Acute imbalance spells

[MaritimeAN]

Hi there,

I'm new the group, recently diagnosed with a 9mm left-sided AN. This was discovered after being treated for 1 year for "sinus issues" and then another 6 months for Meniere's Disease. I finally requested an MRI after doing some research online about my symptoms. The first thing I noticed was periods of high pitched ringing in my ear and hearing loss.  I have also been having "spells" which are hard for me to describe. My ENT doctor and resident, who are very well respected in my home city, said these spells were not classic vertigo or imbalance but were likely caused by my AN. I'm wondering if anyone in this group has experienced anything similar:

- intense low-pitched buzzing in my head comes on suddenly, I can almost feel it coming, seems to center on the same side as my AN
- complete inability to stay upright, I feel like I am falling into the ground and must immediately get down or I feel like I will fall over/down
- I need to hold my head and close my eyes
- passes in 5-10 seconds and then I am fine, albeit a little bit shaken
- seems to be random, I can't link it to anything else
- usually if I have one, I'll have a couple more over the next couple days and then it could be weeks/months before it happens again
- I do not feel like I am going to faint, pass out, or black out
- I used to panic when this happened, sending my heart into overdrive and shaking like a leaf so I thought it was heart-related; that has been ruled out and now that I just stay calm and get on the ground I am totally OK once it passes

I'd love to hear if anyone else experiences similar sensations. I get true dizziness, which I can deal with. I feel off-balance sometimes, which seems normal for having an AN. It's these super intense, acute spells (for lack of a better work) that seem atypical. I don't want to miss something else that may be going on because every weird sensation is being explained away by the AN.

Thanks in advance for any information or stories you have to share.

[james e]

That is how my symptoms started 6 years ago. Your AN will trigger your balancing nerve and send false signals to your brain making you feel "lost in space." Mine would come and go for about a year. One day it got so bad that it kept me spinning all day, vomiting, hard to stand up. Got an MRI and my AN was found.

Believe it or not, you will get used to it. Your brain can be trained in therapy and you will learn how to deal with it. I am almost 5 years post surgery and still have balance issues...still get lost in space. Last week I fell off a ladder changing a light bulb when I tilted my head back.

Just trust me. Your life will get better as you learn how to live with your AN.

[ANGuy]

For nausea/vomiting I encourage everyone to ask their Dr about Zophran.  It is a Rx drug that is like an instant "off" switch for me.  It's chewable and for me, it immediately shuts off the nausea/vomiting even before I finish chewing it up.  It does nothing for the dizziness, but it stops you from heaving your guts out while the vestibular suppressants take their time to work.

For dizziness, there is valium, antivert, promethazine and a few others.  They will all make you sleepy, and they take an hour or two to kick in, but they work well for me.  Benedryl actually works well for dizziness for me too.