AIBU to go to a&e

[Zd24]

Posting for traffic but basically I have been unwell for 4 months, in September I started feeling “dizzy” out of the blue, when I say dizzy I don’t mean spinning, I struggled to explain it to doctors at first. There is 2 ways I would describe the “dizziness” one is being on a boat like when you feel a boat move, it will feel like that for a split second, stop and then after it will happen again, only when I’m outside walking. Another way I could explain it is I’ll just be walking and all of a sudden it feels like the ground has moved beneath my feet for a split second, I went to the gp in September as I had this along with ear pain, doctor said could be labyrinthitis but my ears looked fine and said he didn’t know what it was and to come back if it contuined, I went back to the gp 3 times more within 3 weeks, by the end of the 3 weeks I ended up with a really bad sinus infection so the gp gave me antibiotics and put all my symptoms down to a viral infection turned bacterial. Dizziness eventually went away and then it started again mid October, sinus infection most of the symptoms resolved however I was still having green smelling discharge coming out of my nose every morning so it never fully went away even after course of antibiotics. I’ve been like this since mid October, dizziness some days is better some days worse, I had a viral illness last month and it ended with a severe sinus infection, I went to the pharmacy and had more antibiotics which I finished, but this time the symptoms haven’t got better, on the left side mainly I have pain and popping feelings in my ear, pain around my face where my sinuses are, constant green smelling discharge and a bad smell in my nose even after finishing the antibiotics, I went to the gp yesterday and explained all this and the “dizziness” she said she things it was acute sinusitis now chronic sinusitis, she looked in my nose and said the left side had congestion and most of the pain when touching my face and ear pain is on my left side. She said the next step will be to try steroid nasal spray, I started that yesterday and feel even worse, I had a really bad tension headache last night in the sides of my head, felt ok this morning and dizziness seemed a bit better, but after taking the spray this morning I have so much pressure in my face and loads of green smelling discharge coming out and ear pain, my mum things the spray is starting to work and the infection is coming out but I’m not sure ? Just been in Lidl with my 14 month old and i haven’t felt that “dizzy” before, I have so much pressure in my head and got back into the car and burst into tears, I’ve been dizzy for 4 months and now it’s got worse. I don’t know what to do, it’s genuinely ruining my life, I’m so depressed because of it and I’m scared there is something more that’s wrong or worse.

I’m feeling like I should go to hospital now as no one seems to be taking it seriously, I’ve got pain behind the back of my eyes since this morning and my face hurts to touch, my ears keep hurting and popping and as I said the dizziness has got worse since starting the spray, this can’t be normal how I’m feeling. Would I be unreasonable to go to a&e ? I am really worried this is something serious.

if anyone has been through something like this can you please give me any positive stories or advice? I thought for a long time the dizzziness was stress and anxiety but it’s not just making me physically ill it’s also making me mentally ill, it’s triggered severe panic attacks which I’ve never suffered with.

I just feel so “full” inside my head, nose and ears. I just don’t want to leave it and something bad happening. Honestly don’t know what to do.

The Pharmacist's advice is correct. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix with sinus issues like this. You need a referral to ENT for a longer term solution. In the meantime regular Nasal Rinse/Neti Pot use should bring the nearest thing to "instant" relief.

If you are having problems with your phone, you can use NHS111 online service and they can triage you appropriately.

ETA and to answer a previous question, you can have a private initial consultation with an ENT (you will most like need the GP to refer you for this) and then the ENT can do the tests on the NHS...it jumps the wait for the inital consultation which can often be the lengthiest part of the process.

That being said, I once had an ENT private appointment, scope and treatment within a week for under £500. I was desperate and it was well worth it.

Just go see a private ent who deals with balance and dizzyness

These anti nausea meds are often prescribed for dizziness.

Update, I finally got through to 111 and a doctor called me and asked me to come to an urgent care centre, he has confirmed it is a sinus issue and my ears are fine inside no infection but the sinuses are putting pressure making me dizzy. He has prescribed me stronger antibiotics as he thinks I may not be tolerating the nasal spray and he has prescribed me anti sickness tablets to help with the dizziness, I’m so happy I could cry! I just hope these start working and i will hopefully feel some relief from this awful dizziness after coping with it for months. My sinus rinse has arrived so I’ll also be doing that.thanks so much for everyone that helped

Good outcome OP hope the new antibiotics help.

I'm so glad you've been seen. I hope you feel better soon.

Sounds awful but you've had some good advice on here.

Long term, I would look at boosting your immune system. Vitamins D3 and a dash of K2 with a small amount of zinc and some quercetin would be a good start. Add some vitamin C too. Take plenty of D3 not just the miniscule 400 or 800 IU recommended.

Read up about it to make sure you don't have any rare preconditions which would prevent you taking them, and you are happy to take them. Discuss it with your GP if uncertain about anything. You can also ask for a blood test to determine if you are low on D3. Winter is a bad time for things like this because there is no sun strong enough to enable the body to make it's own vitamin D, so flu, colds, infections abound.

This advice isn't for while you are in the chronic stages but for managing going forward.

