Ruptured Eardrum

Somebody out there know anything about vertigo?

Here's the background (and the reason why I haven't responded to PM's or posts):


5/18/07 (Fri) - For a couple days prior I felt my sinuses were all congested. On 5/18 I realized it turned into an infection.
5/19/07 (Sat) - I called the doctor and he dx'd me over the phone with a suspected middle ear infection. He called in Amoxicillin and Tylenol/Codeine for pain. Later that evening I started bleeding from my right ear.
5/20/07 (Sun) - I called the doctor back because I was now feeling more pressure behind the eardrum instead of in the ear. He suspected the eardrum ruptured and called in drops. I was to follow up Monday.
5/22/07 (Tue) - I started suffering from intense vertigo. I walked as though I was drunk and couldn't focus on anything. I figured it would pass in a day or two.
5/24/07 (Thr) - First time seen at my doctor's office (I know I know). Doctor describes what a normal eardrum looks like and informs me mine looks nothing like it. It definitely ruptured and he suspected the vertigo is because fluid is now trapped behind the eardrum. Since I had no pain he suspected the infection is cleared up and I just needed supportive therapy while the fluid dried up. He put me on Meclizine to alleviate some of the vertigo I was feeling. He told me if I didn't feel better by Monday to call as he was on call. He wrote me out for 5/25/07 to get adjusted to the medicine. I went to work anyway. :rolleyes:
5/25/07-5/28/07 (Fri-Mon) - I had a weekend of activities planned for my son's birthday. We ended up doing 1/2 of them because of the vertigo.
5/29/07 (Tue) - I stayed home from work today.


I'm sitting in my chair feeling as though I'm sliding out of it. I feel slightly nauseous, from the vertigo but okay other than that.

I would go to work but the problem is I can't drive or focus on anything long enough because it makes the vertigo feel worse. I've hit the curb more times than I can remember and typing this post is terrible. I just want to stop.

I'm way behind at work because a 10 minute task takes 20 minutes to complete and then I need another 10 minutes to feel good enough to move on again.

As far as my ear, it feels like I have swimmer's ear and a busted speaker (high pitched noises make the eardrum reverbrate a bunch).

I have a lisp (not new, had it since I was a kid) and the vertigo is really bringing it out (Most people never catch it unless I point it out. Reminds me of Drew Barrymore. Anyone with a lisp can quickly catch another's, lol). A couple times this weekend my fiance said hon it sounds like you're almost slurring your words.

Pain wise I feel nothing, but I notice the side of my face feels 'something'. Like perhaps the beginning of discomfort. But truly it's only if I prod at it, lol.

I'm going to the doctor today, but even still how do I get them to understand that while I am in no pain I am in no way functional and should not be behind the wheel of a car or working on people's pensions and retirements?

And anyone out there know how long it takes to feel better? While there is no pain, I am miserable from this continuous topsy-turvey feeling.

Oh...And as far as the vertigo. Today I don't feel like the room is flip-flopping I feel like I'm the one off. Like I'm sitting in my chair and I feel like I'm sliding to the right (the bad ear side). When I'm walking I walk to the right.

I guess I'm looking for someone out there to be familiar with how annoying the vertigo is. I can't get rid of it and I'm getting frustrated. I'm supposed to feel better by now and I don't. And pain to me = sick. So this no pain but still miserable is really messing with my thought process, lol. I'm trying to have a sense of humor but I'm really at my wits end with all of this.

My sister just got over a horrible case of vertigo just a couple of weeks ago. Same culprit was the cause... they suspected an ear infection. She was also given medication and it took about 4 days for her to be much better. She literally slept and sat for 4 days because the vertigo was soooooo bad. Good luck sweetie... sounds like a nightmare!

My sister just got over a horrible case of vertigo just a couple of weeks ago. Same culprit was the cause... they suspected an ear infection. She was also given medication and it took about 4 days for her to be much better. She literally slept and sat for 4 days because the vertigo was soooooo bad. Good luck sweetie... sounds like a nightmare!

See that's what's scaring me. Everyone has been saying within 3-4 days. I'm 1 week in and feeling no better. :(

Angel, As you are already going to do, go to your doctor and let your doctor figure out what is going on... And hope you are feeling better soon!

Well I'm on another antibiotic. That makes 4 now. :(

And I'm wrote out of work until I feel better. That could take 1 day to how ever long it takes. My boss was not happy. I've exhausted all my sick days already so it's now unpaid. Which sucks.

Just a brief update, though it doesn't seem many people have even noticed my little ouch ear thread, lol.

I haven't been at work at all this week. I just got a call from my doctor. I have to go see a specialist at the hospital today. They believe the infection is trapped behind my eardrum and not resolving since I still have Vertigo.

