infection in my head that got into my inner ear causing all this. I am going for Ct scan of sinus in couple hours here but i'm at my wits end with all this, I don't even know if a sinus scan means looking at inner ear also. You would think they would right but I have no idea. Oh and to see my ENT I cant until Oct 22nd and neurologist is December. I was back to running 3 miles every other day now im afraid to walk my dog as I think im going to pass out. Noone cares they just want to put in there day collect their copay and get you out of their office rather than actually try to figure out the issue at hand. After all the more trips you make back the more money they make. I never had nystagmus or spinning mine all seemed vertical double vision and swaying

[mrsmamalove]

I have hyperactive vestibular system and I relate a bit but not that much. Wow. Prayers for her.