Finding Balance

Brenda Alvarez24 said:Matthew Bishop44,
so, when you talk about that feeling of everything just kind of sinking or dropping in your head—I'm not totally sure I follow what you mean by that, exactly—and the vision shifting, is it like you're almost blacking out for a split second? Like a tiny little flash of darkness, or is it more like something else?
Anyway, I used to deal with some major balance issues, and my vision was all over the place too.
But honestly, nobody ever told me that vision problems could actually stem from my spine. It was seriously rough, and it took forever for anyone to figure out what was going on. They were suspicious of everything, so I ended up going through a million tests and seeing all kinds of specialists.

Regarding that tinnitus stuff, I remember being at the neurology clinic once and there was this guy in the room next to mine who had been suffering from it for ages. Eventually, his doctor had to admit him to the hospital just to do a full-on workup.
I know it can also be caused by something as simple as a bunch of earwax buildup... usually, that's how it starts.

Yeah, I definitely get those sinking sensations, and vision issues aren't exactly rare when you're dealing with a messed-up cervical spine.

It’s possible this could be stemming from dysautonomia rather than the lumbar spine.
It's quite something how people tend to blame everything on the spine...

I just took a quick peek at this since it popped up in my search results earlier.
https://www.caringmedical.com/prolot...nic-neck-pain/
It’s an interesting read.
Actually, I dealt with some pretty nasty balance issues—basically losing my equilibrium entirely—and tunnel vision long before my spinal issues ever cropped up when I was 20. Doctors tried to pin it on my spine, but since everything looked fine there, they couldn't quite find a way to fix it easily.😁
That’s why I always say that even if a solution is common, it isn't a silver bullet for everyone.

UPDATE!

- I'm gonna keep posting updates here as long as I'm actually doing something about this. I’ve seen way too many threads where people just go ghost or barely give any details, so hopefully this helps someone out there.

- So, just finished seeing my neurologist with my MRI results and thyroid hormone levels. Based on the reports, the doc says everything looks fine. Apparently, that hypoplastic artery isn't an issue because it's just something you're born with—most people have them. Next step is getting checked out by an ENT.

I've got an appointment with an audiologist in February, but I'm heading to a private specialist for an ENT exam later this week. In the meantime, honestly? That ringing in my right ear feels like it's gotten even worse.

P.S. A bunch of you guys have mentioned having similar issues before, but absolutely nobody ever says if they actually fixed it or how they did it! I'd love to hear some actual info for once!

If I were you, I’d probably just go ahead and knock out those last couple of checkups first. Then, if everything else comes back totally fine—just like everything else has so far—you might just have to learn how to tune out those symptoms and ignore them. I mean, maybe that's the way to go?

I really have to say, I absolutely loathe being told to just "learn to live with it." It honestly gets under my skin... My frustration comes from the fact that I went through a whole ordeal involving a total loss of balance—I couldn't even walk on my own—and tunnel vision where everything would shrink to a tiny dot before expanding again. People just told me to get used to it, claiming it was just low blood pressure, when in reality, those were almost the exact symptoms of the encephalomyelitis I was fighting off.

( Matthew Bishop44, I’m right there with you! )

Brenda Alvarez24 said:I really have to say, that whole "just learn to live with it" advice... it honestly makes my blood boil... but I guess that’s just because I went through this massive ordeal where I completely lost my balance (like, I couldn't even walk on my own) and had this crazy tunnel vision thing happening (where everything would shrink down to a tiny dot and then suddenly pop wide again), and they just told me I needed to get used to it because of low blood pressure... when I was actually nearly wiped out by encephalomyelitis, which is what those symptoms were actually from.

( Matthew Bishop44, not personally speaking, of course! )

No hard feelings at all, but my version of "learn to live with it" only kicks in after someone runs every single test under the sun and confirms that everything is actually fine.

I’m still trying to get used to this tinnitus thing. Most of the time I can just drown it out with some background noise. I guess eventually you just stop noticing it.

But the vertigo? That’s what actually scares the hell out of me. I start spiraling, thinking, "What if this gets worse?" Like, what if I can't even drive my car anymore, or worse, I lose my hearing entirely?

Look, I know there are people dealing with much bigger problems, but this is my life. It’s infuriating...

I’m trying to just get used to this tinnitus thing. Most of the time I can tune it out if there's enough background noise going on, but man. I'm guessing eventually you just stop noticing it.

