Vertigo.....does anyone else suffer with this?

I've had many attacks of this for a couple of years now. The specialist I went to calls it BPPV....Benign Positional Peripheral Vertigo, meaning if I tilt my head to the right & backwards, I will spin violently until the whole course of vertigo subsides (usually 2-3 weeks). So if I'm laying down at night to sleep, I have to stay on the side not affected. If I move in my sleep to the bad side, I'm woken with the spins. Nothing worse than spinning in your bed, ugh.
Up until now, the attacks have always been related to the right side but this morning I woke up with it being on the left.
Apparently, there's not much that can be done medically for this condition except taking a drug that will calm it down some so you can function to some degree and doing special exercises to realign those particles in the ears that got out of whack. The problem is, I can't even start these exercises until a few days pass because I'm so freaked out and nauseated. The exercises involve sitting upright on the edge of the bed, then laying down to the unaffected side for 30 secs, then back upright for 30 secs and then laying to the affected side for 30 secs. This is repeated 6 times in a course, three times a day. I tried it today and it was worse than I ever remember it being before. I started sweating profusely, spinning violently forever, threw up all over the place and cried for hours.

If there is anyone else out there who has this, please tell me how you cope? I'm 34 yrs old and wonder if this is going to be with me for life and does it get worse as you get older? Also, I'm supposed to catch a plane on March 11th and wonder if being on the plane with aggravate the vertigo?

I'm so depressed.

Thanks,
Erynne

Erynne,
I so sorry to hear how you are suffering with this problem. I only have a fear of heights that cause me to feel light headed and dizzy when I am way up high, nothing like what you have. I did find some information on a neurology website which recommends some treatment options.
http://www.neurologychannel.com/vertigo/treatment.shtm
I don't know what the Canadian healthcare system is like but maybe you have to be your own advocate for your healthcare. I hate to be told "there is nothing that can be done."
good luck,
Liz

Hey Liz,
I hate to be told that there's nothing that can be done too! It's a very frustrating experience and the only thing I can do is my vestibular exercises and take a med called Serc. The med actually makes me feel sleepy.
Thanks for the link. Our healthcare system in Ontario has it's good points and bad points, like anywhere else I suppose. The wait times can be long and that's why I can't be bothered running to the DR's office everytime something goes wrong. I am looking to manage this as best I can on my own. Some people have given me some great advice but what works for one person may not for the next. All I can do is keep trying.
One lady I know, who has the same condition, told me to lay in bed for the whole episode as this is what she does. I can't do that......4 kids to deal with, a business to run, a house to clean and gardening stuff....no lady of leisure here, lol.

I'm the opposite of you when it comes to heights. I love being up high and looking at the world below. I wanted to go on the Capilano Suspension Bridge next week but if this vertigo is still with me, I'll have to forfeit. It looks like it's closed for repairs right now anyway.

Thanks for the good luck and sharing your own experience with dizziness.

Erynne :o)

I have vertigo. Once I got over the fear that I was having a heart attack or stroke every time this happened, I have been able to control it a bit better. For me, turning my head from side to side in the grocery store and looking up causes it, then I get paniced im the the store. I am petrified I wont catch myself starting to spin, otherwise im afraid i wont be able to tell myself to reverse spinning action. I know it sounds wierd, but the doctors told me I was going to have to train myself not to spin, and darned if im not pretty good at it. Its impossible to explain, how you tell you brain to spin the other way, but you do, and you can. I was told the only other alternative was a surgery that was really used in last last resort. Since it is in the ears, make sure your head is cleared of all gunk...medicate..or it is worse. The first time I ever really started pinning, I was in bed and had my husband take me to the hospital. I thought I was going for sure. They just kinda barked at me and said...well do you have vertigo, like it was common and what was i doing there. Good good luck.

Erynne, I had benign paroxysmal positional vertigo for many years and finally found the solution -- for me, at least. After suffering through it for years, I found a doctor who hit on the perfect remedy: one 25-mg pill of Meclizine HCI each night for three nights in a row. Meclizine is similar to Dramamine, but stronger. It's a very inexpensive drug. I did not need a prescription to buy it, although I did have to ask the pharmacist for it. It's one of the drugs typically kept behind the drugstore counter. It does make you sleepy, so it has to be taken when you're retiring for the night. The first time I took it, I slept for 14 or 15 hours, so be prepared for that.

