Benign paroxismal positional vertigo

RealWorldStrengthLLC

Does anyone here have any experience with this?

First off, I'll start with: I've already been to the doctor, he ran some tests. Checked bloodwork, and said it is most likely BPPV and should resolve in a week or two.

It first happened yesterday evening - I was at the gym, but I wasn't doing anything really, I was playing trainer for a friend. In between his sets, I picked up an 80lb dumbell and did a press just screwing around, put it down, and about a minute later had a vertigo attack like i was really drunk for 5 seconds followed by a ringing in my ears. This was not a normal blood pressure spike/drop that comes with lifting something heavy - I know what that feels like and i have never experienced this. Plus, it was way too delayed - like I said it was over a minute later. The ringing was not my normal tinnitus flare up either, way too low in pitch and way louder. After this I went straight to the VA ER and got checked out where they said it is likely BPPV.

It has happened several times since then, though not as intense. Last night picking up a gallon of milk, today in the gym in between sets going to get the wipes, and coming home today after I walked in my house. The one walking in the house was the most intense since last night, but still not as bad.

The doc told me I'm good to keep doing my daily thing, school, lift, etc...just to be careful and be aware that it could happen kind of often in the next couple weeks and always half expect it so it doesn't catch me off guard. if it doesn't solve itself in 2 weeks, then come back.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Its not terribly crippling or anything and im doing ok, but it scared the living *kitten* out of me when it first came on, hence the trip to the ER.

Maxxitt

Glad you got it checked out. There are a couple of things that might help - treatment via positioning that you can do at home (see video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtJB5Vx7Xqo and over the counter med - meclizine hydrochloride. Alcohol can make it worse. Be careful driving, as turning to look over your shoulder while changing lanes can make you dizzy.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

Thanks for the vid.

It seems to be triggered by bending down, but really delayed (like a minute) and definitely not every time. When I think about it, I picked the dumbell off the bottom rack and put it back and also picked my water up off the floor, the milk I grabbed was bottom shelf, in the gym I was doing barbell curls from the floor and put it back down on the floor, and before I went in my house I leaned over in my truck to grab something off the passenger floor.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

@Maxxitt I just tried the PT moves in the vid. I did both sides because I have no idea which ear is affected. Not sure if I did it right though, I never got any symptoms and she said it should bring them on.

AnnPT77

I was recently diagnosed with it. It seems to be fading, but very slowly.

I first noticed it when I shook my head "no" very vigorously (for effect, when joking about a violent negative reaction to something). The vertigo was instant; fortunately I was sitting down. It felt like the room pitched sideways, and spun on a vertical axis at the same time. Since then, I've felt it a couple of times when turning my head quickly (like reflex reaction to a loud sound behind me), and once when turning my head to look behind before pulling out of a parking spot.

For me, the effect is always immediate, not delayed at all.

From what I'd read, self-administration of the exercises might not be an ideal route: Allegedly, the location of the crystals means that an expert diagnosis (by a specially trained physical therapist) and tailored treatment are the best route. Reportedly, one may simply relocate the crystals to a different but still unhappy spot. (Haven't tried it; don't know.) I have a PT referral, but am waiting to see if it resolves on its own.

Allie1618

Yep I’ve had BPPV. Also sometimes called top shelf vertigo because it can be set off by tilting the head up, like in my case. During the worst episode I was only really dizzy for about a month then it gradually got better. The exercises did not help me, just time.

Hope it resolves on its own for you very soon!

RealWorldStrengthLLC

@Allie1618

Did you ever feel just a bit...unsteady I guess. Its hard to explain. I kinda feel like I've been on a boat most of the afternoon whenever I'm standing up.

Allie1618

@youcantflexcardio Yes definitely unsteady. I would say the being on a boat comparison is spot on. I was given some meds to help until it cleared up, but it has been too many years to remember exactly what that was.

Is the ringing still happening? Did they say you had any wax build up in your ears? I’ve had to have my ears cleaned out at the dr office a few times and it always helps with the ringing. But I still have a low level of tinnitus regardless.

Glad you went to the ER, Hope you have time to relax a little over the holidays and get better.

ghudson92

I get vertigo quite often due to issues with my ears that have plagued me since birth. Standing up, bending down, lifts (elevators), heights... these are just a few of the things that set me off. I find it is worse if my sinuses are congested. Have you experienced any congestion recently?

