Hello, finally…my neuro has referred me to an ENT specialist to investigate my worst symptoms, dizzyness, loss of balance and tinitus. I always felt that would have been the most obvious thing to do in the first place…but there you go, that’s stubborn neuros for you! Anyway…he mentioned they would do things like pour water in my ears and do things to test my balance. I have seen on here other people have had these kind of tests. Would someone be kind enough to share their experience with me so I know roughly what to expect please? Anyinfo/ tips/advice greatly appreciated. Thanks Trudy. x.
Hi trudy My neuro has done the same , got my appointment 9th of September . So if that’s before yours I will let you know. Gray
Thanks Gray. I won’t get an appointment date for a couple of weeks yet. x
I’ve got my ENT specialist appointment on Tuesday so I can let you know what happens after tuesday if you like?
I saw one in february and he didnt do anything really. He did some neuro tests and looked in my ears and eyes and did the test where they lay you down fast to see if you go dizzy. I was dizzy as i sat up but he just disregarded that and said most of it sounded like anxiety in the end . I asked for a scan and he said it wasnt necessary because he felt that nothing neurological was going on. A month later i practically begged my gp for a brain ct scan which he did reluctantly and then 3 days later he rang saying it wasn’t clear and i needed an mri scan which revealed about 5 lesions. I had a lumbar puncture 2 weeks ago and i am waiting for the results.
My experience of the ent was that he wasn’t very helpful. He did none of those putting water in your ear tests but yours might be better.
Good luck x
I have found both ENT and Tinnitus specialist really helpful. Especially when it comes to tinnitus, at my recent appointment the specialist gave me a full explaination of what happens and why and back up with useful leaflets, she referred me for another hearing test which also went well. Having a stronger hearing aid fitted and back to tinnitus specialist for further advise. Seeing ENT seperately. All in all, this department seems to be working together and offering a postive informed experience. Hope yours goes aswell.
Catherine
I was referred to ENT, as one of my main symptoms is imbalance/dizziness. I had a hearing test, then the ENT guy did a few Neuro tests (stick your tongue out, screw your eyes up etc), looked in my ears, nose and eyes, and then did what I think is called the Dix Hallpike manoeveur, which is the one mentioned earlier when they lay you back really quickly so your head is hanging off the end of the bed. This is apparently to see how your eyes react…if they move involuntarily then the problem is caused by your ears. He also did the Epley manoeveur on me, although he said he didn’t think I had BPPV, but it was just in case it helped!
These manoeveurs made me feel horrible afterwards, and for days following, but did prove that my problems are not caused by my ears, and I do not have BPPV. It was this guy who decided I needed a brain MRI which has now led to a Neuro appointment in 10 days’ time. I saw him twice, as he was the one who gave me the results of the MRI and referred me on to the Neuro, and I am so glad I saw him as he was the first person to really take me seriously and said I could 'phone and speak to him any time if I was worried about anything (how sweet!).
Good luck with your appointment. It is another step towards getting answers.
Hi, I was under ENT for some time having lots of tests for Ménière’s Disease before being diagnosed with MS as I also have Tinnitus, partial deafness, vertigo & balance problems. I had hearing tests which I had to press a button when I heard sounds of different pitch, also visual tests similar to field vision tests where I had to press a button when I saw white lights (dots) on a screen, also was laid on a bed & fluid injected in my ears of different temperatures (warm & cool) which was very unpleasant but only required about 10 minutes after the test to recover & didn’t make me vomit like my vertigo often does. Hope that helps Kate x
Thanks for you help everyone, just hope the ENT person isn’t as dismissve as my neuro!x
Hey bunnythecat - just wanted to update you as promised as I had my ENT appointment yesterday so wanted to let you know what they do so that you know what to expect. So they checked me in and then took me off to a soundproof booth where they did a hearing test with headphones on my head and they gave me a button to press every time I heard a noise. Then after that they put a thing in each ear (it was similar to an ear plug but was connected up to wires and a machine) and blew pressure into the ear which tests the pressure balance. After that went back into the waiting room and a little later the consultant called me in, went over my results and then did some head movements. After that I had the epley manoeuvre which is painless and is just moving he head into certain positions at speed. So none of the actual tests hurt - the pressure one hurt one ear but that was because of whats wrong. So I have a narrowing of the Eustachian tube in the left ear as I have vestibular neuritis in the right ear. So all the dizziness and vertigo that I ha previously along with the nausea and vomiting was actually due to that and nothing to do with my ms! Hope your ENT appointment goes well. X
Hi sunshine!
So glad you had a positive experience and you have some answers to your problems.
Your appointment sounds almost identical to mine, except mine ended up proving that my problems weren’t caused by my ears, resulting in a referral for a brain MRI.
I hope they can do something about the VN for you.
Well hopefully the epley manoeuvre will settle it down and have another appointment in 7 weeks time for a review and they may carry out the epley manoeuvre again then. I knew all along that it wasnt my ms that was causing the problems but knew it was to do with my ears and finally when seeing my neurologist in July he then said he thought maybe it was my ears after all an referred me for an ENT appointment. Too many people put all the symptoms that they experience down to ms so just wanted to highlight the importance of realising that things aren’t always related to it.