Anyone with vertigo issues?

[Kasey]

I've had this happen once before, but it was in conjunction with a sinus infection, so assumed it was related to that. But the last two days, I've had serious spinning/dizziness with any position change, including just turning over in bed (i.e., position change not related to elevation or sitting back down). Saw my doc today and he diagnosed it as "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo"; which basically means it comes and goes on it's own, with no real cause or cure.

So just wondering, if anyone else here has had this issue, and found anything that helps with it until it goes away? Thanks in advance for any input!

[Angelskates]

Kasey, I had it about two years ago and went to a specialist (maybe an ENT?) who moved my head in all these ways and it fixed itself. I couldn't lie flat for a bit though (can't remember how long) afterwards and there were some other guidelines that I can't remember. I had the head movement thing twice (a week apart I think) because after the first time there was no improvement.

[Grannyfan]

I had a brief episode with this type of vertigo a few years ago. It was so strange. It hit while I was asleep and dreaming that I was really, really dizzy. I woke up and looked at my bedside clock, and it was literally going around in circles. I closed my eyes and things kept circling. The nausea followed soon. I went to the ER because the dizziness scared me, and the dr. on call just thought I had a virus. I knew better, but he gave me a shot and I just wanted to go home and sleep. I had another, less severe episode a few days later, also while I was sleeping, and took some Meclizine (sp?). For a long time I slept with my head propped up and tried not to turn onto my side. I haven't been bothered since, for which I'm so thankful. I can't imagine living with this condition as I know some people do.

[barbk]

Kasey --

My D had this as a teen. She'd stand up from sitting or get out of bed, and get vertigo and sometimes even fall down. After neuro eval she was sent to Children's for a cardiac eval. Ped cardio said her heart was fine, but that her blood pressure wasn't reacting quickly enough to positional changes, and that she'd outgrow it.

Meanwhile, the doc put her on a strict diet: potato chips and soda pop every day. Yup. She wanted her to have more salt, more liquid, and some sugar with it. It worked.

Unfortunately my doctor is never going to suggest that diet for me.

[numbers123]

Kasey - I sent you a pm

[Lacey]

I've had it off and on for about 6 months. First spell was crazy dizzy, I fell out of bed, was horribly nauseous. That lasted a few days. I saw an EMT, had quite detailed tests with Audiologist and an MRI. I think I may have caught a virus of Vertigo from my FIL, he was hospitalized with it at age 90 about 6 weeks before I got it. (But perhaps might have Meuniere's Disease, a form that lasts a lifetime and is very hard to diagnose, i haven't had it long enough.). Some Vertigo can be helped by a snapping of the neck technique that a doc does, not mine, I wish. I actually went for some PT because my vision was out of whack, helped a little. I still have some balance issues every once in a while, such as trouble with things like escalators and stairs. Haven't driven in ages, hope to get back to that soon. For another medical reason, I had to give up my decaf lattes a few weeks ago, and the Vertigo has coincidentally tremendously improved, just a little trouble tripping over things occasionally, but no more dizziness. I did not take any drugs for Vertigo, Meclizine seemed similar to Benedryl, which I cannot tolerate, so no go there. But also it seems that that med would make one sleepy and I found I got better the longer I was up and that lying down made the Vertigo worse.

After reading the above, since giving up the lattes, I am flushing decaf tea through me all day long, so I am getting more fluids. That may be part of why i feel better. And you betcha I am going to try potato chips tomorrow.

[rfisher]

Kasey, I had it about two years ago and went to a specialist (maybe an ENT?) who moved my head in all these ways and it fixed itself. I couldn't lie flat for a bit though (can't remember how long) afterwards and there were some other guidelines that I can't remember. I had the head movement thing twice (a week apart I think) because after the first time there was no improvement.

One of my faculty had this done as well. It had something to do with realignment of crystals that are found in the semicircular canals. It worked for her.

[Cupid]

I've had it twice in my life, the first time being the worst. I couldn't keep anything down, including water. I was instructed to go to the ER who then hooked me up wit IV hydration as I was dehydrated on top of the vertigo from vomiting. It was awful. They thought I might have been having a stroke, so thankfully it wasn;t that. This episode lasted for over a week and slowly subsided as time went on.

The second time was strange. The day before I worked out like crazy on an elliptical machine, and that evening had two margaritas. That night I woke up and the room was spinning. Lucky for me, that only lasted for 2 days (and I was on vacation, too). I remember looking online and there was some connection with the elliptical machine and people who had occasion vertigo. Haven't used one since.

[JumpinBug]

I have it. Comes maybe once a year. Doctor gave me a piece of paper with ways to try moving my head to reposition things.

If you've never had it, you can't understand how truly horrible it is. I can usually feel it coming, and try downing Feverfew, Butterbur, Willow's Bark, and a few other things. Tylenol and Ibuprofen do absolutely nothing, even for the headache that seems to come along with.

I usually try to sleep it off, as I can't do anything else. And even with my eyes closed, the sensation of movement is still there.

