Success Stories

I wanted to write my story on all the major dizziness websites to enlighten you, encourage you and prove to you all that there is a way out of the dizziness hell hole!

My dizziness journey began in February 2006 when I was 6 weeks pregnant with our first baby. I was a fit and healthy 26 year old with minimal previous medical history. The spinning vertigo attacks would came out of the blue and were terrifying and debilitating to say the least. In between I would feel spacey and incredibly dizzy and generally unwell. Both the GPS and the midwives were baffled and put my symptoms down to pregnancy.

The birth of our son Isaac in the November of that year proved to be a pinnacle for the dizziness, unfortunately in the sense that things became much worse. I was spinning almost 24/7 and some days I would just faint all day or feel incredibly out of it. The GP tried to diagnose me with depression, but im a hearty woman and knew I defiantly did not feel depressed just unwell!

I am now told I am one of the lucky ones as I did have a diagnosis at this point from an ENT consultant who believed it to be an inner ear problem. This was great as I was at least respected and not treated like a loon, as im told so many people with chronic dizziness are. I was given exercises to do and told that things would improve. However they did not, they just got worse! I spent the good part of a Year in bed and it was only by chance that a friend mentioned the term a neuro-otologist! This happens to be someone who specializes in dizziness and is a consultant who has in fact completed extra training on top to specialize in this key area.  

I am so passionate about this as I did get the right diagnosis in the end and my condition was easily treatable. This has been the worst three years of my life and I know im only 28 but I had already experienced some tough things as my brother committed suicide and our family was not the best, but I have to say this illness really took me to the edge and back. I am a midwife and my husband is a surgeon and none of our medical friends have heard of neuro-otologists, so I dread to think what the general public understand in regards to this matter. Dizziness is so common, that I feel it is important and fair that people know they exist.

One of the main problems neuro-otologists face are Neurologists and ENT consultants who feel frightened of this specialty as it takes a lot of their business, whilst lowering their self esteem as they claim to understand dizziness too. They do indeed understand a fair amount in regards to dizziness but they specialize in other areas. It is such a shame that they do not see this change as positive rather than arrogantly carrying on blindly.

If I can spare just one person one dizzy day in bed then my illness has been worth it. There are over 300 causes of dizziness, many easily treatable and if not cured then well controlled. I gave away over two years of my life to an illness that if had been diagnosed earlier could have been treated within a matter of weeks. I cannot impress on you enough that if you have chronic dizziness that is not improving please see a neuro otologist who will give you a correct diagnosis, therefore leading to the correct form of treatment for your illness.

The Consultant I saw was Dr S. S Surenthiran who has been fantastic. He is one of the best neuro-otologists in the world and is just opening a major balance centre in Fitzroy Square London, he also has clinics at The Blackheath Hospital.

I know a lot of people go to see Professor Linda Luxon, but having spoken to many dizzy sufferers her success rate of correct diagnosis seems to be poor and her overall patient care a little dated! I did have dealings with her myself personally and she too misdiagnosed myself. I have added this in as I feel too many people out there are so vulnerable when they are unwell and end up stuck with a wrong diagnosis and dont push any further than Professor Luxon.
I am back working as a midwife and doing ballet and most importantly LIVING! I promise there is a way! Just remember to follow the light and ignore the dark cracks along the way. Lara


edit: I asked Lara what her treatment was and this is what she said.

I started on amitriptyline, the MAV diet and sufficient rest/hydration. I also started to wear a hat and sunglasses everywhere as this helped with the light sensitivity immensly! I am now on 70 mg of nortriptyline. The doctor thought the side effects would be too great on amitriptyline. The diet works wonders for me too but if i stray onto anything with flavourings, yeast extract, or barley malt extract, which you are probably aware are all forms of MSG, it brings on varying symptoms! I now go without a hat and glasses and most of the time notice no symptoms! I can get dizzy after too many pirouettes but Iā€™m not going to moan about that!