After the first time I took the pill three nights in a row, I didn't suffer another attack for almost a year. After the second course of treatment, I never had another attack. Occasionally, I feel a little dizzy if I look up to the sky and back down too quickly, but those minor episodes are now cured by spotting. If you've ever taken ballet, that term will be familiar to you. It's the technique of focusing on one particular spot to avoid dizziness while you're doing spins in ballet. As soon as I feel dizzy, I just focus on one spot in the landscape, or one spot on the wall if I'm inside, until the dizziness stops.

Believe me, I know how helpless BPPV can make you feel, but there are remedies, and I'm certain something will work for you.

Well my head stays full of junk LOL! I go for months without anything, then it pops up again. Knock on wood, I haven't had vertigo for awhile. But I have sinus infections that make up for it about every 2-4 months. Along with an occasional ear infection and seasonal allergies. Doc diagnosed me with BPPV and I take the meclizine too. I can't stand taking pills, despise dramamine. That stuff knocks me out! I would love to go deep sea fishing with my fil and hubby but don't want to sleep through it!
I moved from central Ga to north Ga 10 years ago and I've had all of this stuff since. People used to look at me like I was on drugs when I told them I was spinning. I guess it bothered me the most when my son was a baby and I would lie on the floor playing with him and it scared me to think I was home alone with him and felt like passing out. Hubby and I have used 'ear candles' that we get from our health food store. If we used them more often like we should, maybe I wouldn't have sinus prob. so often. The humidity drives me crazy and brings symptoms on. The only thing that helps is a good dose of antibiotics.
I am sorry that you have to go through this. Just know that you are not alone. I have tried the exercises too, you just have to make sure that you do them.

Susan

Oh wow, wow! There's alot of us out there with this vertigo!

gardenglory, I know what you mean about getting panicked when the vertigo starts and you're in public. I definitely fear falling or staggering. I tried telling my brain to spin the other way but it didn't listen ;o). I think that takes alot of practice! Being in bed and spinning has got to be the worst feeling and I can't believe the hospital staff just fluffed it off like that when you went for help. Let them get an episode of vertigo and see how it feels,lol.
As common as vertigo may be, someone having it for the first time is scared out of their wits until they have gentle reassurance and a proper diagnosis. No brain tumors and you're not dying is what I needed to hear!

I have to wonder if me having ear problems when I was a kid is in any way related to my problems now. Up until I was thirteen years old, I suffered with chronic ear infections and had a 20% hearing loss. The docs took out my tonsils and stuck tubes in my ears that were supposed to fall out in 6 months (they didn't; took 18 months). The docs said it was all caused by my father smoking in the house since the day I was born. I'm not sure about that part though as I have 4 siblings who were exposed to the smoke on a consistent basis as well and they were fine.

Zuzu & Susan thanks for mentioning your experience with the meclizine. I'll have to check out whether I can get it behind the counter up here. If it's anything like Serc (betahistine), I'll be sleepy for sure. I'm saving it for night time so I can at least sleep but I will be honest and say that it's not all that effective for me.

Zuzu, it's funny you mention about the spotting as I've been instinctually been doing that when I spin in order to stop it. It mostly happens as I try to lay down, grrr. So what I do, is look at the art work on the wall and keep looking there until it passes. Maybe the eyes & ears have more of connection than I ever realized.

Susan, so sorry you have to deal with sinus infections so often....those can be wretchedly painful! You mention having had vertigo when you had a baby to deal with....oh geez, that would be scary. I would be scared to pick the baby up in case of falling with the little one. I picked my own son up the other day and we both nearly went over,lol. He's 8 yrs old, btw, but still likes to cuddled like a baby, lol.

I think the funniest thing that ever happened to me while experiencing a spin is falling face down in the dirt. I was on my knees prepping the soil where some new daylilies were to be planted, and turned too fast to grab the plants, turned back toward the hole and whamo, I got planted pretty good. Guess, there can be a little humour in having vertigo so long as I don't get arrested for what looks like public drunkiness!

Thanks for talking with me about this. Even though I wouldn't wish BPPV on my worst enemy, it's comforting to know others know what we're going through.

