Vertigo Support Group

Hello All,

I am new to this group, but not MDJunction.

I have been suffering from very bad vertigo lately. I have had it for a couple of years now, but over the last week and a half I wake up with it every morning.

Last Friday I had to go to the ER because I woke with the room spinning very fast, my head was bobbing on its own and I couldn't stop it, my entire body was shaking, and I was throwing up. I also had a temp of 99.0 (I usually have a low body temp), and my BP was 106/58 (and its usually high)

Has anyone had an episode like this?

The head bobbing was the scariest part for me. I just couldn't control my head.

Now I wake up daily with either the room spinning or distorted. My eyes almost feel crossed bc everything looks so blurry, double, or just strange at all times.

In addition to waking up with it I have it all day. If I move my head at all the room spins, if I turn around I almost fall over. Most of the time I am so off balance I have to hold on to something while I am standing. I am getting pretty concerned about this.

In addition to the Vertigo I have, Lyme complex disease, Chronic Epstein-Barr, Bartonella, Babesia, Candida, and chronic kidney and sinus infections. I also have tremors in my hands all the time. I don't know if the Vertigo is related to any of these.

I had a port put in my chest on the seventh and am receiving IV Rocephin, but this started before I started the Rocephin.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or ideas?

I am taking Meclizine, Ativan, and Zofran(when it gets really bad), but they don't do much good. I am at a loss here.

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, or comments.

Thank you,

Jacki

Post edited by: jackid55, at: 05/24/2012 10:05 AM

Can anyone relate to this?

Sorry for the delay in my response to your original post. First off, welcome to the group. What you've described is a pretty severe bout of vertigo, your increased temp and decreased blood pressure could be symptoms of what triggered your vertigo attack. Considering your extensive diagnosis list you might consider getting a little bloodwork done to make sure everything is as it should be.

I tend to get severe bouts like yours when I get a bad sinus infection or ear infection, it's hell. But if you can get the cause behind the vertigo determined and controlled then the vertigo should ease up.

If you have BPPV, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, there are some fairly simple maneuvers that can be done to help. With the severity of vertigo, I'd suggest that you get help performing them and keep a puke bucket nearby.

I've heard that the maneuvers can make it worse.... for just a moment but in the end, it's like HEAVEN with so much relief.

This is the EASIEST one to perform at home. Brandt-Daroff Home Exercises http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhinu_oU_hM&feature=related My doctor told me to do this 3 sessions a day with each session being 5 sets of flipping sides. Each side is laid on 5 times. I found that if I used my fingers I did not lose track of how many times I had flipped. He also said that this is a more tolerated way to fix BPPV.

Epley Maneuver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK2Zj_TrBhE&feature=related The more difficult but quicker to respond method.

WelcomeI too say try the exercise.Don't give up so fast on them, You might feel it makes you more dizzy and discontinue.Let us know if they work?

Thank you for all of your responses. I will try that. Thank you!!!

Jacki

jackid55: My husband was diagnosed with meneires, vertigo, tenitis a few yrs ago. We have been thru hell and bacck looking for help fpr him. We finally were able to get straight answers at the Cleveland Clinic. The dr we had there moved to Colorado last year and we now have a new one but she is really good as well. My husband spins all the time. The ringing he has is constant and the falls from the dizzy are really concerning me here lately. He has a severe concussion right now from going head first dn the stairs. I have found what helps with him and only if you stick to it everyday will it work. The low salt everything you eat diet and only 1500mg of sodium a day or less even. I know we need a level of salt in our bodies but too much makes the spells worse. It has taken years for me to get to this point with him. But low sodium diet, water pill, ativan, zofran is what regiment hes on now. He has had multiple issues going on for 6 yrs now. He got shot in the chest 6yrs ago and has had issues since.The bullet spiraled inside collapsing his lung peircing the pancreas and is now embedded in the muscle in his back. Shrapnel is pushing on his kidney rt now and that from when he fell from being dizzy one day and it moved and is now resting at the top of his kidney. We have been thru sooo much that i look at it and just go woooooowwww.... we have come a long way. What i mentioned above is a big helper, just be careful with meds because some of them can cause some of the symptoms such as dizziness ringing spinning vomitting. I was amazed at how many i found he was given that make all his issues worse. We basically try to watch the sodium thats a big deal with dizzy spells, take the meds as needed, we read everything we can about it and try to keep current. I am fixing to go see a nutritionist and get him a physical therapist to teach him how to change the way he does things, that will help with spells. He gna break his neck falling the way he does. Scares the hell out of me. He needs to fall more gracefully and learn to catch himself, figure out when spells are fixing to happen and so forth. He is a very stubborn man and I have tried to learn him what Ive learned but trying to get a person to change the way they do things is hard. I had to do it when I had back surgery, it was either change the way i do things or hurt like hell all the time. So i figure i cant go wrong with therapy. Need to learn to not make sudden movements with his head, not sit up or get up real quick, learn to squat down rather than bend over and get dizzy fall on your head, Its alot of little things added to what u already do to lessen your symptoms. Wish me luck with therapy, ill be going with him so i can be sure hes paying attention cuz he just dont wanna change the way he does things for nothing. I try to tell him that its all for his best interest and it is. Im not going thru all i been going thru and more to go thru for myself Im doing it to learn how to help him, but he has to give a little and atleast try to change some habits to give himself a better quality life style. Its alot of simple things really and once implemented you may be surprised. Dnt expect results overnite. Took atleast 3 mos of the diet change b4 we felt the difference. I even feel it and i dnt have tinnitus or meneires. We dnt eat no beef either, mostly chicken, which i have found atleast 4 million ways to make that are good. I hope that maybe u are able to use one of our suggestions and it helps. If there was a cure for stubborness and being bullheaded id be in there and hed be better. lol, I love him with all my heart tho and i will do whatever i have to to help him get better. goodluck to you, i hope u are able to find some undizzy turf and keep your feet on the ground!