Vertigo

What are some causes of Vertigo, and what are some effective treatments for it?  I have been really dizzy, with nausea and vomiting, as well as running into things for over two weeks.  Walking, moving my head, trying to focus on anythins, as well as going from a sitting position to a standing one, and a standing to a sitting position seems to make the symptoms ten times worse.  I was actually driving to a Doctor's appointment this past week, and just going from a sunny area to an area where the sun was blocked by trees, made it extremely bad.  The symptoms don't seem to be going away at all.  I have many other symptoms, so when this came along I call my Neurologist and he told me to come in ASAP or head to the ER.  And for a while was being tested for MS.  I have been diagnosed with about 19 other conditions including Lyme Disease and Fibromyalgia.  He stated it was Vertigo, but was unsure of what could be causing it.  I have had blood work, so it is not viral.  About three and a half weeks ago, My Rheumatologist had just doubled my Lamictal.  He was also hoping that this was a possible cause, but since stopping that Therapy, the symptoms are still persistent.  How long does Vertigo normally last, and is hospitalization and IV therapy effective?  Is Physical Therapy effective for this at all?

[selmaS]

Hi..there r several types of vertigo....best to start with an ENT dr and go from there to NL dr.

To help with the symptoms try non drowsy Dramamine .

As far as how long the vertigo lasts can depend...I had one flare that lasted 2 weeks. I know of others that  have had it for months at a time.

Do u know if ur BP tends to be high?...if so ask to be checked for POTS...a tilt table test is used...since u said u were affected going into a darken area, perception is thrown off by the dark and I am sure that is y it happened, and so many conditions can cause this.

Have u had brain MRI's done?

I pray u find what is going on
Godspeed
"selma"

[thester6474]

It has been about two years since I had my last MRI.  I have had trouble with my BP and pulse, so my PCP prescribed blood medication for me.  It has been a miracle for me, because of my other health issues, he was really scared of what that would effect I would have with it.  Before my BP would be like 140 or 150/ 100 - 120.  I still have those days though, where my BP is high, but those days rarely occur.  I had an appointment slated for tomorrow morning, but because I was throwing up and running into everything, he made me come right in.  He also told me to keep my appointment, so I see him again tomorrow.  The things he was hoping for, medication and virus, has had no effect on this Vertigo.  I never did get sick as he hoped, I also had a CBC and CMP done which turned out normal.  I am not sure what avenue he will decide to take tomorrow,

[selmaS]

Do ask about POTS =
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.......

I pray u get some answers soon.
"selma"

[thester6474]

My Neurologist last Monday, wanted to take my blood pressure in different positions.  He did notice that it was a slight difference with each different positions, but not much of a difference to cause the vertigo.

[thester6474]

