[chummer]

Although I could moan on and on I'll try to keep it brief.
Has anyone else suffered with this? I've had it bad enough to stop me doing things for nearly three days plus the odd episode in the previous few weeks while I was ill. Basically it's doin my head in already and after the period of illness (Nearly 3 weeks includi g antibiotics and given all clear from doc) it would be nice to have a wee climb or at least a good hang before all the hard earned gains of the last few months start to significantly dwindle.
Has anyone had this post illness and still tried to climb? I know the obvious answer but I'm not looking at trying to smash in a steep powerfest session, just some controlled indoor stuff. Or do you fully rest and give in to the misery?
Doc gave me cinnarizine but they don't seem to be making much difference.

[andy_e]

What's Labyrinthitis? Does it involve codpieces? Does your baby brother end up being taken away to a different world?

[GCW]

If it's vertigo* you could try Epley's manoeuvre.

*but I'd be sure whether it's purely labyrinthitis/ BPPV etc before you start wiggling your head about and rolling around.

[slackline]

Although I could moan on and on I'll try to keep it brief.
Has anyone else suffered with this? I've had it bad enough to stop me doing things for nearly three days plus the odd episode in the previous few weeks while I was ill. Basically it's doin my head in already and after the period of illness (Nearly 3 weeks includi g antibiotics and given all clear from doc) it would be nice to have a wee climb or at least a good hang before all the hard earned gains of the last few months start to significantly dwindle.
Has anyone had this post illness and still tried to climb? I know the obvious answer but I'm not looking at trying to smash in a steep powerfest session, just some controlled indoor stuff. Or do you fully rest and give in to the misery?
Doc gave me cinnarizine but they don't seem to be making much difference.

El Mocho and Falling Down of this parish have suffered from this.

What's Labyrinthitis? Does it involve codpieces? Does your baby brother end up being taken away to a different world?

No, see the the font of all disinformation.

[SpanishJuan]

I had it for about 6 months a few years back. It finally left me after a spring trip to El Choro I think it was the spring heat (30 deg C) that fended it off, but it wasn't the most enjoyable climbing trip. I was led to believe there were two types of it, bacterial and viral.

Good luck Chummer

[Falling Down]

Yes - pretty badly.  I'm at work at the moment but will write a more lengthy post later.  The good news is that mine is now sorted after a few years of struggling.

[chummer]

Oh fuck! Mine pales into insignificance! Although the worry glands are starting to fill with blood....
Any info on how it started etc would be usefull.
Forgot to moan about the migraine headaches that seem to go with it too, even over night and that it gets worse the more I do. This last bout was also after a cold surf, not sure if surfers are more suseptible or not? Ears are also 'ringing'.
A real thank you to all who share/d their experiences.

[Serpico]

I'm on day 9 of labyrinthitis joy. I started on antibiotics yesterday so we'll see how that goes... Mine started after a persistent dry, irritated throat, the doc reckoned it was probably viral so no antibiotics initially, just stemetil for the nausea.
What has helped me (I believe) to get 'functional' is to avoid the stemetil unless in danger of a real vom-fest and to do as much VRT as I could tolerate. This has stopped the spinning room effects, instead I just feel a bit dizzy. inner ear balance is still fucked as if I do the balance test where you stand on 1 leg with eyes closed I fall over immediately.
Other things i've been trying are Ibuprofen as it's inflammation of the inner ear, and Sudafed which some have claimed can stop an attack. Getting as much sleep in as possible, and finding a position which doesn't cause an attack (for me that's lying on my affected side, although one night I had to arrange a stack of pillows and sleep in a sitting position) helps.
It's pretty shit though, especially as I'm going to Antalya on the 23rd, a 4hr flight could become a 4hr vomit comet...
I had it 5yrs ago and seem to remember it cleared in a few days, I remember going to Kilnsey and just toproping, it certainly wasn't as bad as this time.
Anyway as shit as it is to hear that you're also suffering there is something comforting for me about knowing I'm not the only one.
I propose a UKB support group with group hugs and shit

[Falling Down]

First diagnosed about four years ago after a dose of swine flu. The virus had got into my ears and it gave me labyrinthitis for about a month.  I've had two or three attacks since then, most recently at a low level for about two months along with my ears feeling full of pressure and quite a lot of auditory pops, whistles and white noise. My surfers ear is pretty bad with about 70% blockage in my right and 50% in the left so I thought I had gunk in them. 

Got a referral to an ENT specialist who took a look inside to find both ear canals clean.  He referred me to an audiologist where I had an MRI scan then a whole barrage of balance, hearing and then vision tests.  It was really fascinating to learn how the audio, visual and kinetic nervous systems are so interconnected.  Anyway, he diagnosed that I'd had a few instances of viral labyrinthitis which had left artefacts in both ears which was why I has having this low level vertigo, nausea and feeling pressure.  He did the Epley (there are several types and the tests he did determined which one he should do) and it resolved the problem immediately.  I have to do some manoeuvres every few days and do the Steve McQueen bounce-a-ball-off-the-wall -and-catch thing at home.  He's also suggested taking up a racket sport as it will keep the three systems all calibrated.

It's really good knowing its gone and what to do if it comes back.   

[fatdoc]

Word.

[Jules L]

It's worth getting referred to the ENT clinic I reckon. I suffered from persistant dizziness, earache and nausea for about 18months, and after investigation it turned out that it was linked to my migraines. Essentially I had problems with one of the nerves in my ear which was triggered by my migraines. So they put me on medication to control the migraines and the dizziness has all but disappeared.

[petarar]

Verigo when the room is spinning as opposed to dizziness where the head spins has a number of causes. Labrinthitis is only one of them. If it's there for more than 2 weeks without improvement i would ask for ENT referral

[chummer]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. Fortunately it was only bad for a few days, gradually getting better over the next week with just a few minor relapses. I really feel for those of you that have suffered a lot longer than me, fuck knows how you've coped with work never mind climbing  and I can't begin to imagine what it would be like if you felt sick with it too. Thanks again, definitely one of those things that wigs you out and where shared experiences help ease any anxieties. I wish you all the best of health for 2013. 

[Falling Down]

Glad to hear it.  Do you wear plugs when you surf?  I can't recommend it enough in the UK. It's alarming how quickly surfers ear develops even for weekend warriors.

[Mike Tyson]

My brother suffered from this for a few months, a few years ago. He got sorted eventually, but this thread reminded me of the time. I couldn't remember the name of his condition and called it "lumberjackitus" for quite a long time. Oh how we laughed.

[chummer]

I don't wear ear plugs, never really wanted to but then I want surfers ear even less so I think I will indeed invest in some on your advice Falling Down. You're not the first to mention surfers ear to me so I think I should take heed, I shout loud enough on the phone as it is...

Which would you recommend for surfers? I don't mind shelling out a few quid if it helps prevent my ears sealing up.

Do you find it effects your surfing or is it a bit like wearing a hood?

[Falling Down]

I use the silicon plugs that are squidgy so you can mold them into the ear.  The guys in Abersoch sell em at both the shops if you're heading to the Mouth. Jerry and GME use blu-tak which seems to work alright.

Nowhere near as isolating as wearing a hood and better than getting bad ears.

[chummer]

I use the silicon plugs that are squidgy so you can mold them into the ear.  The guys in Abersoch sell em at both the shops if you're heading to the Mouth. Jerry and GME use blu-tak which seems to work alright.

Nowhere near as isolating as wearing a hood and better than getting bad ears.

 Thanks for that

[ben]

Have used blutak for last 7-8 years surfing, works a treat