Posted 6/27/2015 10:37 AM (GMT -5)
Hope,
Funny that you mention Meniere's Disease, because that's what I was MISdiagnosed with in the summer of 2014. It was based on the ENG test--the caloric warm air/cold air test and it showed a slight weakness in my left ear, so based on that, the ENT thought I had MD so I was 'treated' for it for 7 or 8 months and had the injection in my left ear to see if it helped and it didn't. I had a gut feeling it wasn't MD when I was having the chest pains (stabbing, soreness, pins and needles) air hunger, feeling as if I couldn't (or didn't) swallow, the constant dizziness and light headed feeling, sensation of floating or walking on a wobbly floor, the sensitivity to noise and smells (especially cleaning sprays or chemicals). I also had a strong suspicion I had Lyme disease even though early blood tests came back negative, based on the variety of my symptoms. Like you, I was active and healthy and a lifetime non-smoker and never did drugs and rarely drank alcohol, and I went from running 5Ks to barely being able to walk down the driveway to get the mail because I was either so tired or dizzy or had a headache from hell. I never had a heart palpitation in my life until Sept. 2013 and pretty much every day since then has been filled with a variety of symptoms that made my daily life miserable. I went to a LLD last month and it's been the greatest relief and peace of mind money can buy. My blood work showed I had Lyme and a co-infection, most likely Babesia. Babesia would explain the constant light headedness and dizziness and air hunger. I'm on 3 different meds and a variety of herbs and vitamins and each day is just a process of finding out what to take and how much. I went off the Doxy because of the nausea and vomiting it was starting to cause but I am on Tinidazole and Atovaquone and Minocycline. I just keep pushing through knowing that one day the symptoms will diminish. I still get the occasional headache or pain behind the eyes and deal with the dizziness but it's not as intense as it used to be. I also understand Minocycline can cause dizziness but I see it as the lesser of two evils, for me. The best thing you can do is look up a LLD in your area and get a consultation. I've found that my LLD looked at my overall situation and not just the symptoms (I had a rash behind my left knee, I did find a tick lodged in my abdomen) and put all the smaller pieces together to form the big picture. Going to all the specialists and my doctor was like going to different mechanics and all they did was put air in my tires. I'm sure we have more signs and symptoms in common, and being in this forum and reading about other peoples' experiences has been very helpful in my own sanity and treatment. These ticks are no joke! Best of luck to you and keep us posted!