Vertigo

[bfeller]

I have vertigo for the first time. The doctor gave me antivert but it isn't giving me any relief. How long does vertigo usually last? Anyone have any suggestions to help me cope with this?

 

[FergieTCat]

My mother suffers from vertigo.

As far as I can tell, the episodes are unpredictable and last about 48 hours. The only thing my mother does is stay in bed. Of course, she's 82, but she's had vertigo for years. She has tested negative for Meniere's Disease.

Feel better!

 

[Robmom]

Usually when I get it, it lasts a day. I hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[SpecialK]

Try meclazine. Over the counter, it's the ingredient in Bonine. My husband has bouts of vertigo and this does the trick for him.

 

[everylastbreath]

OMG, I had this about a year ago, woke up with it - I feel your pain. Depending on your age, I think it last longer/shorter. I am 50, it seriously took about a week before the world stopped spinning and after that it was sporatic for about a month or so, nothing horrible but certain movements brought it on, my mom who is 82 also had it and it lasted quite a bit longer and still lingers.

I didn't take any medication for it, because dr. said the medication was almost worse than the symptons, just toughed it out, couldn't drive for a day or two, but after that you adjust to it (my mom told me that, and she was completely correct)

Feel better- it's a horrible feeling when your even laying down and the world is still moving..

 

[shortbun]

Get off caffeine and any other stimulant(nicotine) or depressant(alcohol) or high doses of sugar. Drink lots of water and journal your diet. Chart what you eat and when the vertigo hits. Also, sometimes it's a motion reaction-like swinging, moving your head side to side at the grocery, step machine. Good luck!!! Antivert/meclizine just made me sleep all the time. Caffeine is a major cause of mine. I rarely use it anymore.

 

[SpecialK]

With meclazine, the only side-effect is drowsiness. Funny how different doctors have such varying recommendations. We found the meclazine on a doctor's advice.

 

[MainStMandy]

The first time I had it, it lasted for almost 2 months!! Over the years it happens less and less (thank god!) I agree...minimize caffeine, drink lots of water and try the meclazine!

 

[Jynohn]

I suffer occasionally from BPPV (Benign Paroxymal Positional Vertigo), but thankfully haven't had a flareup in over a year now. It took months to be diagnosed correctly, and at times it was so bad that I couldn't get out of bed without vomiting. I literally had to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom because the spinning was so bad. I also had to give up a job I loved as a flight attendant because I suddenly started getting dizzy on flights. When I was finally diagnosed correctly, I was amazed at how easy it was to correct. I went to a physical therapist who did a series of painless manouvers, called Epley Manouvers on me and it cleared up right away. I still have recurrences once in a while, but they are far and few between, and no where near as bad as they were before. It might be something to ask your doctor about.

Hope this helps, and good luck in getting it cleared up!

 

[Blue Skies]

A couple weeks ago I had my first and only Vertigo episode, which hit me in the middle of the night. I took about a day for me to feel almost normal again.

I did some searching online, and there are some Vertigo exercises (such as the Dix Hall pike). I tried some of these and they did seem to help a bit.

 

[momrek06]

About 10years ago, one Sunday, I woke up and felt horrible, the room would not stop spinning. I had a scouting event to attend for my son. He was receiving a religious scouting. I could not go. I was actually sick to my stomach and had not even eaten anything for hours ... it was truly the worst feeling ever. I suffered that day and then DH took me to the MD the next day and I got a prescription but I will say by the next day, it seemed less and less. That was my one and only (fingers crossed) episode of vertigo.

I keep meclazine and bonine in my medicine cabinet.

Wow, reading here now, I had no idea caffeine can cause this ... crap ... I love my tea ... now I will be cutting that wayyyyyyyyy back.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I have chronic vertigo (have had it for 4 years now) and it can happen at any time, any where. I am on an anti-depressant to help control it and it is working amazingly well. I get about 1 or 2 episodes a month. More if I am sick.
I still get flare ups but that is typically when I forget to take my medicine or I have not eaten all day and get low blood sugar.

