I have (what I believe to be) strange allergy symptoms. I know the standard advice is “See a doctor,” and I have been to many doctors about it. But no one has offered any real help. So as a last resport I’m turning to the SDMB.
Here’s the short story: It started about three years ago. Felt like a head cold was coming on. I felt lightheaded and dreamy all the time, like a constant brain fog. Went to many doctors, got cat scan, MRI, blood work, took antibiotics, Nasonex, etc. Most doctors were clueless. A couple thought it was allergies. Two allergy prick tests came back negative. Which I guess means it may not be due to allergies, but my gut instinct says it is.
Besides the lightheadedness, my basic physical symptom is lots of pressure around my eyes. That’s it. I don’t sneeze. I don’t have a runny nose. My eyes are not watery or itchy. Just pressure in my head around my eyes and nose. The pressure makes me tired and somewhat lightheaded all the time. It’s constant; I have had this symptom on a 24/7 basis for the last three years.
Any ideas on what’s causing it, and what I can do about it? And again, I *think *it’s allergies, but I could be wrong.
Have you consulted a neurologist about your symptoms? They might have a better idea of what it could be than a regular doctor. The lightheadedness, inability to focus your attention, and pressure around your eyes sound like things a neurologist might have a clue or two about. (Even if it is allergies, the symptoms are things that are in their area of speciality.) The other doctors might not have known what to look for? I’d even consider someplace like the Mayo clinic at this point. You are in my thoughts and prayers, I hope you do get an answer to this soon.
I have Meniere’s Disease (an ear/balance disorder) that can cause those symptoms.
If you have a teaching hospital in your area, call their referral hotline and get a doctor associated with them. Those young interns love a challange.
If you have an allergy, it can be next to impossible to diagnose. When I lived in Florida I had HUGE hives everywhere over my body (long story short it was horrible.) Every single scratch test, and blood test came back negative. I even was sent to the Mayo Clinic. As soon as I went back up North, everything went away. The doctors at Mayo found nothing and said “You live next to the Everglades, it could be anything there making you swell up.” So I never went back and never had a real problem with hives since.
The only time I get pressure around my eyes other than a Meniere’s attack is a sinus headache. Have you had them checked?
Did this by any chance start a year or two after you moved to a new area? That’s how long it can take for a new allergy to develop.
When they did the prick test, did they follow up with testing under the skin, or was it just on the surface? When I was tested with the surface testing, it was 100% negative, but the under the skin testing showed that I’m a little bit allergic to a lot of things. Also, the testing is only for specific things. If you’re allergic to something that they don’t have a test for, it won’t show.
I’m only an expert in my own allergies, but I’d never call it light-headed. More like a head full of ball bearings. If an allergist can’t help you, you might consider other possibilities.
Get a CT Scan. I had more or less similar symptoms many years back and after several months, my doctor ordered a CT scan to find that my sinuses were completely packed full from an ear infection that had migrated completely into my sinuses. I was given antibiotics a couple of times and it got better.
When that happens to me, my sinuses have swollen shut. I also get green snot, indicating they’ve become infected. Amoxicillin and benadryl usually settles it.
I have almost the exact same thing. I don’t have the normal allergy symptoms like sneezing, I have sinus pressure and the most crappy fatigue. I feel like I’m sedated. I was tested last year and then tested again this year. I should, logically, be allergic to trees and grass since my symptoms - the fatigue - has kicked up since the trees are blooming, but no. Got the prick test and under the skin. Am slightly allergic to walnut trees and bluegrass.
Anyhoo, my doctor upped my Nasonex from two squirts in each nostril at night to two squirts in each nostril AM and PM and changed by antihistamine to clarinex from zyrtec. That has made a big difference for me and the fatigue is mostly gone. I haven’t had any sinus pressure since I started the Nasonex last year.
He also gave me predisone in case general imflammation was what was causing the fatigue and then said really the next step is allergy shots.
Yes. Two of them. Went through a battery of neuro-tests. All negative.
Have always lived in SW Ohio. We moved from the city to the rural countryside in 2000. The symptoms showed up three years ago.
I had two tests done by two different allergists. The first one was pretty fast; I think around 30 pricks on my arm. The allergist said I wasn’t allergic to anything. A year later I went to a different allergist. The nurse gave me something like 180 shots. (Ouch!) They said I was mildly allergic to a couple grasses. I was skeptical (I had never even heard of these grasses), but I went ahead and got an allergy shot every week for 9 months. I saw absolutely no improvement, so I quit.
