Vertigo

[mommasita]

I think I posted about this a few years back, but I’m just really down and blah, so typing to get it out.

This is my second go with vertigo. Bang, out of nowhere I was asleep Sunday night and it literally woke me up as I was spinning in my sleep I woke up, amd that’s where it began. Last time it happened I could not look up, could not lie down and look up, it lasted 6 months, my neuro tried the Epley maneuver twice. 6MONTHS. I JUST CAN’T
The only way it went away, and strangely enough we went on a cruise, I floated on the ocean, on my back, and bang , back to normal.

Anyway, I just want to complain, see who is out there like me perhaps. I haven’t slept much all week, I feel like I’m in a spaceship, and now it’s downward motion. Sorry, I’m exhausted , and other that maybe going back on a cruise, the Epley, does anyone have any thought on who else to go see?

 

[sk!mom]

Meclizine is a help to DH when he has a flare up of vertigo. He has learned his trigger- sitting up quickly- and does pretty well if he avoids that. When he does have a flare up, he takes meclizine and goes to bed.

 

[FQLover]

For my mom, I did the Epley manuever on her three times a day, separated by several hours, and did three back and forth "pulls" each session. After 2-3 days of this regime, she was over the vertigo. The number of "turns" I did with her and the number of sessions per day were both more than the doctor had told her to try. But it worked! He had tried it once in his office, and she was very fearful she was going to fall off the exam table. At her house, she laid down on her full size bed, lower to the ground, and she was way less fearful of falling. She had brought home an instruction sheet I followed.

Good luck finding some answers, so that you don't have to wait until you can go on a cruise. Could you book a local hotel with an indoor pool and do a lot of floating on your back there?

 

[longboard55]

My wife had about after some bad meds. Regular doctors were useless. She finally found a physical therapist who fixed it

 

[ronandannette]

I think I posted about this a few years back, but I’m just really down and blah, so typing to get it out.

This is my second go with vertigo. Bang, out of nowhere I was asleep Sunday night and it literally woke me up as I was spinning in my sleep I woke up, amd that’s where it began. Last time it happened I could not look up, could not lie down and look up, it lasted 6 months, my neuro tried the Epley maneuver twice. 6MONTHS. I JUST CAN’T
The only way it went away, and strangely enough we went on a cruise, I floated on the ocean, on my back, and bang , back to normal.

Anyway, I just want to complain, see who is out there like me perhaps. I haven’t slept much all week, I feel like I’m in a spaceship, and now it’s downward motion. Sorry, I’m exhausted , and other that maybe going back on a cruise, the Epley, does anyone have any thought on who else to go see?

For a few months last year, I had what my doctor called "benign paroxysmal position" vertigo - a fancy way of saying the room spun when I lay down or got up from laying down. It apparently has to do with some element of the inner ear that shifts. As luck would have it, it can also be shifted back. A simple suggestion my doctor gave (and it can't hurt to try) was to give my head a gentle but vigorous shake back and forth. It worked surprisingly well. Not permanent but it practically always resolved the symptoms in the moment. I hope you feel better.

 

[mommasita]

For my mom, I did the Epley manuever on her three times a day, separated by several hours, and did three back and forth "pulls" each session. After 2-3 days of this regime, she was over the vertigo. The number of "turns" I did with her and the number of sessions per day were both more than the doctor had told her to try. But it worked! He had tried it once in his office, and she was very fearful she was going to fall off the exam table. At her house, she laid down on her full size bed, lower to the ground, and she was way less fearful of falling. She had brought home an instruction sheet I followed.

Good luck finding some answers, so that you don't have to wait until you can go on a cruise. Could you book a local hotel with an indoor pool and do a lot of floating on your back there?

Yes, thank you, I’ve started to try, I can only Handle slow doses. I did manage to get an in person Dr appt with my Neuro for Friday at 4. I had brain surgery, so whenever anything out of the ordinary comes up, he wants me to come in.

I did mention to my husband that if this sticks around I’m going to the pool here at the center, as ours is frozen over. I’ll just try and see,

 

[mommasita]

For a few months last year, I had what my doctor called "benign paroxysmal position" vertigo - a fancy way of saying the room spun when I lay down or got up from laying down. It apparently has to do with some element of the inner ear that shifts. As luck would have it, it can also be shifted back. A simple suggestion my doctor gave (and it can't hurt to try) was to give my head a gentle but vigorous shake back and forth. It worked surprisingly well. Not permanent but it practically always resolved the symptoms in the moment. I hope you feel better.

Yes, sorry to hear you had it also. That’s what I was diagnosed with also.
Wow, that’s great that it helped so quickly and well.

Until I go Friday, I’m trying anything, as I’m awake again, nauseous. This too shall pass. I Just have to be extra cautious with the head shaking, I had a lot fixed in there, a lot of dura patches. I will try it though, thanks

 

[ronandannette]

Yes, sorry to hear you had it also. That’s what I was diagnosed with also.
Wow, that’s great that it helped so quickly and well.

