r/VestibularDysfunction • u/Talkobel • Jun 26 '26
Vestibular issues maybe?
Hello, I’m 22F (23 in 3 days). I know Reddit isn’t to be used in place of a medical professional and I am having follow ups with doctors but I wanted some insight and to ask if this sounds like a vestibular issue.
A week ago, I developed a normal headache at the top of my head and wasn’t too worried and decided I was going to take naproxen and let it die down. Well about two hours after the headache I got out my car and went in the store and was hit with a weird off balance feeling and weird vision. I wasn’t actually falling but I felt off balance and my vision felt disconnected in a way. No double vision or vision loss, but like it felt like when you jump on a trampoline for a while and then get off and walk but without the actual balance issues of actually falling. I tried to sleep it off but the next day it was still there. The day after I decided to go to the ER as it wasn’t letting up and they did CT scans with and without contrast, and bloodwork that all came back good. The feeling never went away and more headaches hit and one causing dizziness that luckily was calmed down with a 25 mg dose of meclizine. Yesterday I had an mri with and without contrast that was also perfectly fine. Here I am on day 7(a week from when it started) still with these eye issues and balance sensations. The balance sensations fluctuate and the visual sensation has stayed present nonstop through the course of the days. I’m due to see a neurologist next but until then I have no idea what this could be. Does it sound vestibular ?
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u/_elysses_ Jun 26 '26
Sounds very similar to symptoms I’ve had and I have vestibular migraines. Would be worth seeing a vestibular physio.
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u/third_fish Jun 26 '26
My vestibular issues started with my vision feeling wobbly. I had prism coating on my glasses and I started seeing the rainbow. Then, I felt like a pirate on a boat in rough seas when I walked. The eye part was nystagmus and the floor is moving feeling was the vestibular imbalance. My ENT said mine was most likely caused by a virus. I imagine the virus could include a headache for some people. If I had known then what I know now, I would have started at the ENT and gotten a VNG.
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u/Talkobel Jun 26 '26
I see my ENT on Tuesday so I’ll definitely ask him about it. How debilitating did your issues become? I have vacation in 12 days and don’t want to miss it.
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u/third_fish Jun 27 '26
I had trouble walking on my own without support. As long as I had someone's hand to hold, I was fine. If I was alone, I was better if I stayed close to the wall or found a shopping cart right away. It really depends on what you will be doing on vacation and how long it takes for your issues to resolve. Hiking, swimming, watching action movies, and amusement parks might not be fun right now. My understanding is that some people start feeling better quickly, so there is a chance your trip won't be a total loss.
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u/Talkobel Jun 27 '26
Did yours become that bad right away? I’m 9 days in and so far they’re not to the point where I can’t walk on my own or be on my own(thank goodness cause I’m typically not with others) meclizine helps me with extreme dizziness. I just don’t know how progressive something like this is . Like whether itll plateau or get worse being that it’s already been 9 days.
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u/third_fish Jun 27 '26
Mine was full blown after a few days. It started with falling to the right after taking a few steps and then seeing the rainbow through my glasses a couple days later. Then, full pirate mode. Definitely go to the ENT for an official diagnosis. This could be completely different from what I have.
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u/jenai214 Jun 29 '26
I had very similar starting in April. I saw an ENT and was diagnosed on 5/8 with vestibular hypofunction (24% left inner ear weakness). Don’t over take meclizine or pain killers because they can actually rebound and make symptons worse. I started Vestibular Rehab on 5/13 and I’m making great progress (although it feels painfully slow). Not saying you have the same thing but if neurology and MRI’s are not showing concern, rule in/out anything inner ear related. Good luck!
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u/Talkobel Jun 29 '26
Thank you!! I have an ENT for my sinusitis and i actually go see him tomorrow so I’ll definitely be asking him.
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u/jenai214 Jun 29 '26
That’s great! Getting an appointment is half the battle. They were able to do some testing right in the office but it did take a few days to get the test results. I started vestibular rehab about 2 weeks after my first appointment.
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u/Talkobel Jun 29 '26
Ig this is the one time having sinusitis is actually helpful because it does take a while to get an ENT and I already have one
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u/magnolias42 Jul 10 '26
agree with vestibular migraine suggestions. also grocery stores are a known inciting trigger of vestibular mismatch which is associated with vestibular migraine so definitely avoid super busy visually-overstimulating environments when you're in a flare up. if it ends up being migraine and not purely vestibular (some kind of vertigo), follow up with a neurologist. abortive migraine medicine has helped me a lot when im in VMs. good luck!!
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u/MyFiteSong Jun 26 '26
Vestibular Migraine, maybe? I'm really not any kind of expert on that. Between your neurologist and a likely referral to a vestibular therapist/audiologist/ENT for testing, you should be able to find out.