Dilvish

get a second opinion from another doctor. Clearly you wouldn't be posting here if you felt 100% about the diagnosis.
Everybody is different. Sounds to me like an issue with your cardiovascular rather than your inner ear canal (vertigo).
My wife gets vertigo pretty badly but it doesn't just come and go like you have experienced. Once it hits, it stays around until it dissipates..never anything as short term as you describe.

Sabine_Stroehm

I have it off and on. I do at home Eply's (the maneuver shown in the video). But if possible I get in to see my chiro. He is AMAZING at getting rid of mine with a particular variety of Eply maneuver.

Keep in mind, it can take a few "treatments".

Trina2040

I was diagnosed with BPV (Benign Positional Vertigo) in 2008 with a severe attack that sent me to the hospital for an MRI. Since then the attacks are milder, less frequent, and have now stopped. I've used the Epley Method, meclizine hydrochloride and most importantly lowered my sodium intake as high amounts of sodium swell the inner ear. I've cut my sodium intake to 1500mg which seems to help tremendously for me. Personally, I believe that I have Meniere's disease as one of the symptoms is tinnitus.

According to Healthline, "The cause of Meniere's disease isn't known, but scientists believe it's caused by changes in the fluid in tubes of the inner ear." Meniere's has many of the same symptoms as BPV/BPPV.

BarbellCowgirl

I had a month-long bout with it last year. A few times, I couldn’t walk without falling. It was bad enough I had some puking episodes(just like having motion sickness). The Epleys maneuver seemed to solve it. Every once in a while, I’ll have a mild episode, but it resolved quickly.

AnnPT77

Dilvish wrote: »

get a second opinion from another doctor. Clearly you wouldn't be posting here if you felt 100% about the diagnosis.
Everybody is different. Sounds to me like an issue with your cardiovascular rather than your inner ear canal (vertigo).
My wife gets vertigo pretty badly but it doesn't just come and go like you have experienced. Once it hits, it stays around until it dissipates..never anything as short term as you describe.

BPPV can be short-term: If one moves such that the crystals in the ear canal are floating around in the wrong places and stimulating the wrong sensory apparatus, the room spins . . . or seems to. Once one is still again, the crystals settle down, and the spinning stops. There are multiple kinds of vertigo. This is only one. My (doctor diagnosed) BPPV incidents last literally seconds, though there can be some queasiness after the perceived spinning stops, if the incident was bad enough. The vertigo proper is very short duration, though.

Machka9

It's a vestibular disorder, isn't it?
https://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder/symptoms

My husband has been affected by similar after his severe brain injury.

PT helps as does some medication.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

Wow, a lot of support and responses. It has really made me feel a lot more confident about this whole thing. Thank you all - update: the last couple days have been really good, maybe a little unsteady at times but nothing major. Seems to be more towards the end of the day. I've been able to train just fine. I really thought the sledgehammer hits and tire flips would set it off, but nothing. I even did my usual farmers walks today, I was definitely nervous going into them but it was OK.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

Allie1618 wrote: »

@youcantflexcardio Yes definitely unsteady. I would say the being on a boat comparison is spot on. I was given some meds to help until it cleared up, but it has been too many years to remember exactly what that was.

Is the ringing still happening? Did they say you had any wax build up in your ears? I’ve had to have my ears cleaned out at the dr office a few times and it always helps with the ringing. But I still have a low level of tinnitus regardless.

Glad you went to the ER, Hope you have time to relax a little over the holidays and get better.

I have almost a constant ringing in my ears due to tinnitus (I never wore earpro shooting or around explosions and stuff in the military. Im an idiot, I know. I wear em now but the damage is done. Thankful for for box fans)

AnnPT77

youcantflexcardio wrote: »

Wow, a lot of support and responses. It has really made me feel a lot more confident about this whole thing. Thank you all - update: the last couple days have been really good, maybe a little unsteady at times but nothing major. Seems to be more towards the end of the day. I've been able to train just fine. I really thought the sledgehammer hits and tire flips would set it off, but nothing. I even did my usual farmers walks today, I was definitely nervous going into them but it was OK.

Glad to hear it's been manageable: Thanks for reporting back!

MostlyWater

IS ANYONE STILL HERE FROM THIS THREAD? ANY UPDATES? I'M GOING THROUGH this now.

AnnPT77

MostlyWater wrote: »

IS ANYONE STILL HERE FROM THIS THREAD? ANY UPDATES? I'M GOING THROUGH this now.

I'm still here. I still have the occasional mild bit, but anything major (for me) stopped so soon I didn't even use the physical therapy referral I had gotten to have an expert do the Epley maneuver. Acute phase went away, mostly, after . . . I kinda forget . . . maybe 3 weeks?

