Anyone had Labyrinthitis?

[OnNaturesCourse]

What was your experience?

Since middle of last month I've had 2 episodes of vertigo badly, and 4 episodes of a woozy dizziness that lasts from 5 mins - 30 mins. It's all horrible and makes my heart race. More recently I've been a bit lightheaded and heavy feeling, ringing in my ears and a cool burning feeling in my ears if I've been in a noisy, busy environment. Can't find any set triggers for the vertigo or dizzy spells but looking up, even slowly, for a longer than a minute or so seems to bring on a woozy lightheaded spell and multiple noises (think busy restaurant everyone talking etc) makes me feel like I'm on a boat. Loud noises don't seem to trigger it, just multiple noises.

I know my anxiety is starting to set in and grab hold of all this so I'm trying to remain positive and sensible but everything I read says Labyrinthitis should be clearing up by now whereas I am getting more symptoms.

Been to the GP twice, including today, and just keep being told it's all "likely" inner ear. Today they said labyrinthitis and to give it another month before they'll refer me to ENT.

I had it for 3 weeks but I was also constantly vomiting.
The tablets the doctor gave me helped.

OP have you been referred to a balance clinic for full investigation? There's lots of inner ear disorders that cause similar symptoms. I had Labyrinthitis caused by a brief infection but it lasted a long time - I'd had it a couple of years before I was officially diagnosed. I also went on to get BPPV, positional vertigo. The balance clinic I went to were fantastic and a course of vestibular physiotherapy cured me, but GPs are a bit clueless about the complexities of inner ear issues.

Also OP, where are you based? Access to good NHS (or private) balance clinics varies depending on where you live.

I've had this for almost 3 years now, been to ENT, physio and have a kind of diagnosis of vestibular migraine, and back on waiting list to ENT to see if there's any medical help they can give because I wasn't suitable for the physio, it made my symptoms worse in the wrong way!

It's awful, I'm kind of hoping it's hormonal and affected by menopause cos then it'll eventually go away!

I had it in my 40s. It was sudden whilst standing g at the sink. I got to the floor and crawled to the loo where I was sick and had diarrhoea. Was like the room was spinning and the floor was rising up and down. Was bed bound for two days and then went o gp who gave me sickness pills but by then that part had stopped. It gradually went away over a few weeks. I found the Elpley manoeuvre helped. Look on YouTube.

Do you get the sensation that you’re spinning (like on children’s roundabout on the park)? If so, look up the Epley manoeuvre and have a go at doing it at home.

I had terrible vertigo once and often got a dizzy/sea sick feeling, but also experienced the spinning sensation when I was in bed. I did the Epley manoeuvre twice, vomited everywhere, and was cured. The dizziness stayed for a few weeks (was really bad when loading shopping at the supermarket or anything else with repetitive movements). Good luck! It was awful and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone!

The consultant I saw didn't recommend anyone do the Epley or other manoeuvres yourself without knowing exactly which ear and which chamber within which ear the problem is in. If you do it the wrong way you can move things into the wrong chamber and make the symptoms much worse. I had it in both ears at the same time which complicated things, but they did get rid of it in the end!

They, the GPs, are pretty sure it's both my ears as I'm getting ringing and slight hearing loss in both plus it seems to be looking down for any length of time that triggers the weird on a boat wavey feeling. I've had 4 episodes of the room completely spinning like a fairground ride and it was horrible, panic inducing. Those episodes have been ongoing about a month now, and the woozy boat feelings about 2 weeks. No sickness but chills, heart racing, and a general feeling of coming down with something. Did have a scratchy throat and headache last week but it didn't mount to anything.

Sorry, no words of advice but lots of sympathy. It’s horrible. Had it twice. For six months and then for three months. Hoping it never returns! And I hope yours disappears soon.