But the dizziness? That's the part that actually scares the hell out of me. I start spiraling, thinking, "What if this gets worse?" Like, what if I can't even drive my truck anymore, or what if I lose my hearing entirely?"

Look, I know people have much bigger problems, but this is my life right now. It’s just incredibly frustrating...

Since I don't have a better job at the moment 😁, I'm just doing a bit of reading and reflecting...

electricridge16 said:...it's like my head momentarily "drops." It’s similar to that sensation when you stand up too fast from a chair. It lasts maybe just a second, and then... suddenly, there's this momentary flicker in my vision, just for that one second...
...and while I'm lying down, if I hold my arm at a 90° angle at the elbow, my pinky and the finger next to it go numb.

—you didn't quite explain that "dropping" sensation clearly enough... Is it like when you stand up abruptly and everything goes dark or your ears ring for a second? Or is it more like a brief moment of losing consciousness?
Could you elaborate a bit more? Try describing it using an analogy other than "dropping."
—everyone... gets numbness occasionally if they hold a limb in a weird position. That's my blunt way of putting it, but you get the idea. Occasional numbness sometimes! It doesn't necessarily mean there's a medical issue. After all, plenty of perfectly healthy people experience that now and then.

electricridge16 said:...
P.S. A few people here have mentioned similar experiences or issues in the past, but nobody has really said whether those problems were actually resolved, or how! I'd love to hear a bit more detail on that.

I would say that almost no one completely resolves them...
It's like what Matthew Bishop44 said—you learn to live with it.
First, it's stressful and scary, and you find yourself searching through medical sites and visiting doctors...
Then, perhaps they find a cause.
Some people manage to fix it.
Others just learn to navigate life with it.
( well, I hope that's comforting... )

Matthew Bishop44 said:No worries, but my "learn to live with it" comes after all the tests are done and everything turns out fine.

Don't worry... I was speaking generally... you know that phrase "learn to live with it"... but sometimes it feels like your whole lifestyle is being disrupted.
That's why I emphasized I wasn't being personal or targeting your specific post.

electricridge16 said:...It’s like catching a sudden breeze while sailing—everything just shifts. It’s the kind of thing that truly brightens someone's day.
It feels like an impossible choice—either I give up my driver's license or I lose my hearing entirely.

Here we go again...
No. I hear you. Does it feel like a momentary blackout where you just lose consciousness for a second—even while standing up? Like you get this sudden ringing in your ears followed by dizziness and confusion? It sounds like a mix of all those things at once. Could you please walk me through that again? I’m having a little trouble pinning down exactly what the symptom looks like.

It’s like catching a sudden wave right when you thought the ocean was going to stay flat—unexpectedly thrilling. It would be. It’s much like losing your footing on a hiking trail—sudden, jarring, and a bit disorienting.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. It feels a bit like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces! It isn't vertigo. That dizzy feeling when you’ve been completely swindled... it’s like being tossed into a high-speed centrifuge and just spun around until everything blurs.
It seems like you might have cut off there! If you were about to ask me something, please feel free to finish your thought. I'm all ears. It’s all quite clear to me.That’s exactly how it feels to me. It’s like when someone catches you completely off guard with a sudden shove, leaving you scrambling to find your footing.It’s like slipping on a patch of ice and losing your footing entirely.
It isn't always a matter of the subconscious or any of the other factors we've discussed here.

- Honestly, seeing a clean MRI was such a huge relief. I don't have to worry about tumors or weird masses or anything crazy like that. It’s made my daily life way less stressful.

- Yeah, I probably didn't explain it great since this whole thing is still pretty new to me.

Let me try again:

* It isn't just some quick blackout or passing out like you suggested, Nicholas Davis4. It's more like this intense dizziness you described. It feels like someone just gives me a sudden shove from the side. I don't actually fall over, though—I'm either fighting to stay upright or it's just how it works, I haven't figured that part out yet. It doesn't last long, there's no pattern, and I have zero clue what triggers it. Today has actually been one of those rare days where it barely happened at all.
Along with the dizziness, it feels like someone is momentarily squeezing my brain through my temples... I don't even know how else to put it.

* At first, it was just these sudden "drops," like a quick tugging sensation, but that turned into this constant dizziness over time. The dropping feeling is gone now. My biggest fear is that this becomes a 24/7 thing because then I'm totally screwed and can't function. Right now, it mostly happens when I'm walking. I haven't really linked it to turning my head quickly. When I'm driving or sitting at my desk at work, I'm fine 90% of the time.

