Longlasting Vertigo

[Indi]

Last week I was taken by ambulance to the ER.  One second I was reading the paper, the next I was on the floor, sweating, hyperventilating, and throwing up. The intense vertigo went on for at least an hour.  I could not open my eyes or move my head one inch without being sick.  The ER doctor could not treat me until they got a drip going of valium(I believe).  This doctor and my regular doctor feel it is BPV.  I had a head cold 2 weeks before this incident. I did not feel dizzy getting out of bed that morning.  I feel a residual dizziness on and off now, is that normal?  I am a 51 year old woman, taking synthroid and HRT, I have begun to get migraines in the last year or so.  I have read that BPV only lasts seconds or minutes, why could mine have gone on so long?  Are there any statistics on the frequency of recurrence of vertigo?  Why do I still feel a bit nausous and lightheaded?  Thank you.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

Benign positional vertigo is caused by an abnormality in your inner ear. There are fluid filled tubes in our ear that are oriented in various directions and are connected to a common chamber. These tubes help tell us which way our head is tilted. Within the common chamber are small "stones", in BPV one of these stones moves out of place and into one of the fluid filled tubes. Once in one of these tubes it causes continued stimulation which results in vertigo. If you keep your head exactly still with no movement the symptoms should decrease over a few minutes, because the stone stops moving. However, as soon as you move your head in a certain direction the symptoms come back. Therefore, small changes in head position may have exacerbated your symptoms. There are physical postions which can be performed in an attempt to move the stone back into place.

It is also possible that a viral infection could cause vertigo, however this tends to last longer, and is more severe.

If you need a second opinion, you could either see a neurologist or ear, noae, throat doctor. Good luck.

[kleckie3788]

I was diagnosed with vertigo last week too.  I didn't end up in the ER but its been debilitating for nearly a month now.  Mine happens only while lying in bed (when I turn over).  I don't trust myself now though when I'm up and walking.  I have been given Antivert for it.  I'm ready to move on to look into what else is causing this.  I've been having pins and needles feelings in my left arm.  Severe eye twitching (left).  My nose feels as though there is a feather tickling the end of it and I swat it away.  Twice I've had a "zing" to my top right area of my upper lip.  As I type this, my left baby toe has a numb feeling.  I've had Parvovirus B19 (Fifth's) in 1997 and never really recovered.  Since then, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  I'm at my wit's end with all of this and not knowing where to turn to.  Its scary.

[LynnSB]

I posted here a year or more ago. I became dizzy in April of 2002 and STILL AM.. at first, it was a feeling as if I was "off" and I felt like I was sort of falling into the computer screen if I moved my head a certain way. I went to the doc who found my eardrums were retracted and I had a low white blood count so I was told I had a virus probably.  I never got well. I have continued to feel "off" and slightly dizzy. I've had every test in the book but nothing has MRI, CT scan,e tc. all normal
In August of 2002 i ended up in the er because i had room spinning vertigo so severe that i would fall over if I looked down or bent my head up. I had no nystagmus so , basically was treated like i was a nutcase... had a CT scan that night, normal. The vertigo went on for HOURS.

since then, still had the off feeling, off balance. Then yesterday at a meeting, turning my head to talk to people, felt very weird, slightly dizzy. Left and went to buy coffee. I was looking down in my purse for change and felt the room " turning".. went home and found that when I moved my head down, had the (**@& room spinning vertigo again.

I am told this sounds like benign positional vertigo but i have no nystagmus and I am slightly dizzy ALL THE TIME. this thing has been very depressing and worrisome.

does anyone relate?

Lynn

[kleckie3788]

Lynn, I can't imagine suffering as long as you have.  Mine has only been going on for a month and a half and I've had enough.  My vertigo happens only when I'm lying down and I roll over in bed but during the day (and as I type this) I feel "disconnected" from everything.  I just can't focus.  I feel like I'm on autopilot.  I go to my GP tomorrow and most likely will get a referral - who knows.  All I do know is that I am worried sick.  The eye twitching I have, the numbness and tingling of my arm and some other things have me so scared.  Can't give you any info but support!

