Vertigo

[ACEMAN]

Just thought I would post how my test went. The doctor discovered that I have 40 percent nerve damage on my right side in which the medical term is vestibular neuritis. He said that it may take years for the nerves to regenerate and sometimes they will not. I was pretty nervous about the caloric test but I am glad that it is over and they have finally diagnosed me after a year and a half. I have been to 5 different doctors until i found one that actually cared enought to figure it out . He has put me on a drug named diphenidol and I take 25mg every 8 hours during the day. It has been great and the dizziness is getting better with each day. He said I should feel a lot better after a couple of weeks. The best part is i dont get tired like I did on antivert and that didnt work all that well anyway. I am very excited for the future. I feel like i am getting my life back. So in conclusion I just wanted to let anybody out there know that you just need to keep searching for answers and one day you will find the right answer.

[jyky123]

Hi,

How long do you need to take the medicine? As long as you have the sympton? I have acute peripheral vestibular lesion, possibly labyranthitis.

Thanks,

JYKY123

[ACEMAN]

Yes you have to take it everyday. After a few weeks I had to quit taking it . I started getting really blurry vision which the doc said that can be a side effect but it took the vertigo away quite well. I would try it to see how it works for you. I am currently do VRT Physical Thearpy. I just started and I have been really dizzy but they tell me that it should get better time will tell. Good Luck

[jyky123]

Hi Aceman,

Thank you for your fast reply!! I posted a new topic about therapy and excercises. I haven't seen it shown on the forum and I wondered what happened to it. I hope it'll surface soon. Anyway, I started the therapy 3+ weeks ago for "acute peripheral vestibular lesion - possible Labyranthitis. At the office the audiologist lets me watch all kinds of moving light circles projected on the wall. That's no problem, and I feel better after the visit. The home execercises are the ones killing me. I've been told to do them the more frequent the better, and the more challenging the better. I feel I am getting worse. After the excercise my overall dizziness increases. I'm like a zombie for most of the day. I do one set (saccade, tracking, targets, head circles, head turns-focus, ankle sway, circle sway, ball circles, and gait w/ head movement) at lunch break and one close to bed time. I wasn't dizzy when I first got off bed, now I am big time. Then in late afternoon I feel better, maybe I become more adapted. However it seems it doesn't register in my brain the next moring. I have to go through the whole thing over again and again....and I haven't seen improvement. I'm a very active person and I should adapt soon. I'm getting anxious and wonder if I'm like an old dog.
What kind of VRT therapy do you do? How long do they suggest you? Is your dizziness last for most of the day or disappears soon after? Sorry for asking so many questions. If you could please keep me posted of your progress. Good luck and thank you very much!

[ACEMAN]

JYKY123-
I have only been to vrt twice and on the first visit she looked at all my test results from the ent and then she tested me for bppv. Turns out I had it in my left ear. She treated me for that with the Epley Manuvuer and she told me that she wanted to treat that first before we really get started on the VRT . On my second visit she tested me to see if the bppv had disappered and it did in the left ear but now it is in my right ear. I couldn't believe it .I am so discouraged because everytime I try something It seems like i go one step forward and two steps back. Anyway she did the Epley for the right side. Before she did that she but some gadget with sensors on my head and she did some tested to see if I had compensated from the neuritis. I would turn my head from side to side and this letter E would appear and I would have to tell her if it was up, down, left , or right. I passed that with flying colors so she thinks I have fully compensated from the neuritis. She wants me to do these Brandt-daroff exersises 2-3 reps everyday to start. They have been very hard for me becasue they make me very dizzy and I feel horrible after. The next day i felt off balance and like you say like a zombie. It makes going to work very very hard.. My Pt did tell me that the exercises would make me dizzy but it is suppose to help in the long run. I sure hope so. I have had this crap since Feb 08.

Take care . I will keep you posted

[jyky123]

Hi Aceman,

Sorry about your Zombiness. Good thing is you've compensated for the neuritis. For some reason I keep de-compensate myself. I read about BPPV may happen after nerve damage if the utriclce is damaged. It's terrible that you have it on both sides. My doctor didn't do any manuever on me since she thinks my dizziness is from nerve lesion. A lot of people do Brandt-daroff exersises and I was thinking about doing them at home even my doctor didn't tell me too. Later I read about there's a possibility of getting "multi-canal vertigo" so I'll ask my doctor's opinion on this tomorrow and I'll let you know.
I had mine since early May. My progress is also inconsistent. Very discouraging. Hang in there!

[jyky123]

I talked to my audiologist yesterday. I asked her if Brandt-daroff exersises may cause mult-canal vertigo and she said yes. Just be careful and don't over do it.

Take care

[ACEMAN]

I went to pt today and she tested my right ear and no vertigo . She then tested my left ear and I had slight nystagmus. She did the epley for that side. I can't believe that it keeps switching sides but I guess thats how it goes. She told me to stop the brandt-daroff and now I am doing two new habituation exercieses where I lay down fast to the right side with the head centered and then I do the left for 3-4 reps. I also so sit and bend forward quickly looking at my right knee for 10 secs and then up and repeat the left side. She wants me to do these 3 times a day. I don't dare do these in the morning before work cause it makes me too dizzy . So I guess I will have to do them at night . Take care.