About 18 months ago I started to feel a bit dizzy, ears started to feel ‘full’. No vertigo at all. I’ve read the term “Disequilibrium” and that is exactly how I feel.

Went to the doc a few times and since ‘shakey’ legs was one of the symptoms on the third visit they found clonus/hyper-reflexes and realized my spinal cord was being compressed. I had an ACDF at C5-6 in October 2015.

However in all the neck drama the Dizziness was forgotten about, but it never really went away & for the last three months it’s back.

I’ve mentioned dizziness, to a GP and two Neurologists and they’re all adamant that it’s unrelated, but I didn’t really press the issue.

Now I’ve done a bit of Googling and discovered “Cervicogenic Dizziness” which seems to fit pretty well with what I’m experiencing. There seems some doubt if it’s even a real thing. Anyone know?

Is there any point in going to a doc with that suggestion? My approach so far is just to suck it up, it’s not *that* bad and it seems to me these ‘inner-eary’ things can’t really be treated or tested for, and anything I say now feels a bit like telling them their job IYSWIM. Options are 1) Telephone consultation with GP. 2) Write to Neurosurgeon.

11 years post ADCF to c5/6/7 and fusion, scaffolding to C4/5. Still have clonus/hyper-reflexes, still very dizzy at times. worse when i’m tired. Get it checked out that further impingement hasn’t returned. I’ve had mine checked, and its fine but have been warned that it may well occur again further down the spine. You learn to manage it . . it doesn’t get better, but it wont get worse. I look at it as a huge improvement post op from not being able to walk . . .

11 years post ADCF to c5/6/7 and fusion, scaffolding to C4/5. Still have clonus/hyper-reflexes, still very dizzy at times. worse when i’m tired. Get it checked out that further impingement hasn’t returned. I’ve had mine checked, and its fine but have been warned that it may well occur again further down the spine. You learn to manage it . . it doesn’t get better, but it wont get worse. I look at it as a huge improvement post op from not being able to walk . . .

Thanks for responding, hearing from someone 11 years down the line from where I am is useful & reassuring.

So as far as you’re concerned dizziness *is* one of your symptoms caused (in some way) by the compression? Did your docs agree dizziness was a ‘neck’ symptom and suggest anything to help with dizziness – exercises?

As you say, clonus and hyper reflexes are still there for me, but like you I’ve had enough of an improvement that I’m overall very happy. FWIW I find hunger has more of an effect on my symptoms that tiredness.

Im lucky as I work in the NHS, have not been to the Doc, but work with Spinal Specialist Physios who have basically said the symptoms I have will not improve but that it should be no impingement to excersizes. Fine with anything in a straight line, running, cycling, swimming (cant tumble turn anymore – I throw up!) Dizzyness is definitely caused by the compression – was not there before. Went to an amusement park with my 2 year old and got dizzy on the kids rides with him! I get electric shock feelings thoguh every joint when I run though, or jump off something – which isn’t pleasant . . just something to get used to and monitor. Any increase in symptoms go straight to the doc, or better still A&E.

Thanks CC, that’s massive weight of my mind. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

All along I’ve been told the dizziness was unconnected but it always seemed quite a coincidence that having never been ill enough to see a doctor in my life I should suddenly get a chronic inner ear problem at exactly the same time as the symptoms of the compression started.

In Spain I often suffer from cervezagenic dizziness. Hth.

so good I posted twice. Somehow.

Cat aids. Without a doubt.

“Cat aids”

Not again! 🙁

I think it’s going to come down to what the unit in your trust is like and whether British medical associations and doctors think there is enough supporting evidence for the existence of the disease, according to this NHS document it “may not exist at all”.

http://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/departments/Audiology/AudiologyStaffArea/Dizziness_Vertigo_Imbalance_SRH.pdf

yet this claims that it does exist – and the management – after treatment of any underlying neck issues – would appear to be quite similar to the management for normal vertigo.

http://vestibular.org/cervicogenic-dizziness

When you did your neck injury, did you also suffer a TBI?

