Can anyone help?

[DizzyDonna]

I am a 47 female in great physical condition. However, I started having breif attacks of vertigo in Oct of 2004. They were never too severe until recently. I had cervical neck surgery six weeks ago but about two weeks prior had a severe vertigo attach while in a public restroom turning from the sink to the towels. I feel on the floor and couldnt tell up from down for several seconds. I thought it might be due to my ruptured disc C5-C6. For about two weeks after the surgery, it was gone. But now the vertigo is back with a vengence and getting worse. It is bad when lying down and turning over and my head aches at the base with radiation of pressure towards mostly the left temple but sometimes both.  I feel fullness in the left ear. I have had some numbness in my mostly left hand and it goes numb when sleeping. I am still in a neck brace and the doctor game me wrist braces to help with numbness while I sleep. The wrist braces are helping some but I still have some numbness, just not as severe. What kind of tests need to be requested, what type of doctor and what might be the cause. Is menapause a possibility for these symptoms or might I be having symptoms that are not related to the same problem? I am really over this! Can anyone help me?

[Nancy T]

Good luck, Donna. It's natural to think about the worst-case scenario, but keep reminding yourself that the symptoms you're having usually turn out to be nothing dangerous. It's true, vertigo can be a really difficult symptom. I hope the ENT you are seeing is an ear specialist (otologist or neurotologist)--this is the kind of doctor who should best be able to give you a proper diagnosis and treatment. Take care!

Nancy T.

[DizzyDonna]

Thanks to all for your advice. I saw and ENT today and have an MRI scheduled in March.
I hope it is nothing serious as I have children that I would like to see raised!
The vertigo really wears on a person after time. Naturally, until I get the MRI my mind wanders to the worst case scenario.
Ill count my blessings for now and pray for the best.
Thank you all for your kindness and concern.
Donna

[Eric P Wilkinson, MD]

Hi Dizzydonna,

You certainly may have an element of BPPV as you are describing typical findings of BPPV.  However, many of your other symptoms are nonspecific.  See an otologist for a full examination, audiometry, and possible balance testing.  If your MRI was done without contrast it may need to be repeated with contrast.  Good luck!

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical
advice - the information presented is for patients education only.
Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your
individual case.

[manerva340]

Do you watch your salt intake? I can't lay down if i do when i get up i get that dizzy feeling. so sleep elavted. I have noticed to if i do too much house work for some reason when i go to bed i get the vertigo.One of my friend said that he gets dizzy if he does too much too. salt and stress could be a culprit.

[Nancy T]

Donna--sorry I cannot be much help; I can only say that if your ENT is not an inner-ear specialist (neuro-otologist), you should see one. See the (incomplete) lists at www.vestibular.org and also check out the membership list of the American Neurotology Society on their Web site.

Spinning from turning over in bed, lying down, or getting up, or certain other movements could be benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). That often goes along with other inner-ear disorders, or it could occur on its own, especially in older people. It is very treatable with some simple head maneuvers.

Of course there are many possible causes of dizziness. You need to find a super-specialist in dizziness if you have been having this problem for years with no diagnosis. (Although sometimes even the best doctors are not able to pinpoint the exact cause of a person's dizziness.)

Best of luck,
Nancy T.

[DizzyDonna]

Im DizzyDonna...I forgot to mention that I am very active. I teach yoga and aerobics. The ruptured disc was such a freak thing (related to getting older or possibly an old gynmastic injury) and I find it difficult to see the correlation between the disc rupture and the vertigo. However, I am not a doctor so I have am grabbing at straws. My ortho surgeon wants to do another MRI and my ENT wants the head scanned while they are at it. I had a MRI in 2004 when I had my fisrt battle with vertigo but nothing showed up as abnormal.
I have not been as active since I am still in the cervical neck collar from the disc fussion. I have blamed my hand numbness to that since I am used to maintaining my body weight on with my hands and wrists.
I wish I could find someone that could point me in the right direction with the vertigo.
Any ideas on what I might expect to find as my vertigo problem?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!