Vertigo

[patriciarose]

Hello to all: I thought I would check in here and find out how others are coping with an onset of vertigo Today it's rainy and I haven't been feeling well either. Right now it's really hard to stay still with vertigo happening, ARGH!!!!! Thank God the doc gave me Serc for this as it helps a bit to keep the dizzies in check so I wouldn't feel too dizzy, naseuas , etc. My question is do we just ride out the spells when they hit? Maybe my question could be answered with sure but I would love to hear from others like wise. I have a disability and some days when I am stuck in the house with this it great to talk to others to help me cope. So please if anyone has some feedback that would be great to hear from you.....Thank you for letting me post this message today>>>>>>:)

[annaje]

Hi Patriciarose.

I'm not sure how other people cope, but I've had almost constant vertigo for almost two years, in varying degrees, from a head injury sustained in a car accident. Some days are so bad I can't walk across a room without throwing up and some days I feel real heavy and can't move at all. I have both subjective and objective vertigo.

For myself, I have just learned to deal. I try to avoid situations that make it worse (flying seems to be the worse for me). I don't take medications for it. I've been through balance training and all that stuff and it didn't help, so I just try to get on with things as much as possible. My balance therapist said to challenge my vestibular system as much as possible, and try not to let it hold me back, so that's what I do.

If it's bad to the point where I feel like I'm going to pass out, then I stay at home. Otherwise, I try not to let it limit me. You really do get used to it and learn to compensate for it if you have it long enough. The alternative is to not have a life, and I refuse to let it get the best of me.

Hope this helps some, and I hope it goes away for you.

[Elbow Macaroni]

I was diagnosed with vertigo this week, and the information my doctor gave me came from the Chicago Dizziness and Hearing Clinic. If you use a search for that site, and look at the info for patients regarding dizziness, and BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo I think that you will learn a lot.

I am taking Antivert, which helps most with the nausea. I am also doing home BRANDT-DAROFF EXERCISES, which seems to be helping.

I joined this forum hoping to learn more from people who are dealing with vertigo. I hope that people will post their ways of coping.

I have learned not to lay on or turn my head to the left (my "bad" side). I do not jump out of bed anymore. I gently roll onto my stomach, and crawl out. I use a head set for the phone at work, so that I am not tilting my head to hold the phone while making multiple phone calls each day.

Reading some posts at this forum yesterday, I became very frightened that so many people are dealing with vertigo on a chronic basis. My heart really goes out to each of you. I had a very bad episode of vertigo once in the past, waking up in the middle of the night with the world spinning. It went on for a long time, but was gone by morning. I never saw a doctor for it, because it went away.

This time, I only had the spinning sensation for a few minutes, with nausea and mild dizziness lasting all day. The next day, I felt better, and was able to go to work, but still felt fuzzy headed and had a mild dizziness on and off. I saw the doctor late in the day, because the whole idea of vertigo is so frightening. He gave me the diagnosis, the Antivert, and the hope with the handouts and home exercises I mentioned above.

[annaje]

I've been through extensive testing and it turns out mine is not related to my ears or my eyes, although my right optic nerve and my right ear were both damaged in the accident. From a vestibular point of view, though, they are functioning normally. The problem seems to be my brain, which can no longer process the information supplied it properly, leading to constant vertigo in varying degrees and very poor balance, along with a host of other neurological problems from damage to other parts of my brain.

The vestibular part of my brain functions at 25% or less, and after two years has not improved, despite intensive therapy, so they tell me now that it's not likely to get better. They have given up on the "challenging the vestibular system" idea, and have instructed me to walk with a cane at all times to give my brain a third point of reference to reduce my fall risk, as I can't stay upright without touching things regularly as I go.

The cane gives me a greater feeling of stability and more confidence in moving around, specially in open spaces where there is nothing for me to touch to orient myself. It definitely helps with the balance, but not with the vertigo sensations or the nausea. Beats falling all the time though!

[Elbow Macaroni]

Annaje, you have a very positive attitude. I'm sure that helps a lot. And the idea of a cane to help as a touch point is a good one. I wish you could get some medicine for the nausea, if not for the dizziness.

The brain is an amazing thing. Sometimes healing comes well after the docs think it can't, and I hope that is true for you. That you will have more steady days, and less dizzy ones!

And hopefully PatriciaRose is feeling steady these days, too.

[tildenjane]

I have found that since my vertigo began several weeks ago, doing the Epley maneuver has made all the difference in the world. I realize there are many different causes of vertigo and they need to be checked out by the docs but whoever this person is deserves a gate pass to heaven for the relief this has brought me, allowing me to have my life back! Blessings to the internet where both I and my doc 'discovered' this!

[pansyprofit]

It sounds like you may have BPPV but if I were you I would have some tests run. Vertigo can be caused from many things; ear infections, neck/back problems, MS, Brain tumors ( not to man diagnosed with this), B12 difficiency, minears disease. Very serious stuff. My aunt has MS and it started out with vertigo. I have vertigo, but it is a constant dizzy feeling and sometimes extremely horrible. I've had many tests and nothing has come out of any of them other than I know that it has something to do with my right ear. Do some internet reading on vertigo. You will be very surprised on the different onsets of vertigo there are. I'm not sure what kind of doc you saw, but perhaps an ENT would be a good suggestion. Good Luck
JB

[oldbuffalo]

As someone who just experienced the spinning room sensation and wondered what in God's name was happening, I am writing the very morning after. I am wondering if anyone experiences this sensation while driving or during other activities during a normal day. I am suppose to be driving about 100 miles today to my granddaughter's birthday party and am scared it is possible to have things start spinning around while driving which, of course, could be catastrophic. Does this happen to some people while totally awake? My rapid spinning was only upon waking up to roll over and all of a sudden I was as if my eyeballs were spinning around in my head as the room spun.