“When you did your neck injury, did you also suffer a TBI?”

Although the surgeon said my neck was probably caused by trauma I have no idea when or how I did it. So AFAIK no TBI.

Your ears feeling “full” COULD suggest that you had an inner ear infection and it’s merely a coincidence that you also had some neck issues….

I had something that was never really diagnose as an inner ear disorder or central vertigo and it **** up my balance for a good two years – white flash occured across my eyes every time I had a vertigo attack. Slowly went away and never happened again. The acute phase of repeated vertigo attacks lasted a month or two and then for a few years I had unnerving feelings of lightheadedness and disorientation in lifts.

Seen an ENT yet? That would be the first place to start. Rule out the most likely causes first, then you can get into the oddball “house” diseases/disorders.

“Your ears feeling “full” COULD suggest that you had an inner ear infection and it’s merely a coincidence that you also had some neck issues….
I had an inner ear infection and it **** up my balance for a good two years.”

Yeah, could easily be that, although I’ve had no ‘spinning’. Let’s hope so.

CC’s comments are good enough for me to mail the specialist and see what he thinks.

Good to hear ear infections can affect people for so long and still go away.

“Seen an ENT yet? That would be the first place to start. Rule out the most likely causes first, then you can get into the oddball “house” diseases/disorders.”

I haven’t been back to the docs since the neck issue was discovered, mainly cos I’ve got the impression that ‘dizzyness’ is a bugger to diagnose so I feel I’d be wasting their time and they wouldn’t be able to give me an answer anyway.

In the first two visits to the GP before they found the neck issue they found nothing wrong at all in spite of much looking in ears, and certainly seemed to think absence of proper vertigo was a significant reason to rule out inner ear-ness.

But I can be clearer about what’s happening now so it might be time to go back.

Is it episodic or continual? Does it happen when you go from a sitting position to a standing position?

“Is it episodic or continual? Does it happen when you go from a sitting position to a standing position?”

Continual, but consistently improves through the day to the point where I feel fine by 8pm, although the “full” ear sensation never goes away.

Sometimes feel mildly sea sick and get very fatigued especially driving. (For two weeks in May driving became near impossible with a combination of fatigue and a sense of my head moving downwards.) I’ve not worked out triggers but driving is as close to a trigger as anything. When mildly sea sick I feel very sleepy, the sensation in the car is identical.

When this first started 18 months ago crouching and standing reliably gave me massive unpleasant head rush. At the time I thought I was passing out but in hindsight I think it might be ‘this thing’. That effect stopped after a few weeks.

Basically AFAICT there are no triggers.

My issue is Meniere’s disease, which has been slowly coming for on for the last 18 months, when I get a vertigo attack I don’t half know about it!

Good luck getting to terms with your issue.

Getting better around 8pm may suggest that there are triggers. Are you less mobile around 8pm? Sat down on the couch and relaxed? Is it worse first thing in the morning and when moving around a lot? The comment about driving is pretty revealing as well.

See an ENT, demand it – I’m pretty sure that they will be able to sort you out – just don’t go spouting some house diagnosis the first time you see them, otherwise they’ll write “psychogenic” on your medical records and turf your off to a head shrinker 😛

Go through the hoops and be patient, it will get sorted once the symptoms become clearer to the doctors 🙂

Many thanks to the members of the RCS (Royal College of Singletrack) who took the trouble to post.

Saw doc 3 weeks ago. Ears were full of wax so had to have them cleared before revisiting the doc today.

Turns out Ear drums are ‘scarred’ and ‘dull’ which apparently indicates they have fluid behind them.

Referred to an ENT guy. (I hope I’m seeing the ENT guy because of the stubbornness of it, rather than because it’s ‘serious’.)

Freaky that in Feb 2015 I went to the docs with what has turned out to be an ear infection and they found a crushed spinal cord when trying to diagnose it.

PS: Who’d have thought going to a Doctor would be the answer?

Certainly not Jeremy Hunt.

Glad you got both things sorted (well, almost).