Benign paroxismal positional vertigo

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  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
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    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
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,677 Member
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    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
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    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
    IJP2019 Posts: 34 Member
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    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
    Antiopelle Posts: 1,184 Member
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    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.

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