Help me get my life back on track [Archive] - Beyond.ca - Car Forums

adam c

01-22-2012, 02:17 PM

So the last couple weeks have been fairly hard on me, I'm not exactly sure what's been going on with me but here's a brief description...

2 weeks ago today i went out with my friends for some drinking, shisha and smoked a bit of weed (not something i normally do) well when I woke up i was experiencing this dizziness but i didn't think too much of it and thought i was slightly hung over. the dizziness continued into monday and tuesday i saw my doctor who said it was something viral and it needed time to pass, well the days went by and still didn't feel any better, after many visits to the doctors and hospitals while being told the same thing over and over one doctor gave me a prescription for zithromax, something i've taken before and haven't had an issue with except for now. last monday i took the medication and soon had an anaphylaxic reaction which required a visit to the hospital, the symptoms passed and i was on my way but tuesday at about 1pm they returned which required another hospital visit and a need to carry an epi pen with me 24/7 now.

things started improving a little but but i still have the nausea and dizziness feelings and this past friday was no exception, it hurt so bad in my left ear and the dizziness was so intense i actually cried and begged to go to see the doctor, well the performed a CT Scan and said my brain looks normal (ie no cancer) and i just need to let the viral infection run it's course.

well now here i am today, i'm scared to death that i caused damage to myself with the CT Scan, i don't want to google anymore as that was part of the reason i got myself so worked up and into such a fizzy these past couple weeks. I have a fiancee and a daughter to i'm terrified to leave. instead of being happy i feel miserable and just need to get out of this funk

CanmoreOrLess

01-22-2012, 02:42 PM

Did the doctors rule out Labyrinthitis? I had a bout with this a few years ago, all the descriptions you are mentioning were exactly what I had.

After being unable to swap headlight bulbs on my car without feeling really dizzy, I went to the ER and they did a CT, etc and confirmed it was Labyrinthitis. They actually had to rule out a heart attack as all the indications were there.

Sent home with meds (after a few hours) to reduce dizziness and another med I cannot recall. All was well in a week or so. It was so bad that when I would quickly move my head to one side, I'd vomit. A real South Park moment.

An ear infection disrupts everything, your balance is really off, earaches come and go as well. I thought I had MS I was walking so badly. Motor control was spotty, focus, everything was off.

Avoid ladders, escalators, be careful with stairs, etc. Forget driving as the speed/movement feels really off. A shower can be a real bugger (turn, turn, turn), I puked three times in one session. Joy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinthitis

WNMa3lNcdfk

adam c

01-22-2012, 02:51 PM

yea they finally said it was labyrinthitis after the CT Scan, all they have given me is ativan which actually stops the dizziness but makes me tired and loopy

right now i'm just feeling scared that the medications to stop the anaphylaxic reaction (Epinephrine & prednosine) have done some damage to my system as well I'm even more scared that the CT Scan might have caused something, one of the ER doctors said that there's a 1in2000 chance that complications will arrise from a CT Scan, and with the past weeks i've been having i mean it wouldn't get passed me to assume that i would be the lucky 1

CanmoreOrLess

01-22-2012, 02:59 PM

Labyrinthitis, the first thing I though of was a Labyrinth... with "itis" which I knew meant inflammation. Hard to get my head around the idea.

It is scary shit, Google does not aid in the matter. Look up your symptoms and everything from a brain tumour onward is suggested.

Sit tight, be less Woody Allen about the CT and chill. You cannot read, forget internet as it is stressing the eyes and maybe you can watch TV if the unit is far enough away to not cause head movement. I ended up listening to the radio and audiobooks, eyes closed and counted my blessings. A couple of days later you will be right as rain.

sr20s14zenki

01-22-2012, 03:02 PM

Yep. As shitty as the situation is...try not to worry too much...and i do know that's easier said than done. Really...what are your choices...worrying about isnt going to get you anywhere.

Altho i know its nowhere near what is happening to you, i had a fear of flying i recently conquered. I was scared to death that the plane would go down. I basically thought about it and said "ok, well, what can i do if it DOES go down...absolutely dick all...so lay back and take it in stride"

youll get over it, look to the light at the end of the tunnel.

sillysod

01-22-2012, 03:15 PM

Originally posted by adam c
i don't want to google anymore as that was part of the reason i got myself so worked up and into such a fizzy these past couple weeks

bad trip fucked with your mind.... kinda normal for some people.

