Going into my sixth week of symptoms and my fourth week off of work due to Labrynthitis. It has been a terrible illness and I can't imagine how people function, going for months or years without a correct diagnosis. Again, I commend my first-line medical professionals, specifically the urgent care walk-in clinic doctor and my primary care physician who immediately suspected an inner ear disorder. I was diagnosed about a month after symptoms onset.
The room-spinning vertigo has reduced by about 75%. I typically only get it now in the evenings or when a storm is blowing in. I got an episode this morning when I went to my chiropractor. I laid on the adjustment table and felt like my feet were going to go over my head. It only lasted a few moments. Overall dizziness and off-balance has decreased, I would estimate by about 50%. So pretty significant improvement has happened over the past week. I have stumbled a few times but I have not had a fall since a week or two ago. I have not used my cane in about 5 days.
Other symptoms are still present, such as tinnitus which gets quite severe. I am not certain what exactly makes it worse but it does get bad still. It seems to come and go at random times, but it is still present around 75% of the time.
Neck pain and shoulder pain have improved slightly. I believe that having vertigo caused me to tense up quite severely, which resulted in stiff neck and shoulder muscles. I realized over the past week how tense I have been holding myself upright in a sitting position. Feeling like you're tipping over to one side makes you want to tense up and try to adjust. I have increased my chiropractic visits and am using epsom salt baths to help with muscle stiffness.
Medication-wise, I am not taking anything except anti-anxiety medication. The meclizine did not really help me in any noticeable fashion and I have finished my course of antibiotics and steroids. It is still very stressful to go into a store or drive distances without being anxious of a vertigo attack, which is why taking the anti-anxiety meds help. They also help me sleep. I think being able to sleep well at night has helped me improve.
I have considered resuming my old job, but I am still undecided at this point. I definitely don't want to go back too early and have a relapse of some kind.
My energy is returning, slowly. I had enough energy to go to the chiropractor and then come home and work on a research paper. I then was able to shower, vacuum and do some laundry. Today was the largest amount of housework I have done since I got ill 6 weeks ago.
I have noticed that when I eat a ton of sugar or eat very poorly, my symptoms tend to get worse. I had a pretty average American diet before this and I am slightly overweight, but nothing too serious. I am generally in good health. I don't smoke or drink or use illegal drugs. But we ordered pizza the other night and I don't normally eat pizza. My symptoms were severe afterwards, with lots of tinnitus and dizziness and headache. It seems that if I eat a lot of salt or sugar, my symptoms get worse. If I eat protein and produce regularly, it seems to help.
Overall, a good progress report for week 6 of Labrynthitis.
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