Sounds like they're going to have to drain it. Yuck. :(

No, i didnt see this thread :(

I had vertigo before and it was HORRIBLE. No, you cant drive, that's for sure. And the pill they put me on for it made me sleepy also, so i couldnt drive from that either. I was on the couch...but i think it was 2 weeks for me, not 4 days.

I hope you can get the help you need. Its one of the worst things to have, if you ask me. It caused me such nausea also. Hope you will be well soon!

PS. i am out of work due to knee treatment, and have been for a month...with NO pay. so i know how that feels.

No, i didnt see this thread :(

I had vertigo before and it was HORRIBLE. No, you cant drive, that's for sure. And the pill they put me on for it made me sleepy also, so i couldnt drive from that either. I was on the couch...but i think it was 2 weeks for me, not 4 days.

I hope you can get the help you need. Its one of the worst things to have, if you ask me. It caused me such nausea also. Hope you will be well soon!

PS. i am out of work due to knee treatment, and have been for a month...with NO pay. so i know how that feels.


Ty JB for your post. It really is a terrible feeling. I have the nausea too. I feel like a stumbling drunk because I can't even handle walking from the bathroom back to my recliner without someone holding me. And it's a 10 foot walk. :(

When the vertigo is pretty intense I start to slur my words and that bothers me because it's embarassing (I have a mild lisp and it really brings it out).

I can't afford to be out without pay. I guess no one really can, but I don't have any resources to fall back on right now. So we're paycheck to paycheck.

Hopefully the procedure will be easy and will relieve the vertigo.

How are you feeling? Knee issues can be extremely painful. My mother needed surgery on both but was afraid after getting cortisone shots. She ended up in a wheelchair because she was so scared. I think she always regretted that decision but was too proud to say anything. :(

Well it is not the eardrum causing my issues.

Turns out the nerve that runs from the deep inner ear (behind the eardrum) is inflammed and messing up the signals of my hearing and balance to my brain.

I have spiked hearing loss and balance impairment.

The doctor said the eardrum and this are two separate issues and I could've got the viral inflammation of the nerve without the ear infection.

I am on Valium, Halidol for the side effects of the inflammation (vertigo, nausea, spinning room). They just started me on a steroid treatment for the inflammation.

No work/driving for the remainder of this month.

I can barely think straight. So I'm going to lay down. Keep me in your prayers.

Oh goodness! That just sounds terrible. I sure hope the new treatments you are starting will help you. I will surely remember you in my prayers.

Oh goodness! That just sounds terrible. I sure hope the new treatments you are starting will help you. I will surely remember you in my prayers.

Awww shucks. Tanx ya! ;) :wavey:

Angel-hon ~

How are you feeling?

Angel-hon ~

How are you feeling?

I'm hanging in there. I still can't really walk around because I look like a bad drunk, lol. :o

Today was a bad day. I woke up feeling sick (sinuses...gotta love them).

When my sinuses flare up it makes the dizziness worse. The room, which usually spins left to right, was shifting front to back today. I almost fell straight back twice.

I did not like that feeling! I took some sinus/allergy medicine and that seemed to help, but ended up sleeping most the day!

Thanks for asking. It was nice to know someone out there thought about me today. :)

How are you feeling? The medicine help at all? If not come see me, I've got tons. I'm probably putting a strain on the local dealer's supply, lol!

I'm nearly 100%. I don't think that the medication helped. I think I just had to wait it out. No infection or anything, thank goodness.

Are they doing anything else to help you recover? Or should the drugs clear you up?

I'm nearly 100%. I don't think that the medication helped. I think I just had to wait it out. No infection or anything, thank goodness.

Are they doing anything else to help you recover? Or should the drugs clear you up?

Basically sending me home and telling me I have to wait it out. :(

They started me on steroids hoping to speed the recovery along but I'm impatient. They keep reminding me that most people need 4+ weeks to start feeling better.

I have to go back and see the ENT on the 20th. In the meantime I had an MRI and Vestibular Balance Testing done to figure out how bad the nerve is inflamed. I probably won't get those results until then.

I have hearing loss in my right ear but they don't know if it's permanent or related to this virus and once again only time will tell.

Time's being a real pain in my arse right now. :rolleyes:

Wow, i'm sorry that youre not well yet :(

I can only imagine how awful it must be to have that feeling for so long! I hope youre much better soon (((hugs)))

Sweetie I just saw this!!! I'm SO sorry you're not well.

If you don't see any significant improvement after 3 or 4 days on the steroids, you need to call the ENT back and just let them know, okay? Would ya do that for me?

One of my good friends is an ENT nurse practitioner, and I could ask her if there's anything else you could do if you'd like me to.

I have great empathy for you. I had vertigo once for 3 days. I couldn't drive at all. They determined it was a viral thing, and gave me meclizine, but I never took it. I just stayed home and rested.