First thing to do is try to focus on not letting it influence you - it is in your head (which is far more powerful than you might think).

clicky click (http://www.marijuana.com/medicinal-marijuana/17534-please-help-been-dizzy-6-days-now-pot-hangover.html)

pretty common for people that smoke up a couple times a yr.

adam c

01-22-2012, 03:22 PM

i haven't smoked weed in 5 years, not sure why i even did this time around to be honest...

btw sillysod this has been going on for 2 weeks today

CanmoreOrLess

01-22-2012, 04:03 PM

Originally posted by adam c
i haven't smoked weed in 5 years, not sure why i even did this time around to be honest...

btw sillysod this has been going on for 2 weeks today

I doubt the weed had anything to do with where you are, it is a virus and would have happened no matter your evenings doings. I have not had weed in a decade at least and I caught this infection. I blame the stay in cups at Starbucks, but that is my own paranoia. I only get take away cups since then.

Stay on the meds, follow directions and you ought to be fine. I am certain the doctor gave you a timeframe for when all ought to be well.

Pacman

01-22-2012, 04:13 PM

I'm sure Xrayvsn can provide his expertise on this, but what kind of complications are there from a CT Scan (besides the small amount of radiation exposure)?

Did they use a contrast dye for yours? Was the ER doc referring to complications from the dye being 1 in 2000?

Meback

01-22-2012, 04:15 PM

ask your friends if it was just mj, and it wasnt laced with anything. Possible withdrawl symptoms.. Dont know how it could last two weeks tho.

adam c

01-22-2012, 04:27 PM

-i'm not on any meds at the moment, just told it will take time to pass

-i wasn't given any die's or anything for the ct scan

-mj wasn't laced as far as they know

-after a bit of research, if you have had a CT scan your chances of developing cancer are about 1 in 1000

xrayvsn

01-22-2012, 04:33 PM

I wonder if the ER doc was quoting the risk of reaction to x-ray dye that is used in some CT, but not typically in the setting of a routine CT head that you describe. Even then, the reactions to the x-ray contrast dye are usually minor (hives, rash, nausea) and the severe anaphylactic reactions are extremely rare, more like 1/20,000-50,000. Other than that, a CT is pretty innocuous and unless you trip and hurt yourself getting on the gantry, I don't see how you could hurt yourself getting one.

There is a small amount of radiation that is used with CT, much less now with the multidetector scanners, but not zero. Probably in the range of 15 chest x-rays or about what you would get in background radiation in about 3 months in Calgary. If it makes you feel better, I spend all day, everyday exposed to x-rays and my lifetime exposure is much higher than yours would be from one head CT. I haven't grown extra limbs or gone blind and neither have anyof my colleagues.

adam c

01-22-2012, 04:42 PM

pm'd you xray

CanmoreOrLess

01-22-2012, 04:50 PM

Originally posted by adam c
-i'm not on any meds at the moment, just told it will take time to pass

-i wasn't given any die's or anything for the ct scan

-mj wasn't laced as far as they know

-after a bit of research, if you have had a CT scan your chances of developing cancer are about 1 in 1000

I had a chest x-ray and CT scan all in the same year... nailing the lotto picks with all this radiation rolling about.

1 in 1000 happens to be great odds!

Odds of contacting cancer in your lifetime:

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer

adam c

01-22-2012, 04:57 PM

i had a chest xray back in september for bronchitis and a wrist xray last spring, i'm one up on you

J-hop

01-22-2012, 05:06 PM

doing some googling on it. Several sources are saying that labyrinthitis can be caused by an upper respiratory infection or also as a reaction to some medications or toxins. So it could be possible that this was caused from the weed. Or you had an infection that was already present and was just exacerbated by the smoking. But I really wouldn't put money on the weed causing this.

Don't even worry about the CT scan, lots of people have them done and a 0.0005% chance of a complication occurring is pretty damn good odds (in your favour). You are way more likely to get hurt driving to work everyday than you are to get some sort of complication from the CT scan, so don't let your mind latch on to that and run.

I'm the same way though, if I think i've done something that can hurt my body I'll spend hours on google looking at the thousands and thousands of possible negative outcomes.

Just rest man and get better, you've got nothing to worry about.

lasimmon

01-22-2012, 05:28 PM

Originally posted by adam c
i had a chest xray back in september for bronchitis and a wrist xray last spring, i'm one up on you

I have had a CT 3 x rays on my hand and one on my hip in the last year. And I worked with radioactive sources and I am not worried.

You have nothing to worry about.

