I have a few symptoms that began at various times (years apart) so I didn't believe the symptoms to be related until I read a post on another website (see below). My symptoms are almost identical but not nearly as severe (I have posted an extract in case the other website goes down). In particular the dizziness, "brain fog" (described below), head rush with first bite of food and tinnitus are particularily discomforting. Can anyone suggest a cause/s for these symptoms? I have seen about half a dozen doctors, two dentists, an ENT, a neurologist, an audiologist and have had an MRI without shedding any light on the situation.
Extract:
Source: http://forum.asktheneurologist.com/vertigo-and-dizziness-f16/vertigo-tinnitis-t169.html
"I'm 40 years old, and for about two years I've been dealing with random but troubling symptoms. I've been to a battery of doctors, and have had every test known to man run, with no conclusive results, no diagnosis, no help or abatement of any of the symptoms.
Symptoms:
"Tinnitus - all the time. Sometimes screaming loud, sometimes it quiets down. It's a high-pitched whine, and as far as I can tell in both ears. I've been to an audiologist and have had extensive testing done. Nothing physically wrong with my ear canals or hearing parts. Sometimes the tinnitus is so loud it gives me a horrible headache and it always impacts my hearing on some level. It's been my constant companion for no less than a year.
Vertigo. At times extreme to where I have trouble walking across the room without holding on to something. It's not often this severe, but when it is this severe, I find that I am struck with extreme fatigue very shortly thereafter. These bouts will last for about 2-3 days where I have the extraordinary vertigo, and could sleep the entire day away (type A personality - not normal for me). When this is going on, I experience extreme nausea as well, even when laying down and not experiencing vertigo. I should mention if I lie down, the vertigo doesn't happen.
On an on-going regular basis, I experience vertigo when I take the first couple bites of food. The entire room will swim and if I were standing, I would fall over. This happens every time I eat. Recently it has begun happening when I take a drink as well (the first couple drinks when I start drinking water for example). This symptom has gotten worse recently. It didn't used to ever happen with liquids I drink, and the episodes with bites of food used to last 5-10 seconds and now last a good 20-30 seconds.
I feel as if I have a golf ball in my esophagus. A lump in my throat (but below my throat) that never goes away. It literally feels difficult to swallow a large bite of food because of this.
Extreme fatigue. As mentioned above, I go through bouts of fatigue that need to have some other moniker. I literally feel like I can't raise my head I'm so exhausted. Bone weary is a better term. This lasts for several days when it hits. I truly feel like whatever is wrong with me, this is a by-product, or aftershock, if you will, of whatever is happening to me.
Insomnia. I also have bouts of insomnia that will last for several days. This is just within the past 6 months or so. Never in my life have I had trouble sleeping before.
Tests I've had:
Neurological consult. He felt I probably had Meniers and was pretty much a jerk who told me my cluster of symptoms were strange and sounded psycho-sematic. However, I did follow up with an ENT who specializes in meniers, and it's not meniers.
I also saw an audiologist and had a huge battery of tests (not just hearing tests) done to test inner ear, outer ear, etc., etc. They truly ran every test they could since it is logical to think this is ear-related. I was found to have nothing physically wrong with my ear parts, and my hearing was within normal range - possible very minor hearing loss in one ear, but inconclusive.
MRI. Result was that I do have a Chiari Malformation. The above-neurologist who was condescending and dismissive about my "psycho-sematic" symptoms thought the Chiari Malformation to be a non-issue. Yes, it's there (he said as he read my MRI), but it couldn't possibly cause any of these strange cluster of symptoms.
Thyroid. I've often felt many of my problems could possibly be thyroid related. I could check "yes" off on every hypothyroidism symptom, and yet bloodwork has come back two times as normal. (My internal medicine doctor couldn't believe it wasn't my thyroid, so he re-tested). I didn't list all these random little symptoms here, because I don't think they're related? But in case they are: I've lost my outer eyebrows - they were full, now they're bald. I'm always cold, even in summer, I've gained a great deal of weight in the past year; I have heart palpitations (I wore a halter monitor and was found to have sinus taccychardia and sometimes irregular heartbeat, but they could find no reason so it was determined to be probably low-potasseum); I get dizzy if I get up too quickly from sitting or laying.
Other bloodwork. I've been tested for diabetis, hypoglycemia, anemia. I am borderline anemic - always have been my whole life, tho, so this is nothing new. Everything else, normal.
That's my story. The symptoms are literally starting to take over my life and I'm so frustrated! I've done everything I can to find an answer, and no answer comes.
If any of this rings a bell or if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I'm proactive, live a full life and want to get at the heat of these symptoms so I can start to feel normal and well again. Instead things seem to be heading further and further south."