Unusual 'symptoms' - could they be related?

I am hopeless with all things medical, but I have been having cause to worry recently. I have been to the doc, but the main thing is that you are in and out of the surgery ASAP so I know he was not really listening. The doc said slight fluid in the ear and to put olive oil in. Did nothing and symptoms unchanged.

If anyone here has any idea I would be interested - or perhaps it is me worrying unduly?

I am pretty fit - 3 miles of walking per day and cycling to work. I'm in my mid 30's.

OK - to the 'symptoms'. If I do something a bit extra strenuous like digging or pushing myself on the bike I get a ringing and temporary lowering of my hearing. The ringing/hearing loss seems to be there more and more. Also with excersise (especially afternoon/evening) I can get a REALLY wobbly feeling come over me and it feels like I am floating as I walk. If I sit down this feeling will slowly fade and if I eat something it will also fade. Even if not that long ago I had a full meal this feeling comes on (without warning). The totally zonked and wobbly feeling can come on even polishing my car etc.

Really, I don't know if these are related but they seemed to arrive at the same time so I thought I would ask the gang here. Any input welcome!

Ian

What PN said, so see a real doc.

I don't know about the tinnitus, but the eating making the feeling go away and coming on with activity(greater demand for energy and consumption of blood sugar) point towards blood sugar issues. A meal laden in starches or carbs can make your blood sugar spike right after you eat, then when your pancreas kicks into high gear and dumps enough insulin into your system, it can cause your blood sugar to flatline, regardless of your activity level. This will usually happen an hour or an hour and a half after you've eaten. A blood sugar tester and some test strips are fairly cheap and don't require a prescription, and will eliminate that problem pretty well. A doctor will take one reading at one time, and if your blood sugar happens to be fine that one time, you'll never know the real story. With your own tester you can test your blood sugar whenever you feel like there's a problem. This will also be good information to show a doc when you go see one.

Insert standard disclaimer here, I am not a doctor nor do I play one on the internet.

You may simply be dehydrated. Do you carry a bottle of water with you daily? If you don't, try it. I find sipping on water all day from a bottle to be a great way to stay hydrated and the Camelbak bottles with the nipple make it easiest to take sips throughout the day. Most Americans, and I'm sure it holds for the rest of the world, are dehydrated. If your urine is not clear it may mean you need more water intake.

Not to say there may be something more serious going on, but I'd try water first.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say high-fructose corn syrup might be involved. Lately, I've been reading a lot about the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup. Unlike natural sugars, which are broken down in the blood stream, HFCS is metabolized by the liver. This could result in the familiar sudden onset of fatigue. I've personally experienced this quite a bit last ten, and especially the last 5 years. Ironically, during this same time period is when HFCS was increasingly used in foods. As a result, I've decided to eliminate HFCS as much as possible from my diet. Unfortunately, this crap is in virtually everything, including ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, so getting rid of it entirely will likely take legislation. However, I've eliminated the primary way I get it, namely sweetened soda. I actually looked without success for soda sweetened with sugar. I'm not expecting instant results since the problem didn't come on suddenly. I think I might be on to something. After not drinking any soda except flavored, unsweetened seltzer for a couple of months, last week I had a few days of almost normal energy level. Saturday we shared a bottle of Sprite for my brother's birthday, and last two days I feel like crap. So maybe it's the HFCS doing it. I think HFCS is going to be the next "transfat", in that legislators will seek to have it eliminated from foods. It basically exists because it's more convenient for the food industry to handle than sugar, and costs less, not because it's a superior sweetener. Also, in case you haven't yet been scared into reducing HFCS from your diet, it also kills honeybees, may play a role in the obesity epidemic, and contains mercury. It's bad stuff, period.

Also, because HFCS is bad doesn't mean excess intake of regular sugar is good. Besides corn syrup, sugar, carbohydrates, and white flour can all cause cancer.

EDIT: I just remembered that I started a thread a while back about the health problems me and my mom experienced. You might gain some useful info there. I can't help you on the ringing in the ears, though. I haven't experienced that personally, only the sudden onset of fatigue.

Thanks for the comments. Naturally the doc is my first port of call - but these suggestions/comments are addressing things that I have never concidered so they are a help. If I go back to see my doc, then I will ask about the blood sugar test.

Ian

It's either diabetes, A labyrinthine disorder, such as menieres syndrome, or hypotension.

My money's on diabetes.

Are you, or were you at some time, overweight? (sorry to be personal)

Do you have any other symptoms, such as an increased thirst? or a need to visit the toilet more often? Type 2 diabetes is often described as living between the tap (faucet, for our American cousins) and the toilet.

