I think my daughter has vertigo

[Sedge Man]

Poor kid. She's been struggling with dizziness and nausea for well over a year now. It comes and goes all the time. We've gone through all the tests recommended so far (brain MRI, allergies, inner ear, etc.) and nothing. She woke me up this morning sobbing because she was having another spell, and she "didn't want to live her whole life like this."

 

Does anybody have any suggestions or possible diagnoses? Seeing her in such misery this morning has me very frustrated.

 

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

[MikeMc]

man, that sucks. Have you tried another doctor? Hope she gets better.

[HugeDinghy]

good god man, that must have hurt to hear from her...I got nothing to offer but prayers and wishes man...I am sorry for your situation...I am almost scared to ask..how old?

[TLDig]

sounds like you need a second, third or eighth opinion.

 

poor thing.

[Reaux]

Poor kid. She's been struggling with dizziness and nausea for well over a year now. It comes and goes all the time. We've gone through all the tests recommended so far (brain MRI, allergies, inner ear, etc.) and nothing. She woke me up this morning sobbing because she was having another spell, and she "didn't want to live her whole life like this."

 

Does anybody have any suggestions or possible diagnoses? Seeing her in such misery this morning has me very frustrated.

 

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

 

Has she been checked for Meniere's Syndrome? It is a disease of the inner ear and while you stated, above, that her inner ear has been checked Meniere attacks are episodic. Not a doctor, don't ask how I know about Meniere's Syndrome.

 

Good luck to you and your daughter.

 

Reaux

 

Meniere's Disease symptoms are "episodic," meaning that patients experience "episodes," meaning times when their symptoms are worse than they are at other times. Severe episodes are often described as "attacks."

Meniere's Disease symptoms "fluctuate," meaning that they vary in intensity and duration. When one is having an episode, one's symptoms may be greater or lesser than during any previous episode. Example: One's hearing may be fairly usable and an hour later, one's hearing may be severely impaired. Yet a few hours later, one's hearing may improve somewhat. However, over time, one's best hearing will decline. The hearing of some patients will decline faster, and the hearing of other patients will decline more slowly.

The intensity of symptoms varies widely, from the very mild to the extreme. The duration can be minutes, hours, days, or even longer. Some patients experience a continual sense of imbalance, which they may label and distinguish from "vertigo" as "dizziness" or "dizzies" because the world does not seem to rotate around them, although they are still experiencing low-level vertigo.

Even so, Meniere's Disease affects each patient differently. Some patients experience acute (severe) rotational vertigo (a form of dizziness) "attacks" very frequently; other patients experience acute rotational vertigo attacks less frequently, or experience less severe attacks. Some patients lose hearing at a rapid rate and become deafened in the affected ear quickly; other patients lose hearing more slowly and never become totally deafened before death overtakes the disease. Some patients experience some degree of episodic, fluctuating tinnitus "24/7," while other patients experience episodic tinnitus that fluctuates from zero to a roar. The variations of tinnitus are endless. For some patients, tinnitus is the sound of a zillion crickets chirping; for other patients, tinnitus is the sound of a jet engine whine; for still other patients, a "thumping" sound; for even other patients, a cacophony of sounds. Some patients experience episodic, fluctuating aural fullness that can become acute, sometimes even to the point of ear pain (although ear pain is unrecognized as a symptom in the authoritative literature); other patients experience lesser degrees of episodic, fluctuating aural fullness. The majority of patients are unilateral, having Meniere's Disease in "just" one ear; other patients are, or will become, bilateral -- having Meniere's Disease in both ears.

http://www.menieresinfo.com/start.html

[numbskull]

Start with a pediatric ENT specialist. If you have done that and have no answer ask if they feel a second opinion from a pediatric neuro-otolaryngolist in Boston or NY would be helpful. A good physician will want to help your daughter and if he/she is unable to help they'll gladly assist you in getting another opinion.

[GaryK]

Sorry to hear this. I wish I had answers, but as others have said, you should seek another Dr/opinon. Have you been to a neurologist?

 

I know how you feel.

[beached again]

Has she been to an eye doctor? Poor vision could be causing the dizziness and that could be causing the nausea. Just a suggestion. I am far from a doctor. Good luck. Prayers sent.

[DMacLeod]

Has she been checked for Meniere's Syndrome? It is a disease of the inner ear and while you stated, above, that her inner ear has been checked Meniere attacks are episodic. Not a doctor, don't ask how I know about Meniere's Syndrome.

 

Good luck to you and your daughter.

 

Reaux

 

Meniere's Disease symptoms are "episodic," meaning that patients experience "episodes," meaning times when their symptoms are worse than they are at other times. Severe episodes are often described as "attacks."

 

Meniere's Disease symptoms "fluctuate," meaning that they vary in intensity and duration. When one is having an episode, one's symptoms may be greater or lesser than during any previous episode. Example: One's hearing may be fairly usable and an hour later, one's hearing may be severely impaired. Yet a few hours later, one's hearing may improve somewhat. However, over time, one's best hearing will decline. The hearing of some patients will decline faster, and the hearing of other patients will decline more slowly.

 

 

The intensity of symptoms varies widely, from the very mild to the extreme. The duration can be minutes, hours, days, or even longer. Some patients experience a continual sense of imbalance, which they may label and distinguish from "vertigo" as "dizziness" or "dizzies" because the world does not seem to rotate around them, although they are still experiencing low-level vertigo.