Erynne :o)

Erynne - I'm so sorry to hear that you've been dealing with this. It is more debilitating than anyone without it could ever realize.

here they have people called proprioception trainers whose job is to help you with the ability to relate to your environment. I learned to keep my head at the same level, how to get up from a sitting position, to close my eyes when I turned my head and that just putting one finger on something can stop me from feeling as if I'm going to fall. I don't think that my problem is as bad as yours. I did use a cane in the garden and while walking for quite awhile with a triangle foot on the bottom that stayed on top of the soil. I used the triangle tip with a standard adjustable cane from the same company. It gave me more confidence.

http://www.walkingcanedepot.com/tripod_cane/tripod_cane.asp

I suffered from this a few years ago and found relief with the same treatment as Zuzu. Amazing what a great job a little pill will do. At first it was very bad and I would have no warning when it would start. The worst was when I was driving. I had to pull over until it subsided enough to where I could drive again. Anyway, long story short, I have not had any episodes now for a few years but always carry Meclizine with me ...'just in case'.

BTW..I was blessed with finding a very good ENT doctor that told me what to do, the doctor I HAD been going to had talked me into sinus surgery and when that didnt stop it, he wanted to do inner ear surgery. THAT was when I decided I would get a second opinion..

Kris

So sorry for responding to your posts so LATE! I had left on Mar 11 for vacation and returned Mar 18, read the posts and meant to respond but forgot......very bad manners!
Doss, my vertigo hasn't let up since I began this episode on March 4th...almost a month! I'm getting really good at managing it now so I don't instigate a spin but there are the odd moments that I forget I have the vertigo; that's when I nearly go over. If I don't look up, I'm good, lol. Actually a cane that I could bring into the shower would be a great idea because when I put my head back to rinse out the shampoo, I have a bit of trouble.....not a place you want to fall! Thanks for the link.

earthling, I've got the meclizine! I keep them in my purse and they are chewables (taste rotten though). The trade name for them is Bonamine. They zonk me out a little but no too badly and they do ease up the spins but not entirely. My friend out west has had vertigo for 10 yrs (same age as myself) and the docs had an MRI done on her. Turns out her brain looks somewhat collapsed on the side affected and may be pressing on a nerve that has to do with the ear. How someone's brain collapses, I have no idea.....now that is scary!

I'm sorry there are so many of us with this but we will prevail!!!!! I've decided this is not going to get me down!

Erynne - You might want to think about a plastic stool especially made for the shower. It would be much easier and safer than a cane.

Erynne, have you actually tried taking 25 mg just before you go to bed for three nights in a row? I don't think meclizine can help you completely unless you follow the instructions for the full course of treatment. One of my friends kept taking it for one night at a time and never got rid of it until she took it for the full three nights.

Doss, a seat....now that too is a great idea!

Zuzu, yup, I take one at night, 20 mins before bed as that's when I need it most. I'll be on my fifth tablet tonight. I have to tell you that I sure don't wake up with spin because I shifted to the affected side which is pure bliss; I'm more rested!

Here are some shower seats. I"m not sure that they are the most inexpensive but I just googled shower seat.
http://seniorshops.com/batac.html

Doss, my ex MIL has a brand new shower seat like that foldable one in the link you provided. She bought it when she thought she'd have to provide long term care for her 92 yr old mother but the senior's residence found a spot for GiGi (great grandma) at the last minute. So with that said, I just inquired this evening and she said it's mine to keep! Some of those models are pricey!

Thank You,
Erynne

I agree with zuzu, I was to take the meclizine on a regular basis..(everyday) just like any other prescribed medication. It was only after a period of time that I was free of the 'dizzy spells'.

Good luck in getting rid of them, I know how terrible they can be..

Kris

So glad that you have the seat Erynne, I have a ledge in my shower and it really helps.

I guess I spoke to soon. I haven't had vertigo in quite awhile until last week. It came out of nowhere. Usually it only lasts for a day or two, but I finally broke down and went to the dr. yesterday. This is the first time that I can remember having a stiff neck and shoulders with it, also waking up with the arm under me feeling like it was asleep. The meds the dr. prescribed seem to be a little stronger than the over the counter stuff. I have had a sinus infection pop up about every 2-3 months but it was nothing like this stuff. I don't know which is worse, the ear ache when I swallow or the pressure in my head and spinning.
I also got a lovely nail fungus. That's what I get for taking my gloves off when using cow manure!!!

