In approximately 2006 I started with occasional mild episodes of lightheadedness, imbalance and dizziness. At first it would only occur for 1 to 2 days a week at a very low level where it did not affect my daily activities, but over the past years it has gradually increased to where I can hardly function regularly on a daily basis and just go to bed to sleep to escape this terrible feeling.
I went everywhere looking for help, ENT’s, Neurologist, acupuncture, hypnosis. Went to some of the most prominent facilities in the country, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic. Nowhere could help and just seemed to blow me off after a few visits.
Finally in 2012 I went to the Mayo Clinic to see Dr. Stabb and his team. They diagnosed it as CDS. They sent me home with list of exercises and drugs to try to help with the problem and thought it may take 6 months-year to help the problem.
I did the exercises and my PCP work closely with Dr. Stabb to administer the drugs. I did stay in contact, by email with Dr. Stabb to keep him posted of my status. For the first 6 – 9 months he did seem interested and continued to respond. But after about a year with my last contact I was only able to communicate with his assistant that gave me 2 options. 1) Make a trip back to Mayo (1200 miles) to speak to one of their doctors about how to live with chronic pain or 2) seek CBT therapy in my local area. Just my impression, but it seemed to me they had just given up and were kicking me down the road. I am really starting to question the entire validity of the “CDS” diagnosis. Most other neurologist I have went to have never heard of it. It seem only Dr. Stabb and his team use this diagnosis.
I have been working with a psychologist using CBT for over 1 year now and my problem continues to get worse. It has now progress were it ruins my daily quality of life every day. Many days just have to go to bed and go to sleep to escape this terrible feeling. I am a total wreck at 68 years of age.
This condition also gives me real problems with anxiety due to feeling like this all the time, but I can control the anxiety with clonazepam.
It is a real shame, I have read so many forum where people are experiencing this problem, but as of yet none of the doctors seem to be curious or interested enough to really look into help or a cure for this condition.