Relapse

Ah, the dreaded relapse. Going back over the past few months, my vestibular symptoms went away. I was taking Depakote which is used as a migraine preventative, but ceased it when I gained weight. We also had a very mild winter, which is unusual where I live, and I think the medication along with a lack of major weather changes contributed to my recovery from my vestibular symptoms. I was wondering about springtime, though. I live in tornado alley and we typically get a lot of severe storms and rapid weather changes in the spring and early summer. I was wondering if this would affect my vestibular symptoms.

It did. I have relapsed and have vertigo, visual changes, tinnitus, ear fullness and balance issues. I first started to feel crummy about two weeks ago. That is when the storms were beginning to roll through. I chalked it up to a cold. Then, my ears began bothering me. They began having the full feeling like I have water trapped inside them. This is when I began to wonder if my vestibular symptoms were returning. The visual changes have been the most distressing for me. When I am looking at something, my vision just seems off. I feel like I am looking at things through a funhouse mirror. I can still drive and make out things, but it's just a really weird feeling. Light and sound are hard for me. I was driving the other day and the sunlight was filtering through the trees and I got nauseated.

It has been quite distressing to be symptom-free for several months and then have it return suddenly. I knew this was a possibility but I was hoping I would not have a relapse story to tell.

I have another appointment with my ENT next Friday. My official diagnosis is vestibular neuritis, but I strongly feel I am having vestibular migraines. One reason I feel I am having migraines is the photosensitivity. Another reason is that I had a recovery period and now a  relapse with the weather changes. My vestibular symptoms did not stay constant; they went away and came back. That is one of the key indicators of migraine-associated vertigo. Another reason is pain behind my eyes, and spots in my vision sometimes.

Despite my symptoms returning, I have been making myself walk every day. I have been averaging about a mile a day. I began taking Depakote again on my own a few days ago after I read it can lessen a migraine's severity. I am interested in Topamax or Propanolol as a preventative which I plan on discussing with my ENT.

In the meantime, I am focused on ignoring my gut reaction of staying home and sleeping all day or cancelling activities. I refuse to let my illness totally take over my life again. I don't know if this will work, but I have stayed working normally and participating in activities normally.

My plan to combat the relapse is:

A) speak to my ENT about taking a preventative that does not cause weight gain.
B) take Depakote ER for the next week to see if it helps lessen symptoms.
C) chiropractic twice a week (this does help me feel better in general, which is a win).
D) keep walking as much as possible.
E) keep my normal routine as much as possible (I had a bad two days where I could not fathom going into a grocery store with fluorescent lights, so I used their new delivery service).
F) eliminate some caffeine, salt, and processed foods over the next few weeks to see if that helps.

I will post updates when warranted. I am having tough symptoms today but storms are also rolling in and it is supposed to be rainy and stormy all day for the next 3 days. I anticipate I will have some issues today and this weekend.

By the way, if you feel you are having migraines of any kind, I strongly recommend Migraine Buddy. It's an app and you can add your own custom symptoms and relief methods. It helps you identify triggers and provides records that can be shared. I have learned through Migraine Buddy that barometric pressure changes are my main trigger, and that vision changes are one of my first symptoms before I start feeling dizzy. I also learned that chiropractic, rest, hot showers, wearing sunglasses, and Depakote are effective relief methods for me.