Susan

I'm so sorry that the vertigo is back Susan. What a bummer. I hope that all of this resolves itself soon - and I guess I'll go back to wearing gloves. Yikes!

OMG I am SO thankful for this thread. It is by sheer luck that I found it! I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, after suffering for at least a week. I've missed a day of work already, and I only work two days a week! It's going to be hard enough to get my hours in for my summer internship. I thought I had the flu at first, but the only symptom is spinning and nausea. I can totally relate to not wanting to stagger in public, I also don't want to fall off a 6-foot ladder when I'm watering the plants. Funny you mentioned brain tumors and heart attacks, I've been freaking out about that too. LOL My ear doesn't hurt, but it does feel like there is something in it, and I feel pressure at the base of my skull. I keep thinking about that Dr. Seuss book, where Ned had a big bird in his ear. LOL I had been using q-tips a little more than usual, maybe I pushed something in instead? I'll let you know what happens, glad to hear there is relief in sight.

I doubt that you pushed something in. Let's hope that it's something easy to resolve. I'll be interested in what you find out.

Thanks for your concern doss.

I'll be thinking of you.

Erynne,

how have you been doing? I too just stumbled onto this since it was listed in the "most recent" at the bottom of Daves main page....

had the meclizine helped you?

my DH actually has a prescription for it.. one DR gave it to him, and another DR told him not to take it.....

(((( Susan ))))....so sorry to hear the dizzies have struck again. It seems to be that way eh ..."out of no where". Did your doctor have any clue as to why you were all stiff as well? I hope you get better quick!

Doss, how have you been keeping? I got my seat and walking stick in my bedroom closet for when the next round of vertigo strikes. Oh and my stockade of meclizine,lol.

PG, you're gonna need a hug too, so sending one your way! Yes, I know that feeling of thinking the absolute worst when it strikes and no one can tell you any different until you've got reassurances from your doctor and those in the know. I hope it's just a little bug you've caught and it's a one time thing. Let us know how it turns out.
Now what's this about Dr.Seuss and the bird in the ear? You sound like you're someone's mommy. We got the whole collection of those books but I can't remember that one and I really think I've read everyone at least 20 times for bedtime stories,lol.

Hi Terese! Yeah I've been good (knocking on wood,lol). There are moments where I wonder oh geez, what was that...better not be starting again....then it's gone. I think I'm just paranoid about it catching me off guard. The meclizine was wonderful and I know I won't ever be without it as long as it's on the market. I don't want to run to my doctors everytime it starts because I can't stand being around sick people in the doctor's office.....I worked in a hospital for 10 yrs, so you think I'd be used to that business,lol.
Did your DH get his RX filled for the meclizine and try it? I wonder why the other doc advised against it? Maybe your DH has existing medical conditions or is on other meds that are contraindicated for the use of this med?? Either way, I'm sorry to hear that he has vertigo too.

I'm glad that you are doing well Eyrnne. It's great news. My vertigo has been reduced some by a reduction of other meds but it's still with me, no question.

Other than that and the usual other maladies like no energy and mental foggyness I'm perfectly fine! LOL

Oh no doss, I thought it was just me that felt that way. My doctor gave me Meclizine 12.5 mg, to take three times a day, and some samples of Allegra-D 12 hour, a combination antihistimine/decongestant, to take twice daily. He said there was no sign of a (/n middle) ear infection, but that it was very possible that a virus had settled into my inner ear. Short of removing my brain to see, he prescribed these meds! LOL I told him my daughter, who is studying to be a massage therapist, thinks I have fibromyalgia. He did a pressure points test and confirmed her diagnosis! I can't wait to tell her, she will be thrilled that she could tell. Sucks for me, however. But at least now I know that it's a real thing, and I'm not a kook. I seem to manage just fine, so he didn't prescribe any treatment for it just yet.
Erynne, it's in One Fish Two Fish: "Say Look! A bird was in your ear. But he is out. So have no fear. Again your ear can hear, my dear." I am someone's mommy, but this was from when I was a kid. LOL Here's an appropriate quote: "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." ~Dr. Seuss
Maybe we should all write one called Right Side Up, LOL. Hope everyone's having a good day. Take care.