Bear in mind that diabetes can strike at any age and weight. one day my blood glucose was 4 mmol, next blood test it was 22! Whatever, don't worry about it, just about everything can be fixed with the right medication. It might only need a change of diet.

Either way, go and see a REPUTABLE quack. the one you've seen sounds like a bit of an idiot!

And demand a blood test! The Doc can give you a test that can assess your average glucose levels over the past month.

On the plus side, if it IS diabetes (and it may very well not be!) then all your prescriptions on the NHS suddenly become free!

(Our colonial colleagues may not realise that whilst treatment on the NHS is free, any prescription usually costs about $20 per item)

And yes, I am a nurse!

God bless mate, and remember, DON'T WORRY! If you feel the need PM me, I'll give you my phone number and we'll have a chat.

Steve.

Ducat,

Thanks for the very nice reply. No, I have never been overweight - but I did have a thyroid problem (doc called it grave desease) but that went away.

I am OK with drinking and never feel over thirsty.

I will be making an apointment with a different doc and hope that I can get some answers. Thank you for the offer of help - I really appreciate that and if I need to I will PM you - but hope that armed with the info here I can go back the the doc with less "umms" and "erms" and get some straight talk going.

Ian

Soundbox said:

Ducat,

Thanks for the very nice reply. No, I have never been overweight - but I did have a thyroid problem (doc called it grave desease) but that went away.

I am OK with drinking and never feel over thirsty.

I will be making an apointment with a different doc and hope that I can get some answers. Thank you for the offer of help - I really appreciate that and if I need to I will PM you - but hope that armed with the info here I can go back the the doc with less "umms" and "erms" and get some straight talk going.

Ian

Click to expand...

Dont dwell on the "Thirsty" part. You can be diabetic and not experience the excessive thirst aspect.

I fell off my roof a few years ago, and suffered a dislocated fracture of my left elbow. The pre surgical tests revealed that I was diabetic. I am on Metformin, but I still manage to get my sugar out of whack a bit. It is hard to give up all the goodies entirely.

I have been experiencing the hearing loss ringing that you mention myself of late. Mine is prefaced with insane itching before the hearing loss kicks in some hours later. It passes within a day or two. I also have Rheumatoid Arthitis, and it is possible that it is yet another inflammatory process of that disorder.

Just a thought, but maybe get a bloodwork up with cholesterol test.

+1 carrot.
simplest explanation that fits all the syptoms; dehydration.

While you're having Doc run tests, have him check your Vitamin D levels. Tons of studies are emerging of its importance in many bodily functions and most are walking around with bare minimum levels. Health issues just waiting to happen. I've heard optimal levels will be around 60-70ng/ml. Some Docs have stated seein patients as low as 12ng/ml. People just stay indoors too much anymore or bathe themselves in sunscreen. Be careful if you supplement, however, as its a fat soluble vitamin.

A lot of times when there are symtoms of a something wrong the symtoms are not related or indirectly related making it difficult to diagnose. It could be the ears and the wobbling feeling and floating feeling are symtoms of different problems. The floating feeling you talk about sounds a lot like de-realization that many people have when having anxiety attacks or just plain high anxiety. It also sounds a lot to me like extremely high blood pressure. However if you have been to the doctor already that should have been one of the first things ruled out. It could also be a reaction to a certain food.

Also, did you say you had surgery? I did, and had the same symtoms you have, ringing in the ears and light headed when working out and actually felt terrible the next day after doing something that exerted me, and I had these symtoms for years after my surgery. They have slowly sub-sided.

I would go see a neurologist and make sure you wright down each specific symtom, how and when you have them. When they started and what was going on in your life when they started could also be important.

I wouldn't play around, go see a neurologist, that way when you get a clean bill of health from him, you will feel a lot better all the way around.


Bill

My first thought was blood sugar related as well. You could be insulin resistant / prediabetic. You could just be not eating enough. You could be eating the wrong things. You could be deficient in some vitamin / mineral.

They should have done fasting bloodwork on you. Even though your fasting sugar was within the normal range, you could still have an issue there. You might want to ask about a glucose tolerance test.

Regarding the sugery thing - did they knock you out? Could it be some residual effects from the anesthesia?

Doesn't sound like dehydration to me. No muscle cramps, headaches, etc.

Thanks again for the input. YES - I did have surgery (apendicitis), but these symptoms seem to have come on several years after the op. I have printed out this page and will bring up the points raised when I go. As you know, doctors are not the easiest people to deal with and it helps if you actually know what you are talking about. I have gone in before with something really wrong with me and was told I had epilepsy and that they were going to take my driving licence away. It turned out that I was reacting to some prescription medication - but they never even bothered to check for this.

Thanks, Ian

How are you?