I find taking ibuprofen as I start to feel the tightening can help. You don't want to be taking loads of it but over the years I've got better at heading it off rather than ending up with the sort of pain that you end up having to take heavier duty stuff to cope with. I think because it's anti inflammatory if I can combine it with a sinus wash and massaging the area it can help.

I'd also raise the issue about alcohol. I'm sure you couldn't think of anything worse right now anyway but drink definitely aggregates my sinuses if I'm going through a bad spell so worth considering once you are recovering.

I'm so be glad the GP listened, and really heard you( very different things)
I do hope you feel a bit better soon

Change GP don’t go to a&e

My partner gets like this. Fine for a while then he's suddenly dizzy and unable to do anything. He actually got in trouble for wasting the hospitals time because he kept ringing for an ambulance. He's had every test under the sun done - nothing wrong with him, physically. But he does have anxiety and health anxiety.

Could it be vertigo? I don't think a trip to A&E is warranted but call the GP.
The rest apart from the dizziness sounds like a sinus infection.

Just do the right thing and go back to GP, don’t clog up the already over busy A&E for something that isn’t an accident or emergency.

I think the right thing for you would’ve been to read the 200 replies that have come in over 24 hours and not clog up the thread with something that is no longer relevant.

Oh that sounds so miserable OP, glad you’ve seen someone now and hope you feel better soon

I have something called PPPD. It's chronic dizziness...i have problems for months at a time. Movement of any kind can set it off and it can present like the floor is undulating.

1. Maybe you need an ENT rather than GP?
2. How's your anxiety about the dizziness? That'll set off a cascade and cause more dizziness.

I heard about this on a forum and a lot of my symptoms do match. Especially as it started along side some kind of viral infection I had which then turned into a sinus infection. Since this started in September it started with severe anxiety and panic attacks because of being unwell. Got to the point I was waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks and I was making myself really ill. The doctors think the dizziness is linked to the infection because of the pressure from the sinuses into my ear etc. when I experience the feeling it does set my anxiety off and I end up having a panic attack which is making me not want to go out anymore.

I’ve been given stronger antibiotics and medication for vertigo yesterday from the urgent treatment centre doctor, if this doesn’t work I have decided to pay privately to see an ent doctor. I can’t wait any longer for an nhs referral because it’s not just my physical health it’s severely affecting my mental health too now.

OP if you go private, get referred anyway on NHS to ENT. Because it may be helpful to switch back to NHS at some point and being in the waiting list at least is a start

Good ideas. There's a suepr close association between anxiety and PPPD. My anxiety will set off another episode without an infection at this point, or an infection will set off the PPPD without anxiety. Heck riding in a train every day for a week can do it. Once you know it's PPPD, IF that's what it is, it takes some power out of the symptoms.

Either way, you got this!

That's great news. I think GP is spot on from everything you've described. How long is this course of antibiotics? If you're still having smelly green discharge at the end, demand a longer course - sounds like a severe, embedded infection. Really hope you feel better soon.

I had chronic sinusitis for over a year - the steroid nasal spray really helped but it took a few weeks.
Also, I know you have young children so it is difficult, but try to really rest and recover.
Also when mine was bad I used a bowl of very hot water to steam inhalation - it really helped to clear the airways and provide some short relief.

Thank you! These ones are for 7 days, the previous 2 lots of antibiotics were 5 days. The steroid nasal spray they didn’t tell me for how long but I’ve stopped using it as it was making me feel off and lightheaded. It really does feel like a bad infection, I’ve suffered with sinus infections after every cold for a couple of years but the last 2 in September and December and the time inbetween those months I’ve never felt so bad in my life!

I did stop the steroid nasal spray because it was making me feel very weird and gave me some irritation in my nose, I could handle the symptoms from it but it was making me feel worse. I don’t know though if I should keep using it with this new course of antibiotics just so I have 2 things fighting against it to hopefully get it gone. I didn’t wake up with the green smelling discharge this morning when I woke up for the first time in 4 months, I’ve had some bits throughout the day today but seems to be decreasing and the colour of it seems to be getting lighter so I’m really hoping it is starting to get better. I don’t feel 100% still and don’t want to jinx it but since starting the vertigo medication it seems to be helping even though I don’t feel “ok” yet. I have a bit of ocd so it’s hard to leave housework and just rest with the baby etc but I’m forcing myself now into resting so I can hopefully finally get over it. That’s the thing with me even when I’m ill I don’t rest at all so maybe that’s another reason I’ve got to this point and my body hasn’t recovered from the last 2 infections and viral illnesses. I’m trying to prioritise rest now at the moment. Thanks I will try the steam inhalation, I did buy eucalyptus oil and I’ve been putting a few drops in rhe bath then having a hot shower and it’s really been helping the congestion a lot.

Thank you!
just hope it resolves! I have got the vertigo medication too but I know at the same time I need to start trying to forget about the dizziness and not expecting it to be there. I panic a lot now because I’m expecting to feel dizzy and then it happens so now along with the vertigo medication hopefully I can finally start getting over all these issues! Who ever thought things like this could happen and that it could have such an impact on your mental health and trigger panic attacks and anxiety, it’s so awful!

I hope it resolves too! I'm pulling for you!!

Steam inhalation is very good. You don't need to add oils. Ideally do 3 x day, helps remove mucus and infection.