Hi Stilton
I came down with this awful condition in August last year. Likewise it was cause by a virus which came on the back of a severe bout of gastro enteritis.
I had the feeling like I was permantly drunk with the room spinninng etc along with screaming tinnitus which appeared after about a month of being ill.
I also had a aimilar experience with GP's, I saw most of the ones at my local practice before I was referred. Two of the doctors thought I had Meniere's disease (which I am sure you have heard about) which basically scared the S**t out of me and added to the stress and misery that I was suffering.
Eventually I got to see a consultant Otolaryngologist (one of the best in the country and an authority on Menieres ).
He was quickly able to dismiss Menieres. He ordered an MRI, the usual blood tests, hearing tests and all those balance tests which I am sure you have done, and had my eyes looked at using infra red whilst having hot and cold air pumped into my ears. The outcome of these tests was that the virus had partially damaged my right hand inner ear, which is why my balance hadn't recovered.
The damage could be compensated for and my sense of balance retrained with vestibular rehabilitation therapy, so I was directed to the practice physiotherapist.
This consisted of various exercises which involved moving the head from side to side and up and down, sometimes with eyes closed, and an exercise which involved focussing on a fixed point whilst moving the head from side to side, the idea being to re educate the link between your inner ear and your eyes. The physio also recommended playing video games as an additional means means of re educating the visual/balance mechanism.
These exercises took about 10 days to sort my balance out and the symptoms gradually faded out apart from the tinnitus.
Did your consultant mention vestibular rehabilitation therapy?
In total I was ill for three months, then had to go a month symptom free before the CAA would entertain reinstating my medical, subject to satisfactory medical reports. Which they did the same day they recieved said reports!
The specialist said the condition was particulary sensitive to stress and was one of the reasons I was ill for so long.
He anticipated that in 6-8months it would all be a unpleasant memory. He also added that my ears should be protected wherever possible.
From what I have read it varies how long it takes to recover from viral labrinthitis/vestibular neuronitis, ranging from a couple of months to a couple of years.
My advice to you is the advice the Physio gave me once my recovery was underway which was "get on with life" by which he meant get back to doing the things you used to do as soon as possible.
As for me six months on I'm still ok, I still have the tinnitus in my right ear but it has calmed down somewhat and no longer keeps me awake at night. Will it ever dissapear? I hope so as silence truly is golden, and it is a constant reminder of what was the most unpleasant experience in my life.
Hope that is of some interest. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.
Regards
BTT