Once in a while, there's just the tiniest bit of spin, if I whip my head around really fast. It isn't destablilizing, generally, though I did fall when I combined the whip-around with stepping on something destabilizing in a narrow spot where I wasn't able to recover quickly enough to keep from falling.

YMMV - probably will.

What info are you hoping to get from others, beyond the suggestions above?

Beautyofdreams

I have spent the majority of the past year with something similar but different. While I described it as dizziness I was actually blacking out and falling. It was persistent every day especially upon waking or after exertion. After a year of various treatments the issue was finally diagnosed and treated as anemia. Since receiving an iron infusion, the symptoms have almost entirely disappeared. Because I had a severe reaction to the infusion must take daily iron pills to bring me closer to normal limits. Hope it takes less time to resolve your symptoms.

33gail33

MostlyWater wrote: »

IS ANYONE STILL HERE FROM THIS THREAD? ANY UPDATES? I'M GOING THROUGH this now.

I've had it on and off for 25 years. Last couple of years I have had worsening bouts where I missed an entire week of work twice. I also have tinnitus. I keep a prescription for Serc on hand in case of flares ups. I recently did a course of nasal rinse steroids (pulmacort in saline rinse) for chronic sinusitis and that seemed to have calmed it down. I would recommend seeing an ENT and/or vestibular physiotherapist.

If this is your first bout it could just be a bout of labrynthitis from a virus that will clear up and be the end of it. If it is BPPV or a similar vestibular disorder it is likely to come and go. I have gone years without symptoms only for it to come back again.

spiriteagle99

I had BPV a couple of years ago. It is scary. I was lucky, because I went to a PT about a hamstring issue and when I said something about the vertigo I was experiencing off and on and he diagnosed it, did the Epply maneuver immediately. Symptoms were greatly reduced immediately and the BPV cleared up completely in a week or two.

I also get orthostatic hypotension (I stand up quickly and get dizzy or stop intense activity and get dizzy). That problem is intermittent and seems to be worse when I get hot. Running in summer can be a problem because when I finish my run I sometimes end up on the ground, especially if I bend over for some reason. I've never talked to a doctor about it though since it is such a short term issue. Five minutes later I'm usually fine. I am somewhat anemic, but within low normal range thanks to supplements.

ythannah

I started having episodes of vertigo with sudden head movements when I was in my early 20s. After a full battery of diagnostic tests including an EEG and a CT scan, an ENT diagnosed a eustachian tube dysfunction where fluid isn't draining off my ear properly. I have a ton of allergies, which cause increased fluid and exacerbate the problem. I've taken a daily antihistamine for the last 35 years plus use a nasal spray for allergic rhinitis and haven't had any issues since.

IJP2019

I started getting vertigo in 2014, at the time it was not violent attacks...unfortunately they progressed to the point one day I was walking into the kitchen and it caused me to black out. I woke up on the floor in the kitchen spinning around the room....it stuck around hitting me with violent attacks for a few months and again I blacked out while brushing my teeth one morning....woke up with my face in the sink.
Then 3 years later once while driving on the hwy...fortunately I had someone in the car with me and they grabbed the wheel. I worked the gas and brake while spinning around until we could pull over!
Imagine the anxiety of that!
It took another year before I was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease....fortunately it has been a few years since I have had an attack...but this is common and it can be dormant and then cone back and make up for lost time.
I watch my diet, and exercise daily....I don’t know if it has anything to do with it, but since changing to a plant based diet I haven’t had a major attack...but it could be just coincidence.

Antiopelle

I have it also. It can be scary and the first time I ended up in the ER as it happened right after a dive and the bends was the most likely diagnosis. After some tests which revealed nothing, a brain surgeon suggested to do a tilt test, which resulted in me almost vomiting while passing out and this confirmed the BPV diagnosis.

Stress and sleep deprivation seem to make it worse. I can't do some movements and I've learned to avoid them (bending head down with stretched legs, moving my head fast, tilting to the left, etc...). The bouts come and go but most of the time I'm doing just fine if I avoid these motions.

I also suffer from extreme motion sickness (I can't watch footage made with a handycam, can't sit in a car as a passenger and I even get seasick in the swimming pool), and my surgeon suspected there was a correlation but no studies have ever been conducted that can either confirm or deny this. Every time I go diving or I have to take a boat or train ride, I need to take meds.

My advice: go to a good surgeon to rule out Meniere's, do the PT exercises whenever you feel the unsteadiness is getting worse. And know that you are not alone.