Ask a doctor on the topic of Otorhinolaryngology

Vertigo Translation: Vertigo

August 13, 2011 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Christian Welsch

Dear Sir or Madam,

I (32) have been living with multiple sclerosis for 13 years, and have been injecting Copaxone since 2006. In January, I experienced my first relapse in 5 years. I also have known heart rhythm disorders and tachycardia. For the past 3 years, I have been taking beta blockers, but about 8 weeks ago I stopped taking them with the cardiologist in preparation for a heart catheterization surgery.

Five weeks ago, I experienced severe pain with eye movement in one eye. The eye doctor could not find anything wrong. A few days later, I went blind in my right eye. I was given 5x1000 mg of cortisone in the hospital, and the MRI was negative. There were no open lesions, and my optic nerve was normal. My eyesight gradually returned, and now I only have slight visual field losses. The vision in both eyes is 100%.

Two days ago, I had to call emergency services because I was experiencing extreme positional vertigo (spinning dizziness) with nausea/vomiting and circulatory failure. The MRI was once again normal, and a defect in the ear is suspected. I am scheduled to see an ENT specialist on Monday.

Could it be that I have a virus in my body, which initially affected my eye and is now affecting my ear? (I had herpes in early childhood). I would greatly appreciate any feedback and possibly a suggestion for me to consider.

For the past few weeks, I have been taking an additional tablet every morning to increase my vitamin D levels in the blood. Both my vitamin D and B12 levels were so low in the past that they were not measurable. Could this be related to my current health issues?

Best regards,
Jasmin R.

Christian Welsch

Dear Inquirer,

Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurological condition. The symptoms you described suggest 2 relapses of MS. The ENT doctor will assess to what extent the balance organ is affected. However, even there the findings are not always clear. In the case of a herpes re-infection, one would expect to see skin blisters and pain coupled with neurological disturbances. A vitamin B12 deficiency should cause severe neurological disorders coupled with anemia, while a vitamin D deficiency primarily disrupts bone metabolism.

You should first wait for the ENT examination, perhaps a benign positional vertigo will be found that has nothing to do with the rest.

Regards,
C. Welsch