Hello there,
My name is Mel, Iām 24- and just received my preliminary diagnosis of Vestibular Migraine and MĆ©niĆØreās Disease.
It still doesnāt really feel real- Iāve always been someone who is active, independent, go-getting. But now I feel like Iāve lost every ounce of energy I once had, and am too afraid to drive anywhere. I am so close to finishing my masters degree, but it is so hard to get to campus. Just the anxiety of wondering if Iāll have a vertigo attack while driving either brings on the vertigo or depletes my energy completely before I even arrive.
Because of the meneires, I also have āmoderateā hearing loss in my right ear and was told I will need a hearing aid soon. Not something I was expecting to deal with before age 60.
Just 6 months ago, I was doing everything I couldāve wanted- working, going to school, being a present friend and partner- and now I feel so fragile, like any wrong move like staying up a little later or having too much peanut butter can just send me into a depressive spinny episode.
My doctor, (Dr.Rauch at MEE) sent me here to see if i identify with the symptoms and stories- and boy I do. Which is lovely to find people who experience this as well, but makes it feel real. Everyone just says ābut youāre so young for this!ā like Iām not already so upset about that portion of it.
I also struggle with OCD and am on Fluvoxamine, would love to know if people have any experience with the interaction of VM and their SSRIs.
I have MRIs, CT scans, and VMP tests in a few months- but doc suggested trying lifestyle and diet changes first. Goodbye coffee, goodbye delicious cocktails, goodbye occasional salty fast foods.
Iām doing PT and seeing a chiro, which seems to help with short term relief. PT feels like itās getting somewhere. I have mescaline for when attacks happen, but itās so disorienting and I feel like it knocks me out for a few days after.
Anyways- thanks for reading. It feels nice to finally not feel like Im crazy or making up symptoms or just flat out lazy now.