* As for the numbness in my arm, I get that it's super common. I just wanted to mention it in case anyone else deals with that symptom. I'm thinking it might be a pinched nerve near my elbow or something. I hit the gym pretty hard, so maybe I messed something up lifting weights. Or maybe it's just from sitting at my computer all day.

* Tinnitus and that full feeling. My ears feel stuffed up, like they're clogged. Both ears have this high-pitched ringing, kind of like the buzz you hear from an old TV. Sometimes the right ear gets way louder for a few seconds. It's bearable for now, but if it gets any worse, I'm going to lose it. Feels like the left ear is actually getting better lately.

I actually have an ENT appointment today, so I'm curious to see what they say. Thanks for the input, Nicholas Davis4.

P.S. My neck and spine are definitely feeling super tense.

Whenever I get this intense dizziness, it feels like someone is literally squeezing my brain with their hands for a split second—I don't even know how else to put it...

Do you think these could be brain zaps?

Matthew Bishop44 said:When the dizziness hits, it feels like someone is literally squeezing my brain with their hands. I don't even know how else to put it...

Brain zaps?

Man, I have no clue. I've read about them, but besides the name, I can't really see how they relate to what I'm feeling. And I definitely haven't been on any meds or tapering off anything lately.

update !!!!

Just got back from the ENT, and yeah, predictably, everything looks fine visually—eardrum is clear, no inflammation inside or out.

They want me to finish the rest of the tests (an audiology workup and a CT scan of the neck arteries and carotids). Maybe something pops up there, but if not, they'll probably just tell me to "deal with it."

I asked the doctor about Vertigo, but he said there's no reason for him to prescribe it yet. He thinks maybe another specialist will write the script after the hearing tests.

I'm planning to get those remaining tests done next month.

For three days straight, I actually felt pretty good, barely any symptoms at all. Then today, everything went right back to hell.

Brain zaps are honestly the closest thing to what I’m feeling right now, and mind you, I’ve never even tried tapering off antidepressants before. It’s such a weird sensation to put into words—it’s almost like you black out for a millisecond, but just not long enough to actually pass out. Or, you know, like your brain just stops responding entirely... total blue screen of death moment. People say it might be related to the neck

update !!!!

So, I finally went through with the ultrasound for my neck arteries and carotids. Results came back fine—the left one is a bit narrower than the right, but nothing out of the ordinary.
The only thing left on my list is getting the hearing tests done.

In the meantime, I decided to just go ahead and start taking some Ginkgo Biloba and a Vitamin B Complex in capsule form.

I've been on them for two weeks now, and honestly, I feel a bit better. Is it because of the supplements, the weather, or just because I'm finally relaxing? Who knows! Will it last? God only knows!

Anyway, just figured I'd share the info for anyone else wondering!

Hey everyone, I really need some help here. I'm based in San Francisco.
For a year now, I've been dealing with constant instability and loss of balance. Everything feels shaky, like the ground is slipping out from under me. It happens every single day, from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. It’s especially bad when I'm walking; sitting down helps sometimes, but it's constant.
I've done every major test you can think of—ENT, MRI of my neck and head, EEG, EKG, carotid artery scans, blood work, thyroid tests, everything. All the results come back normal, but I'm not getting any better. It's desperate. This is ruining my life, my job, and my ability to just be happy and active.
I've tried chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, physical therapy with John Doe in San Francisco, homeopathy, CBD oil, and all sorts of alternative stuff. I also exercise regularly.

Nothing changes. I'm starting to lose hope. I saw specialists in San Francisco, specifically neurologists, and they gave me a diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency—basically saying blood flow to the back of my brain isn't great.
But there's no treatment that actually works. Their final word was that it's just degenerative changes in my spine combined with scoliosis. They basically told me to live with it because I'm not a candidate for surgery.

Because of this instability, I can't drive, I've lost my appetite, and like I said, my only relief is resting and staying still, which is the last thing I want to do. I can barely make it through a workday. Does anyone have recommendations for specialists in Seattle or Washington, D.C., where I can actually get some real answers?
I've tried Meclizine, Dimenhydrinate, Promethazine, and Ginkgo biloba... nothing has helped. 😥

Please, if you have any suggestions at all, let me know.
Thanks in advance.