Now I have. . .

I had to go to doctor this week and now they are saying I have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.  She gave me some pills that help keep me from being dizzy so much.  I also go to physical therapy.  Its so weird trying to walk and not fall down.  Or move my head real fast without falling sideways.  Its hard to look at a ceiling fan without wanting to puke.  Its also on my right side.  What to do -- what to do?  It is very hard and depressing dealing with this also and with the numbness and weakness on my right side also.  very hard to type?   Is this part of ms or what?  going crazy in texas!   Nette573

[Heather3418]

The best person to answer this is Quix, since she suffers from the same thing.  Vertigo is a huge part of her life and a troublesome problem for her.  I think she could really give you some insight into this.

Best Wishes, Heather

[Momzilla]

Hi, Nette~

I had vertigo once really badly where I could not stand on my own.  I vomited when I opened my eyes.  Then, a few years later, I had it for about six weeks where I walked into walls and generally had no balance, threw up lots, fell down, etc...The meds didn't seem to help.

I also get little twinges of vertigo where I get the sensation of the room moving around a bit, or when I look up, I could easily lose my balance.  My ear doctor gave me some maneuvers to perform, and they did help after a couple of weeks, but I think going to a vestibular physical therapist might also really help you, if it's BPPV.  You really have to overstress the vestibular system to regain the right 'balance' again, is how it was explained to me.  

Quix has Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease.  It's quite debilitating.  Her doctor is the brilliant one who came up with the maneuvers I was instructed to do.  He's a national treeasure.  Hopefully she'll be on soon to tell you about it.

Good luck, and I hope you get some relief soon!

Momzilla*

[Quixotic1]

Hi, there.  Yes this is one of my specialties.  BPPV - Benign (hah!!) Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo is almost 100% treatable and curable and yes, my doctor is the one who devoped the maneuvers for treating it.  If the Rehab that you are going to will be doing the Epley Maneuvers on you then things will be fine.  If they try to get you to do visual exercises and balance exercises then everybody has missed the boat!  They are "out to lunch and not coming home for midnight snack."

BPPV is a disorder of the peripheral balance system, the inner ear.  Thus, it is NOT a problem of MS.

The main balance organ is in the inner ear.  Part of the structure of the inner ear are the three semicircular canals on each side.  These are three hollow circles of bone filled with fluid.  At the base of each circle are little "hairs" and on top of those hairs rest little crystals (called otoliths).  As the head moves and changes position the crystals move slightly with gravity and bend the hairs and these signal the head position changes to the brain.

Now sometimes these crystals become dislodged from the sticky tops of the hairs and can float freely.  When the person moves their head in the way that that semicircular canal  is stimulated, instead of the crystal just slightly bending the hairs, it rolls and tumbles down to the bottom of the canal.  This causes a MAJOR stimulation and signals to the brain that one is violently falling.  That's when you get the horrific sense that the qorld is whirling and that you are falling at 100 miles per hour.  The sensation usually only lasts 30 seconds or less, but it can make you feels sick for days.

The Epley Maneuvers, when done right , carefully reposition the crystals back into place and the whole problem is usually solved with a single treatment.  When Dr. Epley developed the cure about 20 years ago, he couldn't convince his colleagues he had found the answer.  He was actually ridiculed and laughed out of conferences.  It took 10 years for the medical profession, specifically neurlogy and ENT, to accept this cure and now it is the standard treatment worldwide and is taught to all ENT and Neuro physicians, chiro's, many physical therapists.  It's in all the textbooks.

You need to be seen by a oto-neurologist and have the BPPV definitively treated.

Here is a site on the website of the VEstibular Disorders of Amercia -VEDA.  It gives a list of practitioners who specialize in treating vestibular disorders.

http://vestibular.org/find-medical-help/search-by-region.php?wb_session_id=89d1d400e0ae11368b0d47c4eac83251

Most ENTs say they do, but I have not found this to be true.  I was disabled by Vertigo 7 years ago and had to leave medical practice.

Here is a great article on my vertigo doctor.  It tells the whole story of how the medical profession rejected not only his ideas, but him, and only when everybody had great success with his techniques, he was accepted everywhere but in his home city.  It is very sad.  He is a god among men!

http://www.aliveandwell.org/html/the_bigger_picture/cursing_the_cure.html

Good luck.  If I confused you jsut ask more questions.

Quix, MD

[nette573]

I think the PT is doing the epley. I go back tomorrow.  I just thought it crazy to have problems all are on my rightside!  Thank you I will definately look up the websites you listed -  Thanks to all of you for helping me I do need the help. thanks so much, Nette573

[pennst8r]

I have had BPPV several times, though I'm told it's really an "older person's" issue. The key word is "Benign". It is a pain in the butt though, and really does make it hard to get around, and you should not drive till you kick it. My ENT, and later my otoneurologist, did the eply and gave me some exercises (Brandt-Daroff??) to do @ home, and it went away.

Didn't need PT. It did come back, but the last couple times, I just went right into my exercises and just told the oto about it later. Quix's explanation is great, as always!

Penn

[Momzilla]

We should copy and paste that!

Lazy Zilla*

[pennst8r]

bumping up for Wobbly

[essdipity]

It didn't seem to bump(!?) so I'll try it here.  ess