Vertigo

Thank you very much for your kind thoughts.
I went to see my Physio again yesterday, and shared my concerns that I've had five attacks in about two months, and worried that it may be a symptom of something more serious. He said he had already done in previous visits, tests to confirm that I needn't worry on that score. So that put my mind partially to rest. He also said that he has had some patients who have had five attacks in one day !!
As I mentioned before I have some medication to help prevent sickness and dizzyness. I can't take those all the time though, he also advised taking vitamin D3. This is not specifically to help with the Vertigo, but a general pick-me-up, especially in the winter for lack of sunshine.

My problem would seem to be BPPV, which as you no doubt know is to do with sodium crystals moving around in the inner ear. Today I feel fine, but feel myself walking on eggshells being very careful how I move around, doing my exercises, and avoiding looking at bright lights, which seems to set me off. Not always easy to avoid though.

You have my sympathy and best wishes.

I seem to have settled at an attack every couple of months, with a couple
seeming to happen while I was asleep. I've woken up in the early hours
feeling dizzy and sometimes being sick.

I take a vitamin D and an antihistamine (hay fever) tablet every day. I only
take the anti sickness medication if I am feeling really bad, or just had an
attack.

zeemang said:

Dizzy feeling is TERRIBLE, i had bouts of it maybe 10 years ago. I was lucky to see a doctor who did a fairly simple procedure that made me feel worlds better. The issue was believed to be small crystals that had dislodged in my inner ear and were floating around in there. The procedure was basically having me sit down on the exam table and he would quickly pull me backwards until laying down and rotate my head to one side or the other. He did one side and stared at my eyes and could tell i was dizzy before even asking. He did the other side and it seemed to make whatever was in there "resettle". It's a very simple technique and basically solved it for me.
I forget the name of the technique, but you REALLY should look it up!
Feel better!

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This is an oriental treatment and I know two people it has seriously helped.

Sad to hear about these frequent vertigo attacks you are having. I had two attacks in early summer that sent me to the ER because it caused my blood pressure to skyrocket. The ER gave me intravaneous benedryl to bring the BP down. Then later I want to a specialist who did tests where they put goggles on you to measure your eye movements while a dot moves different ways on a screen. Not surprisingly they didn't find anything but I wasn't having an attack at the time.

No more attacks for several months but I live in fear of it. Never experienced anything as frightening. The room spinning and instant nausea and you're afraid to move for making it worse. Hope you get some answers. Hang in there.

Alan, sorry to hear you re still having issues. It's a terrible feeling.
I have mostly gotten over my episodes, can't honestly say what I am doing differently but whatever was bothering me has settled in and is not moving like it was.

Since 1982

I had viral Labrynthitis in 1982. I was driving home with my wife and son when the car began a slow roll to the left. It rolled over three times before it settled down. Actually the car never rolled over, but that was the beginning of my symptoms. When we got home. I laid on the bed and hugged the wall hoping the dizziness would stop. It didn't. With the dizziness came nausea. The next day when the campus clinic opened, the doc put me on Dramamine with codiene and a huge antacid that tasted like butter. Once the attack ended, I discovered that my sense of balance was seriously out of whack. I re-learned to walk using vertical lines in the environment to stay upright.
If the lights go out - I fall down if I'm not holding something stable.
I've had various exams and therapies. The therapists did convince me to use horizontal lines in the environment to stay upright, BUT that only works when there is a vertical line to "reset" my "calibration".
The problem has never really gone away, but some days its much better than others.
I've seen specialists and they all said that "re-setting my marbles" wasn't going to help.
I wish I could say that this problem kept me from purchasing a motorcycle. It didn't. Scratch one mint condition BMW R50/5.
I am sure that anyone seeing me out with my medium format camera and tripod and camera case all balanced on my 4 wheel rollator, rolling and staggering down dirt roads, would think that I have completely lost my marbles - But Vertigo or lack of balance is not a reason to give up the things you enjoy*. You just have to find a way to bend the problem so that you can live. (It helps if you let yourself go limp when you fall.)
John
*Unless you like to walk a tightrope, blindfolded

~Alan~ said:

Does anyone on here suffer with Vertigo, if so how do you cope with it ?

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I have cervical spondylosis and the vertigo caused by that is life changing. The prescribed meclizine and it does help some but not very much.

Crossmod said:

I have cervical spondylosis and the vertigo caused by that is life changing. The prescribed meclizine and it does help some but not very much.

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You have my sympathy. Most of the prescribed drugs seem to be to help
prevent nausea.
When I've had what I call a "Spinning" attack, it lasts about 15 - 20
seconds followed by a couple of hours trying to recover. Then I am usually
fine. Although a couple of weeks ago I woke up in the early hours of the
morning feeling very dizzy, followed by being sick. The dizzyness lasted about
10 days this time.