That many antibiotics can wear you out. Eat yogurt. Drink fluids. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Take a B complex (good for the nerve repair) and keep resting. You're in my thoughts. Big HUGS!

and by the way, if I were you, I'd call the ENT's nurse and ask for the results of the MRI. They're read in 24 hours. You should not have to wait until the 20th to hear the results. You need to let this doctor know your progress, or lack thereof rather before then, if there is none. You should be getting at least a wee bit better every day. Don't sit around and do nothing. Be your own advocate.

I'm very concerned about you. You will get better, but make sure they follow you like you're the Queen of England...you deserve the best treatment in order to receive the best outcome.

Dang girl this is the pits that you are *still* down with this. I agree with Kat here get on the horn and press them for the MRI results. Much love to you!

I just read this thread, and I'm sorry Angel!!!

I'm getting dizzy just reading that you are dizzy!! What a nightmare, boy oh boy.

Stay on top of things with your doctor as Kat has advised. The squeeky wheel gets the grease!

Feel better soon!!!

Official Dx: Labyrinthitis (http://www.emedicinehealth.com/labyrinthitis/article_em.htm)

Damage: Permanent for hearing and balance

Prognosis: Good

Course of action:

Hearing loss is mild enough that I am able to function without a hearing aid. I will be reevaluated every year to verify that I am not in need of one as I age.

They are waiting for one more test result to come back to figure out if I just need more time to let my body adjust to the damage or if I am in need of vestibular PT to expedite the process.

I'll be out of work indefinitely. It is hard to tell at this point what the long-term effects are.

If I can continue to improve I can live a fairly normal life with little to no noticeable side effects. Worst case scenario, I will always feel like this, which would be a lifelong disability for me. But most people recover and I fully expect to as well.

My fiance was suprised at how well I took it. Like I said to him, in comparsion to my sister, this is nothing.

On a good note! Short Term Disability...doctor will approve! Yay! One less thing to stress about. I'll get somewhat of an income during this time.

This is what the doctor thinks happened...

I got a middle ear infection. The drum ruptured and sent a *puff* of bacteria/viral yuckies back into the labyrinths of my ear causing permanent damage (in both the hearing and balance labyrinth).

Balance is controlled by your eyes and ears sending signals to your brain. Your eyes see it, your balance labyrinth in your ear confirms it and the brain processes the situation without a hitch.

Unless, as in my case, a labyrinth is affected and no longer firing signals off correctly.

My left ear was 'firing' signals fine, but my right ear was 'firing' at a much lower level than it should have. Since the signal wasn't right my brain couldn't process the conflict correctly and began to adjust things based on the information it was receiving.

As I moved my left ear would fire stronger and my eyes would acknowledge the movement. However my right ear wouldn't fire stronger and the weakened signal to my brain would result in the feeling of vertigo.

Over time my brain as adjusted to this ear sending 'bad signals' and has begun to accomodate it, which is why I'm not feeling as bad as I did when it started.

So the only issue that remains is, do I need Vestibular Physical Therapy to help train my brain through various balance exercises or do I just need to give my brain more time to adjust.

Hope that helps everyone understand what is happening with me. It definitely helped me!

Ahh.. I hadn't seen this thread til today.

I've had problems in the past from various infections causing me disorientation and to stumble around. When I was 25, I had some of the largest tonsils that my doctor had ever seen. When they got so infected, I was constantly falling over and banging into the sides of walls. Fortunately, I had only a week of that while I was teaching and then as soon as school was out, I had the tonsils removed and then things were okay again. But sometimes if there's any kind of head congestion or whatever, I do get a little bit of that again. One time, I thought i bursted my eardrum on a flight. We were just going up in the air, and instead of getting my ears to "pop", there was just suddenly this one huge excruciating pain in one ear and I do remember I had problems after that. I never went to the doctor about it though.

Interesting that there is some kind of therapy that can sort of retrain your brain to keep your balance in these cases. I have heard that with the elderly, when they are given those exercise balls to work on, or other means of exercising where they must balance themselves, it has resulted in their minds becoming keener, also.

Oh the brain and all our functioning is just so fascinating, isnt' it? Sorry you're having any pain or any limitation because of this. I hope it eventually clears up for you. I do notice that, like Kat said, vitamin B helps a LOT. Sometimes, I am shaky for no apparent reason and feel like I'm going to fall over, but if I have some vitamin B complex, I get a stable feeling again. I do have documented vitamin B deficiencies often, too, so I am sure this isn't something that is "just in my imagination".

Knowing all you're going through right now, probably those Vitamin B complex supplements would be a VERY good thing.

Wow Angel...I really feel for you. I have suffered from vertigo in the past. I had bad bouts of it on and off for over a year. I still don't feel quite right, but I deal with it. (of course people that know me will say that I am always a little "off" anyway..hehe) I never really did get a firm diagnosis.

Anyway, it is a horrible feeling and I am so sorry that you are going through this. I hope you continue to feel better. Keep us updated.

KK