Ugh.

[numbers123]

antivert is my friend. That and sitting at the edge of the bed for a few minutes when I get up, rotating my head back and forth slowly.

[Kasey]

Thank you for all the advice. I ended up having to call off of work sick tonight, because of how nauseated I get with movement. But been taking Benadryl today, and got some meclizine to start on; hopefully it will be abating some by tomorrow.

It's weird, I know it isn't a blood pressure issue, because they did orthostatic BP check on me in the doctor's office and there wasn't much change in the numbers from laying to standing. My pulse, however, went from 47 lying down to 76 standing up, so that was a pretty significant change. Not sure if it means anything tho.

My sympathies to anyone who has to deal with this on a regular basis! Ugh!

[NancyNC]

One of my faculty had this done as well. It had something to do with realignment of crystals that are found in the semicircular canals. It worked for her.

This was my situation - it worked for me too. I haven't had an episode since, knock on wood. Years ago I had a neck problem and was pounding large doses of Motrin. I got vertigo from that, but it went away fairly quickly after I stopped taking the Motrin.

[Meredith]

I had dizziness issues three years ago, and my doctor blew it off. Two weeks later, I was in the ER because, not only was I dizzy, but could not get my breath. They kept me in the hospital overnight, ran a battery of tests and gave me a prescription for antivert - with no explanation of why I was dizzy in the first place.

The prescription, I pitched and the dizziness went away of its own accord, thank heavens. Later I learned that others in our office had similar syptoms around the same time. Virus, perhaps?

[1lutz2klutz]

I'm a physical therapist with a specialty in balance and dizziness disorders. BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) is a specific type of dizziness that results from a displacement of calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear. It gives a brief, intense bout of spinning (usually lasting less than 30 sec., but can be longer) when you change the position of your head. Typically, the sufferer can't roll to one side in bed, or gets very dizzy when getting up from lying down. It's also typical to have difficulty looking up into a cabinet or down to the floor. Treatment is called the Epley maneuver, in which the head is placed in a series of positions to move the crystal out of the canal it's stuck in. A vestibular physical therapist can treat it easily, usually in one treatment. You can log onto the website of the Vestibular Disorders Association (vestibular.org) to find a therapist in your area. If that's not an option, try going on youtube and putting in Epley maneuver- you can see a video on how the treatment is done and try it at home.

[Moto Guzzi]

antivert is my friend.

Antivert is my friend, too, along with benedryl. My vertigo started after a serious concussion following a skating fall. I took antivert for a year after the fall until my vertigo gradually went away. It comes back periodically.

Starting in October 2009, it kept coming back and my doctor put me on a series of antibiotics because of ear infections. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night because I was so dizzy. When it's at its worst, I am unable to walk without holding on to something and I cannot stop vomiting.

It finally seems to be under control again. My last attack was in October. I have found that the vertigo is worse when I am overly tired, so I've been trying to get more sleep than I had been getting.

[Aussie Willy]

It is a horrible thing. I have suffered it intermitently over the years. I think mine is related to an inner ear thing.

A couple of years ago after driving to Canberra from Melbourne (about 10 hour trip), the next day I woke up with the room spinning and I couldn't sit up. Had something to eat and threw up later on. I was actually meant to go and judge a skating competition that day. Funny thing I was fine the next day, although a bit washed out, and competed at the skating competition. Then later in the week as part of my trip travelling back along the coast I went whale watching and threw up twice out at sea, even though I took sea sick medication.

Years ago however I suffered this where I just all of a sudden got dizzy. Saw specialists and even a nuerosurgeon who then prescribed stematil which seemed to clear it up. Nowadays I use the same thing and have also used sinus medication to help clear the ears.

I have also heard it can be related to low blood pressure which in my case also makes sense because my blood pressure has always been on the lower side. But at the moment I am fine, even after volunteering 13-14 hour days at our National Championships and becoming abosolutely exhausted.

[mpal2]

Treatment is called the Epley maneuver, in which the head is placed in a series of positions to move the crystal out of the canal it's stuck in. A vestibular physical therapist can treat it easily, usually in one treatment. You can log onto the website of the Vestibular Disorders Association (vestibular.org) to find a therapist in your area.

Thanks for the link. My supervisor has ongoing bouts of vertigo usually brought on by a change in position. I'm not sure anyone has told her about this so I'll definitely pass it on. I feel bad for anyone dealing with this daily.


Out of curiousity, does anyone else have vertigo troubles because of visual patterns? I know migraines are the root cause but the vertigo is a pre-migraine warning for me.

I've had 3 really bad visual disturbances that kept me from from driving myself home and it left me sick for days. Usually it's less dramatic and I'm more affected by patterns. For example, the pattern on the elevator walls at work always get me. I have to make sure I stare straight ahead at the doors. Diamond and zigzag patterns seem to be the worse. My vertigo moments get stronger the smaller and more condensed the pattern is.