Until I go Friday, I’m trying anything, as I’m awake again, nauseous. This too shall pass. I Just have to be extra cautious with the head shaking, I had a lot fixed in there, a lot of dura patches. I will try it though, thanks ❤

Oh my - I didn't realize that. It wasn't a violent shaking that I did, just from side to side quickly but gently, trying to knock "whatever it is" back into whack. I'd giggle sometimes thinking of my head as an Etch-a-Sketch and hoping I wasn't erasing anything important.

 

[Wendy1985]

Wow I was diagnosed a year ago just started a thread about would not be surprised if my thread merges with yours

 

[barkley]

the ent says he's pretty sure i have superior canal deshisence (i exhibit all the symptoms but don't see the value in doing a cat scan to confirm it b/c i refuse to do the surgery). i get vertigo very rarely other than when i'm laying down-specifically on my right side. it happens sporadically (no rhyme, reason or triggers). i hate it when i wake up mid one (already disoriented but then having no sense of up or down i'm afraid i'll fall off the bed).

hope you figure out what is causing it and find an effective treatment.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I had a period of that at one time, too. It stretched into months, too. If I took an elevator, the door would open and I’d practically fall out. I had trouble driving, which was a huge problem. I believe it started one day when I rode Cyclone (the really old, rickety wooden roller coaster on Coney Island). My head jerked around so much I think something came loose inside my inner ear (there are little things like sand in there that help control balance). Right away that day I got a huge migraine (which I don’t usually get) and pointed out the hospital out our hotel window in case I needed to be brought there, that’s how bad it was. I had the million dollar workup, too. Eventually it just went away on its own. In between I tried a lot of things and nothing worked. I feel sorry for anyone who has to deal with this on a regular basis. I think many people do get it to a low-level from allergies, where fluid shifts occur inside the head and cause milder, similar symptoms, where taking a daily decongestant can help. Major symptoms are tougher to deal with. Hugs, mommasita.

 

[MIGrandma]

I had a bout of vertigo several years ago. My doctor doubled my blood pressure medication and I haven’t had it since. He said blood pressure can affect the ears.

 

[trivan]

I had a few episodes a few years ago, diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. With that a very low salt diet and the vertigo is under control. When I have high salt consumption eg Disney trips, I need to take meds to help rid the excess. keeping on a low sodium diet at the parks is very hard.

 

[slo]

Hugs to you
I have no experience with this, but I wanted to send get well wishes to you to feel better soon

 

[leebee]

Vertigo is awful. Sometimes I start to get it when I change the position of my head (usually while lying down) and I can prevent it by moving my head carefully back to where it was. However, when I get full-blown vertigo, it's a nightmare. I literally cannot tell where my arms and legs are in relation to the rest of my body. If I have to go to the bathroom, I roll off the bed and crawl, keeping my head, neck, and spine parallel to the floor. I take a strong decongestant and meclizine and it helps somewhat, but when it's really really really bad, I just have to stay in bed- the longest was 10 days. Usually when I'm having a minor patch, it can last for weeks to months but the decongestant and meclizine keep the worst of it under control, as long as I don't look up, down, or behind me (DH parks the cars 'pointing out' when this happens so I don't have to back out of the driveway). You have my sympathy... but if you can take decongestants, give it a try (I like the green lozenge shaped ones I get at DollarTree- go figure!)

 

[elgerber]

I have had a few bouts of the severe spinning, but even when that stops, my head is never normal. I have had PT for it, and it just doesn't help. The Epley doesn't work for me either, when I do have the severe bouts. I have just learned to live with it.

 

[loves to dive]

I woke up one morning with the room spinning, couldn't stand, couldn't lie down, everything horrible. After about 2 days I went to two different docs. and all they did was prescribe bonine, which didn't help. So I got on the internet and decided it was probably BPPV. First tried the Epley for a few days and it sort of helped but after each time I had to sit in the bed very still for about 45 min. with hubby bringing me hot tea to help settle my stomach. Then I tried Brandt-Daroff with hubby holding my head and positioning it for me and first time, done. Little crystals all back where they belong and life was good. We watched a bunch of youtube videos of docs. doing the exercises to make sure we were doing it right and hubby actually had one playing while he was helping me with it.

Hope you get it figured out.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I hope you get well soon, Mommasita. My sister has vertigo. When it's really bad, at her work, she has a special umbrella she sits under at her desk because sometime florescent lights bring on an episode. She has said that when she lays down it feels like her head is being pulled backwards at high speed.

 

[AustinTink]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Mommasita. Ive dealt with vertigo before and it's one of the worst feelings imaginable. Mine was due to Meniere's and was treated with steroids. I'm now on a low salt diet and natural daily diuretics to keep it from happening again. Could yours possibly be Meniere's as well. I see an otoneurologist for this.

 

[AustinTink]

I had a few episodes a few years ago, diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. With that a very low salt diet and the vertigo is under control. When I have high salt consumption eg Disney trips, I need to take meds to help rid the excess. keeping on a low sodium diet at the parks is very hard.

Same here. I've started taking ginger and turmeric daily and it helps my Meneire's tremendously. As a bonus, it also helps my tinnitus and other ailments.