I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have Meniere’s Disease. I’m not dizzy, and I don’t have any balance problems. Just light-headed, feeling spacey, and pressure around and behind my eyes and nose all the time.
Yea, on and off. Doesn’t do a thing.
I tried Nasonex about 1.5 years ago. It didn’t do a whole lot of good. It also gave me nose bleeds. So I quit. Maybe I’ll try it again.
Recently a coworker suggested I take OTC Zyrtec-D. I’ve taken two 12-hour tablets a day for 1 week. No improvement. The only change has been even more fatigue than usual.
I don’t think it’s allergies. The Meniere’s sounds not unlikely, IMO you should go to a different doctor and be checked out for it. That aside, it sounds very much like an ear and/or eustachian tube problem of some sort - blockage, infection, something in that area. Have you been to an ENT?
Just wanted to add that you’ve described exactly how I feel with a really bad sinus infection, minus the post-nasal drip. You have my sympathies. That bloated, floaty head feeling is miserable.
How about an ENT specialist? Have you been to one of those yet?
I did go to an ENT at one point. He was next to useless.
Perhaps I should look more into Meniere’s; I thought one of the primary symptoms was room-spinning dizziness, and I definitely don’t have that. And I should make an appointment with a better ENT.
Zyrtec can cause fatigue for the first few days. If you push through it, it should go away. I’m giving Clarinex a trial run, but after that will try Xyzal, which is improved Zyrtec. I’m curious to see if it does the same thing for the first few days.
I missed my Nasonex dose last night and had the fatigue back this morning. Took my AM dose and my Clarinex and seem to be doing ok. There are several different options for nasal steriods, AIUI, so perhaps a different one would work for you?
I also find if I drink a lot of water on the fatigue days, that can help.
On the sinus infection front, my BIL had recurrent (recurrent, ha. Try basically permanent.) sinus infections until his ENT put him on an antibiotic for 30 days. The 10 day regimen was, apparently, just making the bacteria mad. Thirty days seemed to kill them.
I will tell you, that my allergist at first did not buy it that my fatigue was connected to my allergies. I actually made the appointment with him this year to get tested for allergic asthma as that can lead to fatigue. He nixed the asthma, but at least was willing to be much more aggressive on the allergies.
I know you’ve seen a lot of doctors. IME, a lot are average. Finding a really good one makes all the difference, and I seem to find really good doctors by asking nurses who they’d recommend.
You should also take Zyrtec at bedtime, even though it’s good for 24 hours it may help cut the fatigue by taking it before you sleep.
Another question: Have you had your eyes checked? I had a very bad eye problem that started out feeling like a sinus problem, pain and pressure around my eyes. It wasn’t until it got to the point where I felt that I was getting smacked in the head whenever light hit my eyes that I realized it was my eyes. I think if you had that problem (iritis) you’d know it before now, however maybe there are other eye problems that could cause those symptoms?
Hello, CrafterMan. Interesting and frustrating problem!
I’ve been diagnosed with Meniere’s, now about 20 years ago. In my understanding, room-spinning attacks are one typical feature but it is not unusual to have Meniere’s without them. I had two such attacks prior to the diagnosis and none since. Other typical features that I do have include slight dizziness, tinnitus, and occasional weird episodes lasting a few seconds that feature what I can only call a cross between sounds and whole-body feelings, sort of like a distant explosion that you partly hear and partly feel. And, certainly, brain fog, constant brain fog. Doctors tell me the brain fog results from the brain working to construct balance and a concept of setting from other clues including proprioception and vision, to compensate the balance organs giving partly bad signals.
I also hear that Meniere’s is diagnosed by ruling out all the other choices. I’m not sure how true this is. Some say it is a difficult diagnosis to trust.
Reducing salt, increasing water intake and sweating, and taking a diuretic generally improve Meniere’s. And a number of other things, too. It is something you might try, whether as a tool in diagnosing what ails you or as a means of improving it whether it is diagnosed or not.
Hmm. Interesting. My balance is fine (I can easily stand on one foot with my eyes closed), but I do have a low-level ring in my ear all the time. But I can only “hear” it at night when I’m lying in bed. I’ll read more up on it.
