My Daily Dizzy Brain
I first developed symptoms when I was 23. It began with ear fullness, dizziness described as being on a boat, head pressure and squeezing, nausea, vomiting in severe cases, tiredness, anxiety, depressive moods. My GP diagnosed Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and gave me a nasal spray which actually made me worse. I was ill for about six months as symptoms gradually eased. Six months later, symptoms were back again.
Over the course of six years I was repeatedly diagnosed with ETD and that it would go away on its own even though it could take months. Every year I would spend at least four months laid on the sofa feeling absolutely terrible. Eventually I decided I'd had enough, especially when my anxiety became really high, and I saw a different GP who suspected the diagnosis was wrong. I was sent to an audiologist, who ran some tests and told me it wasn't ETD and that she didn't think an ear problem was causing my symptoms. I began searching the internet and was informed in a facebook group that it could be vestibular migraine. After a discussion with my GP I was referred to a neurologist, and after a brain mri which declared everything normal I was diagnosed with migraine but it was left up to my GP to treat.
In the 9 months since my diagnosis I have tried 4 preventative medications but all of them only increased the severity of my symptoms, some for three whole months before I couldn't stand it any longer. My gp has now referred me back to the neurologist. I have been with constant symptoms for 20 months now, despite trying lifestyle changes, an elimination diet and vitamins, none of which helped at all. I have been bedbound most days by the dizziness, it's so hard to eat, to move, to exist. I have no idea what my triggers are or why I am in constant symptoms all day, every day. I cling to the hope that i will find some kind of treatment that works for me because i do not want to live like this. I have no control over my symptoms and don't know where to turn next, I guess botox is an option since i seem to have a problem tolerating medication. But I hope that this will reach someone out there who may have a similar experience and perhaps has no correct diagnosis. GPs know so little about migraine that so many people must be misdiagnosed like myself. Don't let yourself be fobbed off my medical professionals, keep nagging them for answers because we all deserve better.
I don't know what the future holds for me, but I hope it will be better than this - I am 30 and still live with my parents, who look after me, and I haven't been able to work a single day in my life due to what I now know is migraine. It's awful how debilitating this condition really is.
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