 

 

Even so, Meniere's Disease affects each patient differently. Some patients experience acute (severe) rotational vertigo (a form of dizziness) "attacks" very frequently; other patients experience acute rotational vertigo attacks less frequently, or experience less severe attacks. Some patients lose hearing at a rapid rate and become deafened in the affected ear quickly; other patients lose hearing more slowly and never become totally deafened before death overtakes the disease. Some patients experience some degree of episodic, fluctuating tinnitus "24/7," while other patients experience episodic tinnitus that fluctuates from zero to a roar. The variations of tinnitus are endless. For some patients, tinnitus is the sound of a zillion crickets chirping; for other patients, tinnitus is the sound of a jet engine whine; for still other patients, a "thumping" sound; for even other patients, a cacophony of sounds. Some patients experience episodic, fluctuating aural fullness that can become acute, sometimes even to the point of ear pain (although ear pain is unrecognized as a symptom in the authoritative literature); other patients experience lesser degrees of episodic, fluctuating aural fullness. The majority of patients are unilateral, having Meniere's Disease in "just" one ear; other patients are, or will become, bilateral -- having Meniere's Disease in both ears.

 

 

http://www.menieresinfo.com/start.html

 

 

 

My wife was diagnosed with menieres desease earlier this year. Her episodes were running in 3s of varying severities. She was given a perscription for meclazine (12.5), singulair and a nasal spray; fluticasone propionate (sp?) This combination seems to keep her affliction in check as she hasn't had a spell in about 9 months.

 

It can be triggered by dust or stress.

 

Hopefully a Dr can do something to help your daughter. Vertigo is terrible to deal with. (I know first hand as I had it for 3 months following my accident in 07.

 

There are exercises that can help. I used them and they helped me.

[Highlander1]

Dizziness/Vertigo is number one as far as doctors visits go. In many cases it is ear related, not necessarilly all though. Unfortuntaetly, its very hard to diagnose the problem, the positive side is, it appears as if nothing serious is wrong, thus just dealing with the vertigo/nauseouness. The nauseous feeling may just be a result of feeling dizzy.

 

The coming and going part is what triggers a different possibility. She could be hypoglycemic (opposite of diabetes). The only sure way to tell is by having a simple glucose tolerance test, for a few hours you ingest a very high sugary mixture and they test sugar levels and how your body handles it as the test goes along. I believe its 4 or 5 hours long. Anyway, the cure is to eat mini-meals 5 or 6 times a day, and you need to eat the correct foods. Depending on the severity of the condition, will dicate how strict a diet you will need. I knew a teenage girl that had this condition, many times she thought she was going to faint, took years before they finally made the right diagnoses. Research hypoglycemia and if you think its a possibilty, insist on having your doc schedule the test.

 

I sympathize with her, somehow you need to keep her spirits high and not let this condition define her. There are millions of folks walking around with different ailments, their only choice is to learn to live with it until its diagnosed and treated or disappears or in some cases its untreatable.

 

My Mom has Fybromyalgia, pains wrack different parts of her body at different times, sometimes shes even pain free, no cure, just live with it. My Dad broke vertebrae in his back when he was younger, the neck and back pain are awful, he has no choice except to bear it. You can bear it with a good attitude or you can bring yourself and others around you into a world of misery, thats the options. Sometimes things like this just appear and disappear, no sound reason is given.

 

I wish you and your daughter the best of luck!!

[Sedge Man]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the responses. Here's the answer to a couple questions. She is 13 and, as you can imagine, it's a bad time for a kid to be dealing with this. We've already taken her to a neurologist, who prescribed the MRI to "rule out tumors." Obviously, we held our breath on that test, and thank God it didn't show any problems...

 

I'll check into the menieres possibility. It may be that we've already ruled that out, my wife has been taking her to all the doctor's appointments..

[CHIEF500]

My wife has the same problem (Meniere's Disease ) for a few years now. Keep an eye on the Barometric Pressure, I've seen a corolation to her attacks with major changes in the barometric pressure. It isn't any fun either. She also has silent migranies, no pain just the sensitivity to light, dizziness and nausea. Hope it works out for you and your daughter.

[Charleston]

I suffered from Meniers my entire life. It will affect one ear and stay with you until the hearing in that ear is gone. Huh

 

My daughter has it as well. She had some kind of tube placed in her ear. when she feels an episode coming on she has some kind of little pump machine that hooks up to that ear. It provised pressure in light pulses and that seems to quell the onset of the vertigo.

 

Meniers can be life changing. It is an exclusion dianosis however. Once the docs have ruled out everything else you have Meniers automaticaly.

 

Good luck Mike. Give my best wishes to your daughter.

[canyondiver]

Sedge,

See if you can get an appointment at The Rusk Institute in NYC.

I believe they are the top place for these types of things.

I have a moderate balance problem and I am still trying to figure it out, but being that the little lady's condition is so severe, a diagnosis might be easier.

Did she have any infections, or trauma prior to onset of her condition?

Has the ENT done the little vibratory thing where they move the head around while this thingie is in your ear buzzing way?

I think you need a CAT scan to see otoliths clearly, so ask about that.

Check with your doctor on the Meclizine, and if it's safe, see if it helps some.

I am sorry your daughter is going through this, and the family has the stress and fear that comes with it.

Hopefully you will find an answer soon so she has some comfort coming soon.

You folks have my thoughts and prayers.

[Nitro882]

Hey Mike, Sorry to hear about your daughter. Have you taken her to doctors outside of our area? If not you might want to think about specialists in New York or Philly. CHOP would be another place to investigate. It sounds as though your daughter needs "cutting edge" medical care and Ocean County is not New York or Philly if you get my drift. I hope things work out.