A790

01-22-2012, 05:35 PM

Pfft, I've had a CT scan, six xrays, and two MRI's in the last 7 months. I'm practically GLOWING ;)

max_boost

01-22-2012, 05:40 PM

Originally posted by J-hop

Just rest man and get better, you've got nothing to worry about.

Yea. When I get sick I think I'm going to die and then everything goes away after a week or two lol

dimi

01-22-2012, 06:25 PM

Its because you're scared to death, it's all in your head.

You're constantly thinking about it, stop doing that. DO NOT Google this kind of stuff man. They always list some really scary diseases that could be the cause, most of which only happen 0.0000001% of the time.

I think I had something similar last week. Slight dizziness and pain in my right ear. Had to take half a day off cause I felt like I was gonna black out. Lemons, honey, lots of tea and sleep and I felt a lot better the next day. The placebo worked I guess.

BerserkerCatSplat

01-22-2012, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by A790
Pfft, I've had a CT scan, six xrays, and two MRI's in the last 7 months. I'm practically GLOWING ;)

Nothing a little Rad-Away won't fix. ;)

max_boost

01-22-2012, 06:53 PM

Maybe it's just that time of the year where you just get sick. A few weeks ago I caught a cold/flu/whatever and it felt like something I've never had before. I rarely get dizzy but I almost fainted taking a shower and had to lay down immediately after. But you know, doc said I was fine and that worked too.

AndyL

01-22-2012, 06:58 PM

Dude, hypochondriac much?

Its the flu that's going around, mostly exhaustion, and dissyness... bit of tummy or lung involvement in those prone to such...

I started really feeling it on boxing day - last week I almost felt mostly normal... and I was lucky enough to get pneumonia along with it... kicked the scrap out of me for more than 3 weeks...

tirebob

01-22-2012, 07:00 PM

Dude... I think your biggest problem is anxiety.

This is gonna sound cold but it really isn't meant to... Just get the hell over it... You are dwelling on shit you don't need to be dwelling on. You can't fix something that isn't there to be fixed. Stress and anxiety manifest themselves in a lot of ways, many of which present themselves as symptoms of physical sickness. I know this because I went through very much a similar thing some years back. Dizzy spells, weakness, crazy headaches and so forth. I ended up getting CT Scans, MRI and other things and everything possible was ruled out. The more I worried about all the bad shit the worse it all got. In the end, just wrapping my head around relaxing and just focusing on the good things and stuff I could do something about, things started getting back on track and before long, symptoms were gone and things were good again.

Now you could very well have some small issues with the things you have mentioned, but if you have severe anxiety about all the other uncontrollable things you seem to be pondering, those things can, and will, be magnified...

Sugarphreak

01-23-2012, 08:30 AM

...

C_Dave45

01-23-2012, 08:51 AM

So you've got major health and emotional well being issues and you're seeking advice from a bunch of strangers on a car forum....You might want to re-think your way of handling this. :rolleyes:

adam c

01-23-2012, 08:55 AM

Originally posted by AndyL

Originally posted by tirebob

I was diagnosed with Labyrinthitis and one of the pleasant side effects is anxiety and panic attacks but yes i hear what you guys are saying

today is my first day back at work, luckily for me i sit behind a desk and not on my feet all day, if that was the case i would be in big trouble

Originally posted by C_Dave45
So you've got major health and emotional well being issues and you're seeking advice from a bunch of strangers on a car forum....You might want to re-think your way of handling this. :rolleyes:

last time i checked beyond is more than just cars, there's only a few people on here that know me in real life which allows me to sustain some anonymity yet still get information on a personal basis instead of the normal internet e-thug personality that comes from comments like yours

speedog

01-23-2012, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by tirebob
Dude... I think your biggest problem is anxiety.

This is gonna sound cold but it really isn't meant to... Just get the hell over it... You are dwelling on shit you don't need to be dwelling on. You can't fix something that isn't there to be fixed. Stress and anxiety manifest themselves in a lot of ways, many of which present themselves as symptoms of physical sickness. I know this because I went through very much a similar thing some years back. Dizzy spells, weakness, crazy headaches and so forth. I ended up getting CT Scans, MRI and other things and everything possible was ruled out. The more I worried about all the bad shit the worse it all got. In the end, just wrapping my head around relaxing and just focusing on the good things and stuff I could do something about, things started getting back on track and before long, symptoms were gone and things were good again.

Now you could very well have some small issues with the things you have mentioned, but if you have severe anxiety about all the other uncontrollable things you seem to be pondering, those things can, and will, be magnified... This.