I am 27 and have been experiencing Neurological symptoms for a little over three years now.  I started seeing a Neurologist three years ago, actually today, and he has been NO GOOD.  MATTER OF FACT JUST A YEAR AGO HE STARTED TREATING THE MIGRAINES HE KNEW I HAD, FROM DAY ONE.  My first symptoms were numbness and tingling in my extremities that appeared in my left leg, but slowly spread to the rest of my body.  I found out about a year later from my Rheumatologist that it was actually Neuropathy, Restless Leg Syndrome as well as Myoclonus all of which are considered Neurological.  
     stiffness, major fatigue, depression, major headaches, spasticity, spasms, myoclonus, restless leg, tingling in head and extremities, vibration sensations, buzzing sensations when moving head from time to time, anxiety, major cognitive dysfunction, sleeping dysfunctions, inability to feel and recognize touches unless they are visual, muscle weakness – especially in extremities, extra tension in arms and legs with usage, chronic indigestion, walking (I have a gait), constant state of tiredness – inability to complete most tasks – moving or lifting items, exercising, walking, carrying grocery, brushing hair, etc
     To make the situation worse on October 28th I woke up and the room was spinning and has been since.  As soon as my Neurologist's office opened I called and informed them of the fact that I was unable to walk with out running into items or falling completely down.  The nurse told me to lie down immediately and to do nothing until she called back.  When she called back, she told me to either go straight to the ER or come there.  I was told that I was suffering from Vertigo.  Unfortunately he has done no testing, just continued to take me off of medication the last few months, which has not helped.
    My Rheumatologist last month looked in my ear and noticed that my eardrum was swollen remarkably on the right side so decided to send me to my ENT.  He also decided before the appointment to prescribe two weeks of high dose prednisone 4 5mg tablets in the am, and 4 at night as well as two 600 mg antibiotics daily for two weeks.  This helped the eardrum go down as well as the apparent ear infection I had at the time.  The ENT said that it could have made the Vertigo worse, but was not the main cause, and in turn sent me for an MRI with and w/o contrast and well as Vestibular PT.  I had already done the Vestibular PT eval just 6 weeks in advance.
     This time the results were much worse she said, she didn't give me the results from the first time.  This time though when she scored me standing still and doing a few different exercises I scored only 13 out of 24.  When she scored me for gait it was 8 out of 24, so both are pretty poor.  She said that she hasn't seen it get that bad that quickly.   Now I am facing life using a walker, my Vestibular Therapist ordered a walker this past Friday, and is hoping to keep it at just a walker.
    We are unsure as to what is causing the Vertigo, I had several MRIs before years ago searching for MS, as well as a LP, a Evoked Potential and all came back normal.  This MRI came back normal as well.  Everyone seems to think the cause of the Vertigo still is Neurological, just not sure why, I am firing my current Neurologist though.  But cannot get into another one for a few months.
   My new Neurologist, the one that I was scheduled to see, until I could see the other, was really surprised to see how bad the Vertigo was.  And to see how poorly it was treated.  He was really blunt, and was really blunt when he called the other Neuro a donkey (not the actual name he used).  He stated that if the Vertigo started in October then the MRIs and all of the other testing should have started in November.  He was also surprised at the fact that I was unable to stand even 5 seconds without falling to one side or backwards by myself.  He also started checking for Nystagmus, and I was surprised at how long he would stare at my eyes before he would actually tell me say anything.  I am wondering if he saw anything strange, but he also stated that he wouldn't be upset if I decided to go elsewhere in the end,  if I find that after treatment with him I am still unsatisfied.  He was really nice and has decided to redo the ENG, do a Lumbar Puncture as well as a Lyme Titre and a few other things.  He is so concerned with the Vertigo, its causes and the severity of it, he suggested that I keep my other appointment with my Neuro in Savannah (the one that I couldn't see until next month) for a consult.  This has me really concerned as to what could be causing it, and how severe it could get.  He has suggested that I limit my driving and that I walk only with my walker.   What a bummer.   Any ideas?

[selmaS]

Well, I am not a dr, but many of ur issues r similar to conditions I am familiar with, may I ask how long ago ur NRI's were and were they of ur brain?....do u have copies, if not can u get them?

Have u had a recent brain MRI?

As I may have said b4, there r many conditions with similar symptoms until all testing is done it is so hard to say, but continue to have things ruled out and get the old MRI's and compare to a new one to see if there have been ne changes.

"selma"

[thester6474]

I  just had a brain MRI on February 22nd, I had a few areas that of t2 heightened intensities of the frontal lobe but they said it wasn't of any importance though.  My other MRIs were done in 2007 and 2008, and they showed no t2 heightened intensities.

[thester6474]

I do have Lyme Disease, I was actually diagnosed with it back in January of 2007 and given a small dosage of antibiotics.  We aren't really sure that they did anything to irradicate it though.  I see that it can cause Meningitis and Encephalitis, I am certainly hoping that we are one step closer to finding out the root cause of all my problems.  But I see that there are no treatments for either of these, which scare me.  I have redone the ENG, and it shows that since I had it done in November that I have less usage of my right ear.  So there is something affecting the right ear and its nerve, just aren't quite sure, what.  My PCPs first thoughts were of course the two conditions I mentioned earlier, and when I saw that they can indeed be caused by Lyme it has me concerned.