 

[Magix]

Oh boy... I used to have vertigo. Would hit me out of the blue and last about a day. I was completely incapacitated when it happened. The doctor gave me antivert, but as far as I could tell, all it did was make me go to sleep so the worst of it had worn off by the time I awoke. What an awful feeling that dizziness is, though! Wow! It hasn't hit me in probably a decade now (maybe because I haven't drunk caffeine for at least that long, although I don't know if that's what used to set it off). Still can't stand the slightest sensation of dizziness, though. Blech!

Best of luck. Hope it goes away and doesn't come back!

 

[joyjoy]

I feel for you. My boyfriend had it really bad a couple of years ago and it lasted a couple of MONTHS. He had an MRI and that awful test where they squirt cold water in your ear to make you even more vertigious. The only medication that worked was Valium, and he tried them all. The Valium made him super chatty, though. It gradually got less and less until it finally went away. Good luck.

 

[Kirby]

I had vertigo on and off last year. It was not good. We've determined it was caused by fluid buildup in my ear canal which was caused due to seasonal allergies. I'm currently on Xyzal for my allergies and am debating on beginning starting Sublingual Immunotherapy.

Up until last year, I would get vertigo about once every 10 years. It would put me down for about a week. Then last year happened. I wasn't bedridden but my head would spin for a couple seconds every time I turned my head laying down. Standing or sitting, I would just feel off balance. Dramimine helped alot. And my doctor prescribed meclazine for me. It works wonders.

The Xyzal is working so far, keeping my fingers crossed. It's not a fun feeling at all!

 

[muffyn]

Dr Oz had something about that on his show a while back.
he said that you have 'stones' in your ear that get off balance..he said how to get back in balance, somethign about turning your head in a specific way.
if you check on his website , you may be able to look it up.
I did save the episode, so if you can't find it I'll search it out.

 

[shortbun]

A woman I work with had surgery where they removed the balance parts of her inner ear. She had to relearn to walk and all the movement stuff which took a few weeks. Her vertigo is completely gone but they had to do an inplant so she could hear and she has permanent tinitis. Better than constant spinning and throwing up.

 

[bfeller]

I ended up trying accupuncture after 7 weeks of vertigo. I had 3 treatments and by the 2nd treatment I felt better but still had vertigo. 2 days after the 3rd treatment it was gone.

Accupuncture Rocks!

 

[X and G's mom]

About 6 years ago I woke up and the whole room was spinning, I was so scared! I went to the Dr. because this was no normal spinning. He said I had Labrynthitis (SP?) It was really bad for about 3 days, then tapered off and only happened when I turned my head a certain way. It totally lasted about 2 weeks.
Every now and then I will get bouts of it that last about 2 weeks.

One word of caution that the Dr. told me. Be careful when taking any OTC motion sick meds like Bonine. If you get picked up, you may get a DUI. I never took any of the meds for that reason alone.

I did go to a chiropractor and that really helped. I made sure they did not crack my neck, but used an activator and massage techniques.

 

[tinker1bell]

This vertigo has me wiped out!! I have had it since April 8 and am still having a few dizzy spells. I have been going to PT and we keep doing the exercises and have the crystals in just two canals still bouncing around. It is very debilitating and it is amazing how it affects one. Right after the first treatment, I went to the grocery store and was amazed how much of a sensory overload it is to your system. It is weird how they put these goggles on you and watch your eye while they put you through the different exercises.

If I had the time and $$ I would go down to WDW and ride the RnRC. That would get the crystals back where they belong!!!

I just keep hoping I will be in better shape for my cruise in Sept. At least I know what exercises I need to do. And since that one medicine for sea sickness has the same amount of Meclizine I was taking, I can use it if I have to. I am at least happy that since I am unemployed right now, I can do what I need to do to get better.