Inner Ears or Brain related

[Canadianeastcoast]

I visited my Family Physician in March 2010 because of lightheadedness I would get when shoveling snow the previous winter. My Doctor scheduled a 24 hour holter monitor, blood test, and referred me to a Cardiologist.
Before I met the Cardiologist for the first time, I had a incident at work. On March 31st, while sitting at my desk and doing nothing strenuous, I heard what seemed to be a very sudden rushing sound in the left side of my head, and I felt like I almost passed out. There was absolutely no sign that this was about to happen, and it scared me a bit.
Within a few days of this incident, it felt like I had inner ear issues. I didn’t have vertigo, but I was unsteady on my feet, and I frequently got a spaced  out feeling. I stopped driving for a little while because I’m sure that if I did drive, I would hit another car from behind. I visited my Family Physician, who prescribed some sort of antihistamine. She told me to stop taking them in a few days if there is no difference. They didn’t help, so I went back and she prescribed antibiotics. This seemed to help, and I started to drive again, but I was still lightheaded.
I met the Cardiologist about a month after the incident and told him the original reason I was referred to him,  and about my more recent issues. He said that results from the holter monitor indicated that have moderate palpitations. He scheduled an appointment for an Exercise Stress Test, which went well.
Everything seemed fine until the end of summer, which is when I started getting pins & needles on my left side. I felt them in my left cheek, hand, and foot. I attributed this to a pinched nerve, but  I still have numbness that radiates from around my left eye up to my left temple.
I started to feel noticeably lightheaded with slight pressure in both ears again in November.  There  was no loss of hearing. I booked an appointment with my Family Physician, and she referred me to an Otolaryngologist, with whom I had my first appointment last month. By the time I met him, I wasn’t feeling too bad. However, he referred me to a clinic at the hospital for a hearing test, an Electronystagmography, and I believe what is referred to as a BAER.
Now my lightheadedness is back, and doesn’t seem to be going away. My wife thinks I should be calling our family Doctor and getting into a Neurologist. I told her that I will go through the proper process. I will wait to see the results of the ENG and BAER, and decide from there if they turn up negative.
I am 38 years old and privately a little concerned about this. I’ve done some internet research but can’t find the answers I’m looking for. TIA’s often come with some vision loss at the time of the attack. I never had this. And tumors are often characterized by headaches upon waking up, but I also don’t have this.
Do you have any thoughts what this might be?

[rumpled]

Do you have actual copies of all your testing? And do you bring them from doc to doc?

Have you had an eye exam - with visual fields? Any imaging? I am a layman myself... so I am just guessing about other testing to get.

There are expert forums - neurology may help you.

[rucestla]

I think you should request an MRI.  Sure, do all the other things the docs want, but an MRI can rule out spinal cord tumors.  With tingling in your hands, that should be checked out for sure.  Once you have nerve damage, it's hard to regain it.  Just a thought after mom and brother had strange symptoms that came and went over time like yours and dr's ignored it....ended up being spinal cord tumors; found out easily and quickly by going to a neurosurgeon who asked for the MRI.  They both had surgery and are back to normal, except for nerve pain and some nerve damage from waiting so long.  Take control of your health.  Dr's want to help, but it's actually your responsibility.  Perhaps it is just ear issues, but getting an MRI will help relieve those concerns that you know are in your thoughts.

[Canadianeastcoast]

Hi rumpled,
I don't have copies of the results of my tests. I am not scheduled for the ENG and BAER until later next week. Nonetheless, I'm in Canada. Any test results that a specialist might need would be sent directrly from my Family Physician to the specialist.

The last eye exam I had was probably two years ago. However, I haven't noticed any change in my vision or visual fields.

Since my original posts, I have been pretty much consistently lightheaded. I look forward to getting the ENG and BAER testing done to see the results. If the results don't show anything wrong, I am going to ask my Family Physician to see a Neurologist. There is no way I should be feeling like this.

[Canadianeastcoast]

Hi rucestla,

I'm glad to hear that your family is doing well.
Did your mother and brother have tingling in both their hands, or were their symptoms concentrated on the left or right side?

I love your idea to request a MRI. However, I'm in Canada, which has a government funded healthcare system. I can make any request I want. However, unless the Doctor thinks it is necessary, it won't be done.

[rumpled]

Was the halter test normal? Was that followed up on?