I'm frightened now that all my symptoms could be ME rather than lab or VN. so many of the symptoms that I have seem to be those of ME sufferers.

Hi Ali

At one point during the process of trying to get a diagnosis it was suggested that maybe I had ME as some of my symptoms were similar to those of ME (dizziness, lack of concentration, poor memory, feeling achey etc etc). However I didn't really have the extreme fatigue associated with ME so they ruled it out and eventually I was diagnosed with an inner ear problem. Not sure if anyone else on the site has actually experienced both and would know how different they feel?

Hope this is helpful

June

What's ME? Dare I ask...

I was misdiagnosed with ME for about two years, maybe longer.

There are similarities, but make sure they investigate thoroughly. ME is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that it is based on your symptoms and you not have test results for anything else. If you dizziness is a primary symptom then you need to make sure they give you ENT testing to check it's not an inner ear disorder.

what charlotte said

ME is usually the aftermath of some other disease .........and is a diagnosis of exclusion
however it depends on which school of thought u are being treated by.
some radicals here about 10 years ago had some different ideas ......but that is another story

u have to have been tired for 6 months at least

if there is some other reason..........then u dont have ME (chronic fatigue)

i am chronically tired and maybe would qualify for the diagnosis as part of my vestibular neuronitis onset where i was systemically very sick in hospital for 8 days.

but given there is no accepted cure for ME that anyone agrees on.......i would personally concentrate on finding a diagnosis that isnt ME and working to fix that.
like i do my VRT to try and get more balanced which will supposedly make me less tired.

hope u get my drift

Christine,

ME stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis which is the medical name for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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We strongly advise anyone wishing to take up vrt or change/stop medication should consult their doctor first.

Thanks for replies.
My energy levels go up and down and I don't have massive fatigue problems and can still do a fair amount of housework etc and work now 2-4 hours every other day. The right hand disequilibrium and nausea comes and goes to varying degrees. Not sure if ME can present with such a unilateral onset. I have read that it can start very abruptly with a vertigo attack which is what worried me. And I guess the frightening thing is the fact that there is no "cure" but just management of it as a condition.

Am seeing my GP on Friday for progress report and will mention it to him, but as the diagnosis relies on fatigue for 6 months, I still have some way to go. Just hope I start to feel better.......

Hey Ali13,
I see that you are 17 years older than I am, which means that you COULD be having menopausal symptoms....have you had your thyroid checked????? I have no family history of thyroid problems but after having my 1st child I developed post partum thyroiditis that permanantly damaged my thyroid. Whether you are Hypo or Hyper thyroid extreme fatigue can be one of the symptoms.
Just another idea!
Lettie

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First epsode of vertigo was when I was 4 months pregnant, in July 0f 2005. I seem to be having an episode every 4-6 months. For the last year I have had false sense of motion and anxiety attacks. I now very rarely drive. I have been diagnosed with episodic vertigo, migraine ass. vertigo, BPPV, and most recently Vestibular neuritis/neuronitis. We'll see!

Hi Lettie
Thanks for your post. I am hypothyroid and have been for last 7 years - am on 100mg thyroxine. It is one of the things I originally wondered about - perhaps my levels needed adjusting - but the GP says they are fine having done recent blood works. Also, I am perimenopausal and have been that way for 5 years. I had ovarian failure at 42 (diagnosed by GP and hormone tests), but after 9 months had another period and have them irregularly. So certainly some of my symptoms will be menopausal, but it is the fact that the dizziness feelings and ear feelings all present on the right hand side only that confuses me (and the GP!). MRI was clear so nothing sinister to see.

Thank goodness your MRI was good. Maybe you GP could reccommend a good doc. that could help you with hormone replacement or something to that extent. Who knows! I sure don't. I am so glad to hear that you are on top of your thyroid stuff though...it can sure be a nasty little thing when not tended to.

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First epsode of vertigo was when I was 4 months pregnant, in July 0f 2005. I seem to be having an episode every 4-6 months. For the last year I have had false sense of motion and anxiety attacks. I now very rarely drive. I have been diagnosed with episodic vertigo, migraine ass. vertigo, BPPV, and most recently Vestibular neuritis/neuronitis. We'll see!