Vertigo

[popie]

Hello all, First it is nice to join others with simular problems, I have always felt I was the ONLY one in the world with the spins!
I will try to keep this as short as possible.
I live pretty much a normal life now. I have fought with vertigo for about 35 years :(
Started all at once when i was 14, for about 3 days I would get loud ringing in the ears and fall to the ground with the spins for about 15 seconds. It when away. but ever since I had very poor balance, Always felt like I was in a boat and walked like a drunk. I never told anyone, I was more afraid of the doc's than anything. At 18 I started to get the actual vertigo spells (no ear ringing or any other symptoms) about only once a year and last for about 1 hour. I had to keep my head level and still for the spin to stop.
about 20 years ago I bit the bullet and went into the doc. First the blood tests then the basic nero tests, no problem found. then to a ear/nose/throat spectiallist. That old goat was so insensitive. After all the barbarack tests...
His prognois was "I don't know - It will probably just get worse" I left and felt like I wanted to jump off a bridge.
Over the years since then, I guess better diet (cut down on sugar) and exercise. my drunk walking subsided some. since then my spin spells have increased from once a year to about 3-4 times a year, some a few hours to all day. About 2 years ago my current gen. practitioner evaluated me during an stress exam and put me on EFFEXOR ( anti depressant) I was reluctant due to the possible side effects.
Lo and behold for a whole year I was a new man, No wobblie's no vertigo spells.
I thought a-hah there's my cure after all. My doc. wanted to take me off the meds. and I pleaded not to and he agreed to put me on half the dose I was originally on. Now my sense of balance is still good but I started to get the once every 3-4 month spins again. I was wondering how the anti-depressant was controling my vertigo? The side effects are DIzzyness, Go figure.
So after all these years my condition is still undiagnosed. I hate being a guinny pig the docs and not getting any answsers, Any suggestions?
Thanks all!!

[popie]

It's me again, haven't received any reply's
Does anyone know much about BPPV and the Epley manuver for crystal replacement,
would it be a benifit to perform this on your self if you are NOT having a spin? eg: preventive maintanance??
'Youtube' has a large vid selection on the procedure.
Any replies would be greatly appreciated.