Anxiety and Labyrinthitis?

DeafCaroline said:
Wow...learning a lot from this thread. Never heard of that word before - labyrinthitis. I also have balance problems and I tend to get nervous in crowded places because I cant walk a straight line very well. My kids tease me about it, they say it's like I'm slightly tipsy. I make a point of looking at a point in the distance because it helps me walk straighter. If I look down or let my eyes wander then I start walking wavy lines.
I absolutely cannot walk where I can't see - for example, where there are no street lights or walking in the woods at night without falling down. I usually beg people to give me their arm and to walk slowly in such circumstances.
I once tried to tango without my hearing aids and it was like the floor kept swaying and dropping out from under my feet, it was not a good feeling. I stopped dancing and went home.
Learning to dance the tango did help alot though with balance issues and the most valuable lesson of all was that the calmer and more relaxed I am, the better my balance gets. I noticed this every time we did warm ups where we had to pivot on every corner of an imaginary box drawn on the floor. If I was nervous about bumping into others in the class or self-conscious about my balance, I couldn't pivot for s**t. If I had a great day and came into class in a good mood and feeling really relaxed, then my balance would be much much better.
So, I learned from that that there is definitely a link between balance and anxiety. It's a bit of a vicious cycle - bad balance begets anxiety begets bad balance.
DanB - I hope you find treatment that will help you. It must be really difficult dealing with so many different things that's affecting how you live your life.
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In self defense class full of hearies the sensei stressed the connection between relaxation and balance. Difficult to do at times when someone wants to thump on your nose.
 
I saw my doctor today. He said it is definitely labyrinthitis, inflammation in the vestibular bones. He prescribed methylprednisolone. I hate the medicine, it makes me rage easy.

Unfortunately he would not prescribe a GABA med like valium. His reply was.... "No that's an anxiety medicine". :)
 
What kind of doctor? Most doctors who don't specialize in vestibular problems don't really know that valium is a vestibular suppressant. I asked my GP about it and you'd have thought I asked for heroin! My neurotologist understood what it does. A neurOTOlogist is an ENT with neurology training. (I capitialized the OTO to show that I didn't mean a neurologist.

I do, however, understand any doctor's hesitancy in prescribing valium just because a patient asks. Would be nice though if doctors understood the connection between vestibular problems and the benefits of valium.

I am thankful every day that I have it IF I NEED IT. I tend to be the type who is cautious about taking any medication that can be addictive. Valium has, at times, made my life bearable on a bad vestibular/balance day.

Hang in there Danb!
 
Cool, thanks! I didn't see the OTO there, and i thought neurologist and not neurotolgist. How do i make an appointment with one? Would my doctors at the cochlear center at mass eye and ear know? I have to go there anyways for a CI upgrade soon.

I haven't mentioned anything to my primary care doctor about the labyrinthitis. He knows i've been having anxiety but i never told him why. So it might be worth just asking him for a benzo strictly for anxiety attacks. I found out the other day a couple of my aunts and uncles use diazepam for their meniere's.

Sweet! I feel like i'm finally getting somewhere. :) This is a nice forum.
 
Danb said:
I notice i also get anxious when i am in a long conversation. Does this happen to anyone else?

i have to focus on a persons mouth for lip reading to help. Once i do that for too long things start to go blurry and i start to sweat. I then look around to get my bearings and feel better, but of course lose my place in the conversation. :P
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I have a problem with disequilibrium. I hope to go to the doctor soon to get "official" diagnoses (as far as cause/problem area) and prescription/treatment recommendations (to adjust to recent changes/problems) as until recently, it didn't occur to me or anyone else that that was what the problem was. I have never taken medications for it, but we will see what the future holds.

For as long as I can remember, I always had to look down and concentrate on the ground a couple feet in front of me (everyone assumed I was just shy, even though when I got talking, I never stopped :lol:) otherwise I would stumble and fall and could never get around in the dark unless tracing (or holding on for deal life to) the wall or other objects. I have fallen down (going over smooth terrain/going over uneven terrain/going up or down stairs were the worse) so many times and bruised/fractured/broken bones so many times but everyone just thought I was clumsy or not paying attention. I took some beginner ballet classes in college (they allowed me to go at my own pace and work a lot with the beam) and I think it really helped with my balance issues during college.

I get anxious too when in a conversation where I need to lip-read. I have to concentrate so much on lip-reading that my eyes blur/twitch and when I try adjust, I lose my place in the conversation. So you are not alone :wave:.
 
DeafRaptor said:
...I get anxious too when in a conversation where I need to lip-read. I have to concentrate so much on lip-reading that my eyes blur/twitch and when I try adjust, I lose my place in the conversation. So you are not alone :wave:.
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You make a good point! That happens to me too when I get super concentrated. I have to walk away for a min to "regain my balance" then continue. You might try faking a sneeze... just hold up your hand and say "one sec". Turn your head and fake a failed sneeze into your sleeve. Hopefully they will pause for a sec, when you turn your head back they will usually smile or something then continue.
 
I have anxiety serious worst to migrance suffer pain!!
 
Do you have panic attacks? Blah, I can't even imagine -- I have panic disorder (I'm hearing) and last year my ears got plugged up and I kept losing my balance until I had them flushed out and could fully hear again. It irritated my panic disorder/anxiety so much. I've never heard of labyrinthitis, but it makes sense to me...part of having anxiety is that feeling of unreality that comes with it, which feels like vertigo. So maybe you're experiencing vertigo which is making you especially anxious?
 
Cheetah said:
You make a good point! That happens to me too when I get super concentrated. I have to walk away for a min to "regain my balance" then continue. You might try faking a sneeze... just hold up your hand and say "one sec". Turn your head and fake a failed sneeze into your sleeve. Hopefully they will pause for a sec, when you turn your head back they will usually smile or something then continue.
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That's a good idea, thanks. Although, I think I will get mixed results about them pausing or not when it is a large meeting, haha.
 
Yeah i get panic attacks when in crowds and a little when in a long conversation one on one. I think the idea with labyrinthitis and anxiety is its a two way street, one causes the other, and vice versa.

I remember when i met with the research scientist before getting my CI, he told me that lip reading takes a huge amount of energy. I never would have thought of it unless he told me, but he is totally right. I am exhausted after being around people i need to talk with for more than an hour.

Faking a sneeze is an excellent idea! Thanks for posting that. :)
 
Danb said:
Yeah i get panic attacks when in crowds and a little when in a long conversation one on one. I think the idea with labyrinthitis and anxiety is its a two way street, one causes the other, and vice versa.

I remember when i met with the research scientist before getting my CI, he told me that lip reading takes a huge amount of energy. I never would have thought of it unless he told me, but he is totally right. I am exhausted after being around people i need to talk with for more than an hour.

Faking a sneeze is an excellent idea! Thanks for posting that. :)
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:shock: And here I thought it was all in my head. Do you happen to have a link to a website I can print out to post on my cubicle wall at work? I am trying to educate my new coworkers as much as possible with what I go through. :ty: Thanks for sharing.
 
You can find a lot of articles when searching for stress and labyrinthitis. I will find and post the article that shows the connection between gaba neurotransmitters, anxiety and labyrinthitis.
 
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