Sorry about your fibromyalgia diagnosis. Not fun at all. But I hope that the meds will clear your inner ear. Glad that you didn't opt for removing the brain though! Isn't it funny how when we feel terrible we don't believe ourselves and just think that we are being a 'kook'? I still find myself thinking that (or similar things) even though I've been a 'kook' for a very long time. :-)

My first Dr. Seuss was 'On Beyond Zebra'. One Fish Two fish is one that I read to my grandchildren and that they read to themselves. It's a fun one.

Oh doss, the list of ailments I have been diagnosed with is frighteningly long, best not to dwell too much on them...I have to say I'm sick of these "doctors in training" my doctor has with him during my visits, it makes me feel like a lab rat. I took both meds two days ago, and I slept like the dead for the first time in years. I vaguely remember blowing my nose once, lol. I've continued with the Allegra. Still dizzy in the morning, but I can't take that much meds.

Sorry you have so much wrong. When I get new meds the side effects subside after about 4 days. Every time I start a new medication I get nauseated, dizzy and sick but if I wait it out it goes away. Glad that you got some sleep anyway.

The intern thing is a pain, all right. At the Stanford hospital you see the resident and then if he/she thinks that it's worth it the resident presents the case to the MD. Do you have pink eyes and a long tail?

No, I have green eyes, but I do have a fat rear, LOL. Sheesh doss, that is totally unfair, do they charge less if only the resident sees you? Maybe I should try the exercises that Erynne mentioned, but I'm unclear about what "side" is affected. I told him that I feel that one ear is "stuffed up" (not so much since taking the meds) but doc says they're both pushed out slightly, not one more than the other.

Charge less, are you kidding??? I actually don't go to the clinic anymore. It's too crazy there.

Just glad that you are feeling a little better. Sorry that the Meclizine has too many side effects though. Don't you hate it when the medication is worse than the medical problem it's supposed to fix?

my Dh started taking those meds today.... napped most of the afternoon.
if it helps, i will report back -- he did say he was going to read this thread - just hasnt done it yet.

but one thing he said about Dr;s..... he's been seeing them since mid-march for what he calls a "balance issue"
he says it's like they are throwing darts at a dart board...... one says this, then another Doc says it may be something else.

just hope they can figure out what is causing the troubles.

Hmm, I see. That'll be $60, LOL.

My vertigo has been chalked up to either meds that I'm taking for something else or migraines. Not very satisfactory but I think that many times they are shooting in the dark.

Yeah, weathermen and doctors, Grrrr.

I do have a great MD and have tried other experts. Apparently it's pretty common for migraine people to have vertigo and there's nothing to be done about it. I've gotten rid of my daily headaches (Thank goodness!) and just haven't gotten rid of some of the other symptoms - like vertigo I guess.

After about a month of being vertigo free, it came back. My right ear had been feeling like it was stopped up, so I went to my old dr. He told me I had fluid on my eardrum and my blood pressure was up. So I'm taking amoxicilin for the ear and a new rx for BP. He told me the vertigo is Meneire's disease and that it takes about 2 weeks for it to run it's course. That was a a big help NOT! It's week #3 and it is some better, but still there. I have the feeling that this is how I'm going to live my life, like I'm spinning. I have to go back next week and will see if he can prescribe Meclizine again. It seems to be the only thing that helps.....

So sorry that you're having to deal with the vertigo again. That's just NOT OK.

I hope that the Meclizine will help you though. It's so hard to treat high blood pressure too. Hope that the amoxicillin helps some.

OMG I was surprised to find all the other "dizzy blondes" out there (as my husband used to call me!!) I have a bout of terrible Vertigo about once or twice a year ...I would probably be suicidal if it was more often, or lasted more than a day or so at a time. I too take Meclizine ...it is a godsend. I usually wake up with the spins ...If I take the pill and go back to bed, if I can get to sleep, usually when I wake up in a few hours, it has subsided....but it is horrible while it lasts. Believe me, my sympathies are with you. My worst fear was that it would hit when I was in the car, so I always carry the Meclizine with me in my purse, just in case. Sandy