I feel for the OP, but you could be in my father-in-law's shoes - second time around with stage 4 bladder cancer that has now invaded his chest/body cavity. First time took his bladder and prostrate. Have given up on counting the number of xrays/cat scans this man has had in the past two years no to mention the ridiculous number of poking/proddings/tests he's had to endure. Chemo - yeah, that's been a great walk in the park too. Now he's dealing with the cancer spreading and a pulmonary embolism discovered this week in his left lung and to top it off, he's had to piss into an colostomy bag for the last two years. Ridiculous weight loss, hair loss, stupidly thin blood, yeah the list goes on and we've had to kick his ass multiple times over the past two years.

OP, if you or your family ain't gonna kick your ass, then seek out some professional counseling. Sorry for the shit that's happened but in reality, it's a minor pittance compared to what other people have had to endure.

C_Dave45

01-23-2012, 09:05 AM

Originally posted by adam c
last time i checked beyond is more than just cars, there's only a few people on here that know me in real life which allows me to sustain some anonymity yet still get information on a personal basis instead of the normal internet e-thug personality that comes from comments like yours

Uh huh...beyond, where people can't even decide on a place to get a haircut without a 3-page argument.

Oh so a few guys know you personally?!! OH WELL then....THAT obviously is SOLID grounds for medication/mental advice.

Advising someone to seek professional medical help=e thuggery.:facepalm:

"I'm sick...I need help..whatever shall I do?" :drama:

adam c

01-23-2012, 09:17 AM

Originally posted by C_Dave45

Uh huh...beyond, where people can't even decide on a place to get a haircut without a 3-page argument.

Oh so a few guys know you personally?!! OH WELL then....THAT obviously is SOLID grounds for medication/mental advice.

Advising someone to seek professional medical help=e thuggery.:facepalm:

"I'm sick...I need help..whatever shall I do?" :drama:

Mind taking your shit and moving it to a different thread, this really isn't needed here

scboss

01-23-2012, 11:02 PM

What I don't get is your worried about cancer yet your smoking shisha. You make zero sense

lasimmon

01-23-2012, 11:32 PM

I don't understand this thread. Your sick with a viral infection, diagnosed, and now want advice? On what?

Kijho

01-24-2012, 01:23 AM

Fuck googling, never in your life EVER look up your symptoms on google... always results in you thinking you're going to die tomorrow and trying to think about what you're going to do in life and all the things you've missed out on so young. So FUCK google again, never!

No idea what this is though man I don't know shit about medical stuff. I know one time a few months back I went out for some Shisha, came home took an advil for a brutal migraine, went to sleep around midnight. Woke up around 2am and couldn't sleep so I took a sleeping pill. Yeaaa... fine print, never mix advil with sleeping medication, and I'm pretty sure the shisha quadrupled the reaction.

Woke up with so much dizzyness I couldn't even stand up to take a piss. Laid in bed with my eyes closed and just felt like I was spinning 100 km/h. Couldn't stand, walk, see, could barely speak, I was crawling to the washrooms and laid in bed literally just freaking the fuck out as nobody was home the entire day.

Eventually I think I passed out and woke up around 7pm that evening and felt like brand new, got up took a shower and was making food and making plans for the evening.

I google'd my symptoms that day though, it resulted in me thinking I had cancer in my temple(s) and that it was going to destroy my brain and I'd die. FUCK. THAT.

Hope you get better soon man!

[Yu]

01-24-2012, 01:43 AM

Hey Adamc, I don't want to sound like a jackass, but judging from your recent posts about fears of taking meds, and how you are reacting to simple diagnostic scans, I would assume you are minorly hypochondriac.

The worst thing you can do is search up "what might be wrong" with you and keep delving into these thoughts.

Life is hard, as of right now, I've been diagnosed with a disease known as Wilson's disease since 2006, it has progressively destroyed my liver to this day.

Back in January, I had to get TACE therapy, which is a form of chemotherapy, and as of February, I will be applying to be a transplant recipient.

In my life, I can't even count the number of times I've had an MRI, CT, X-ray, and Ultrasound. This number probably goes easily into the 50's. Heck, I got an ultrasound scheduled on Feb 15th, and already being booked for another MRI.

Doctors don't usually induce you to these if they know that it has a high chance of harming you. Life is a scary thing at times, but don't let something like this control your life, adamc.

I am only 23, and have been dealing with situations like this since I was 19. Just try to stay positive and look on the bright side of everything. Do everything you can to feel healthy, eat good, exercise, and whatever helps you relax.

I don't really got much more to say, other than to stay strong and don't let this control you.