@SeriousTissues waa yours a constant issue, or a more episode type of issue with flares ups? I'm operating as normal half the time, then dizzy or woozy with random (4 spells) of serious room spinning that makes me hold onto the world to save falling off. How did you feel aside from the dizzy? How did you cope day to day? Sorry I'm just baffled at how I can cope with this any longer.

Yes! Its the worst. I feel so sick and dizzy. I brokendown crying in the GP once as I didn't know I had it and couldnt explain why I felt so dizzy and strange.
Now I take the antihistamine when it comes on and it works a treat but I do have to take it 3 x a day for maybe 2 weeks or so.

Could be BPV- benign positional vertigo. It’s crystals moving gin the inner ear which would account for the coming g and going..

I had i think 3 vertigo episodes that lasted up to 2 weeks each - gp said was labyrinthitis (this was over 8 years) . I was given stemetil to use for a week each time. Then i had another massive one that didnt go away after 2 weeks, went back to gp, referred to ent, had balance tests, hearing tests, brain mri etc all were ok. Diagnosed with vestibular migraine and now on preventative meds which seem to be working. I feel for you its horrible, hopefully yours will resolve soon if not you get the tests to find out what it is 💐💐

I’d definitely ask your GP about benign positional vertigo if you’re getting a spinning sensation. What triggers the spinning? Mine was when I rolled over in bed so I was able to work out which ear was affected by rolling, and then did the Epley manoeuvre for that side. If you don’t feel able to have a go yourself, can you pay to see somebody privately to perform the manoeuvre? Honestly the relief was instant for me!

I have those symptoms with vestibular migraines. That would explain why it’s not clearing up.

I think caffeine makes it worse

I’ve had it twice both for about 3 weeks, to the point where I couldn’t stand without falling over, or into walls etc. Vomiting was severe and had to get anti sickness injections from the GP both times who had to come to the house as I couldn’t move.
I am praying that I don’t ever get it back as it’s awful.
I hope you get to the bottom of the cause and they manage to give you something to help.

You poor thing. Get well soon.

I suffer from dizzyness and get prescribed stematil. Have you tried this?

The first time round, I had two weeks where I just couldn’t be upright or I’d be so dizzy I’d vomit and then after that I’d just have random dizzy spells that would be OK if I had a lie down. I can’t remember now how I got on at work though - although I recall being off for the first two weeks.

The second time round I just had a few days of vomiting when upright, but I felt slightly dizzy all the time for a couple of months and then it petered out. I think that was worse than the first episode really despite the initial onset not being as bad. And I had a couple of months off work with it as I didn’t feel safe driving

i do remember saying that I felt like I was going to fall off the world.

I had a terrible bout of labyrinthitis about 8 years ago that lasted for approx. three weeks, with constant dizziness, vomiting, nystagmus and balance issues. Was given prochloroperazine which helped with the sickness, but just had to ride it out.

I had another bout about 3/4 months later, that, again, lasted about three weeks, but haven’t had it since, thank god. It’s so debilitating. Hope you get well soon

My husband had it and had to stay in bed with his eyes closed for a few days as the room spinning made him vomit. The tablets from the GP helped, but he was quite miserable with it; he couldn't get to the bathroom and had to use a commode. I had to finish painting the hall, stairs and landing; we started a couple of days before the labyrinthitis began; he couldn't even stand up, let alone climb a ladder over the stairwell!

I hope you feel better soon.

Mine lasted about 6 months, sorry to say. It was also constant.

That's the thing, I can't find a definite trigger. Mostly its when I've been looking down, at my phone or dinner plate for example. Had a better day today with only 3 spells of dizzy that lasted nsybe 30 seconds or so. Got a funny cold starting again tho, achy head and scratchy throat in the morning. Hoping it doesn't all start up again.

OP you really really need to pester your GP to be referred to a balance clinic. This is exactly what they’re there for. They’ll be able to diagnose you precisely and treat you effectively - possibly even very very quickly if it’s BPPV. Don’t sit around waiting for it to get better - it can take absolutely ages. I just wish I’d asked to be referred sooner rather than putting up with it for ages.