Hey, I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with me and I’m honestly pretty overwhelmed, so I’m hoping someone here has been through something similar.
About 2 weeks ago I started having really intense symptoms that feel like a mix of anxiety, ear problems, and something neurological or vestibular. The biggest thing has been this depersonalization/derealization feeling where I feel detached, like I’m in a dream, or not fully here. Sometimes I feel like I’m only partially present. Along with that, sounds have been really weird. Normal noises feel too loud or sharp, and if there are multiple sounds going on at once it overwhelms me. Sometimes it even feels like sounds are distorted or echoing in a strange way. I’ve also been more sensitive to light, and I’ve noticed visual snow and floaters more than usual.
At the same time, I’ve been dealing with ear symptoms. I have constant ringing in my ear and a feeling of fullness or pressure, like it needs to pop but won’t. The ear that was supposed to have the infection hurts when I chew. A doctor told me I had an ear infection and fluid in both ears, and I took a Z-pack and have been using Flonase for about a week now. The thing that really messes with me is that one time I popped my ear and I felt almost completely normal for like a day and a half, which makes me feel like all of this could be connected to my ear somehow.
I also have this pain in the back of my head at the base of my skull that can shoot up one side into my temple and forehead. It doesn’t feel like a normal headache, more like a sick or heavy feeling. It gets worse when I’m sitting or standing and feels a little better when I’m laying down. My neck is really tense too.
I’ve noticed some patterns like mornings being the worst, especially before I eat. The DPDR and weird feeling are way stronger then, and I usually feel a little better after eating. Noise and busy environments seem to trigger things too. For example, being outside with my kids playing basketball pushed me into a really bad episode. But if I leave the situation early, it doesn’t spiral as much. Laying down in a dark room helps the most when it gets bad.
For background, I had a concussion about 6 months ago and was supposed to do vestibular therapy but didn’t keep up with it. I do have anxiety, but this feels very different and way more physical than anything I’ve had before.
I’ve got a psych appointment scheduled but it’s not until the 8th, and a neuro appointment but not until August. So I feel kind of stuck right now trying to figure this out on my own.
I guess what I’m wondering is if something like inner ear or vestibular dysfunction could cause all of this, including the DPDR. Has anyone had ear issues trigger these kinds of symptoms? I’ve seen things like vestibular migraine or PPPD mentioned and didn’t know if this sounds similar to anyone.
This has been really hard. Some days I feel almost normal and then it all comes back again. The combination of the ear symptoms and the disconnected feeling is what’s scaring me the most.
If anyone has experienced anything like this or has any insight, I’d really appreciate it.
It’s been pretty constant for like 2 weeks now. I can’t work or play with the kids or even really go anywhere. It’s causing depression.
My pcp has did all the labs. I’m low on b12 and iron. Recently started taking b12 1000mcg daily and multivitamin with iron every other day. Started this like 5 days ago cause my pcp wanted. She also wanted to give me lamictal to help the dpdr but hesitant to take it because i hate meds. This has taken over my life.