[LynnSB]

Hi, if it is is any consolation, the fact you get dizzy when you roll over in bed is a CLASSIC symptom of benign positional vertigo -- and there's help for it.. it is BENIGN. I'd bet anything that's what you have.

Doctors can not see any nystagmus ( rapid eye movement) even when I wasin the ER for such vertigo I would fall over on the floor if I looked down.. so basically, no one will help me, give me a diagnosis, nothing. I also have a lot of ear pain  - always in my left ear  but everything looks fine ( except for a few times when my ear drum was retracted) so I guess I am just insane and imagining this pain .. clearly there is something wrong but there is no diagnosis, no help.

good luck to you!

Lynn

[Jess32]

Hello,

Very interesting to read everyone's posts. I have been dizzy on/off since x-mas eve. I have also had sharp pains in my ears. This past week has been the worst as my anxiety has kicked in and I can't differentiate between the symptoms. I read that one of you has fibromyalgia which is intriguing to me. I develeoped severe Postpartum depression 3 years ago. I finally recovered but have residual anxiety problems. I have attributed so many physical ailments to my anxiety it is pretty distressing. A few of the ladies on my ppd chatboard have also been diagnosed with ficromyalgia. I can't help but wonder about the link between anxiety/stress/"things in our head" and all of these physical ailments. On another chatboard I read that ear problems like tinnitus (ringing) and Meniere's Disease (inner ear disorder) are more common in WOMEN and in people with ANXIETY?DEPRESSION.

I have an appt. with the ENT in a week but am wondering if I should wait. I also have some twinges in my face, tightness towards the back of my head, pain behind my eyes/in temples. As a result I am not eating right and probably dehydrated so I feel a urinary tract infection coming on as well as pains in my legs,etc. I've been taking Advil and Calcium and it has helped. The worst thing is I know I am bringing most of this on myself although I know the ear pain is real and something is brewing there. I am so sick of myself. I am only disease when I am lying down and turn my head or am walking and feel a bit off-kilter. Can anyone relate?

[frosty2]

I have been trying to learn and control my vertigo for a while.  My first bought was 7 years ago after having the flue. Now it just comes and goes at a whim. Usually once it starts I will keep having boughts of it for a couple weeks, then I can be fine for a couple more. I can usally feel it comming on and now always travel with gravol. I have tried serc and othe drugs but gravol so far is the safest and quickest.  My ears are fine and my eyes check out great.  Does anyone have any other methods or ideas to control this.  It is really ruining my life.

[sickofbeingdizzy]

I have been suffering with dizziness, motion sickness since my doc upped my synthroid from .1 mg. to .112 mg. I ended up in the hospital, I was so bad i was vomiting and could barely open my eyes the room was spinning so bad. They did a CT and lots of blood tests.  They did find a menniginoma (brain tumor) but the nero surgeon thinks it was unrelated to the dizziness. He said i had viral labyrinthitis.  After 4 months time of feeling like i was drunk all the time, a MRI and being seen by an ENT and getting a second opinion from another Nero. They all said the same thing, viral labyrinthitis.  The only thing is all this started the night the doc upped my Synthroid! I finally convinced my doc to change me to Armour Thyroid to rule out the synthroid and within a week I started to feel better.  Last week I went to an Endo doc and she put me back on Synthroid using a different dosing system (she thought i may be algergic to the dye in the .112) and even thought it's not as bad the dizziness, preasure in my head and ears, fog like state, is returning!! Needless to say tomorrow morning she is getting a phone call. I have read so much on synthroid and alot of people complain about "foggy head", "brain fog" and "dizzy spells" from being on just Synthroid (T4).  So maybe this is part of your problem. Hope you figure it out soon! Good Luck Keep us posted as will I.

[Canuk123]

Hi...

I'm new to vertigo.  I have been having vertigo fits lasting up to a minute with no other other symptoms than "feeling off" in between.

Went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor checked me over and then scratched his head.

The vertigo happens when I sit down from standing up.

Any ideas on what is happening would be appreciated.  

I must say, the first time it happened, it was pretty scary.

BTW, I'm 43 and healthy and happy otherwise.

Cheers,

Rick

[ChicagoGirl48]

A related discussion, Vertigo was started.