Dizziness/Vertigo

mimiof4,

I suffered from virtigo due to another condition but the meclizine did not help. I went to a ENT dr and he twisted my neck while lying down  to shake up the crystals in the inner ear. The spinning stopped.

If your vertigo persists you might try the scopolamine patch.  It is mostly for motion sickness, I have used it since I was getting Taxotere chemo. I can't function without it.  NJ

I just had a two week bout with headaches and vertigo. My ears were totally full and impacted, and I had an inner ear infection. The ENT cleared my ears and after one day on an antibiotic my ear popped and the headaches. Inner ear issues can really do a number on your balance. If you are taking tamoxifen or an AI, they can also cause these symptoms. Hoping all is well.

I hate vertigo! I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. It took 3 separate episodes until I found the correct doctor for me, an ENT that specialized in vertigo, migrainous vertigo actually. But I didn't have a migraine, just the vertigo, which believe it or not is more common than you think. But now I take a preventative med and I haven't had an episode since! It's worth a shot if you scan out clean (I'm sure you will!!). Good luck!

I was misdiagnosed with Atypical Meniere's in 2001, and spent over ten years getting the correct diagnosis.

Going to a doctor with dizziness is one of the most frustrating things for both the patient and the doctor - there could be dozens and dozens of causes (as kimf mentioned).

 Mimiof4 - labrynthitis is extremely frustrating. One thing that has worked in numerous patients I have known over the years is the use of acyclovir, as some studies have shown a herpes viral connection in the inner ear.

Ellen56 - It sound like Chef127 had BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). There are three parts to the ear: the outer ear, which you can see, and clean with a Q-tip; the middle ear, which is on the other side of the eardrum and can get frequent infections (especially in children), and the inner ear, which is located behind your eyes on each side. This is where sounds are actually transmitted to the brain.

There is a tiny organ called the cochlea in the inner ear. It's filled with fluid and tiny hairs that carry sound vibrations. As we get older, we form crystals (otoliths) in this fluid. It's kind of like having a gallstone, but instead of pain, one of those teensy crystals can block an opening where the fluid goes, and the result is vertigo.

There is an easy test the ENT can do to find out which side has stuck crystals. It's done in the  office and is called the Dix-Hallpike test. Once it has been determined which side the crystals are stuck on, there is an exercise the doctor can perform, and that you can learn to do at home, called the Epley Maneuver. This repositions the crystals from being stuck in the channels, and relieves the vertigo.

By the way, there is a difference between dizziness and vertigo. Dizziness is that off-balance feeling, like you are walking underwater, or on sofa cushions, or can't tell which way the floor is tilting.

Vertigo is the sensation that the room is spinning around you - like you are in the middle of a skating rink, and all the skaters are skating faster and faster around you. Sometimes vertigo makes it seem like the room is spinning under and over you, like being on a hamster wheel.

Meclizine is good for staving off nausea and vomiting from dizziness and vertigo, but usually doesn't take it away. There is some evidence that some kinds of vertigo can be relieved by small doses of Valium.

(Sorry if this was too wordy. My undergraduate degree was in Audiology.)

Some of you may want to try the Epley Maneuver.. may end up not having to take any more meds for vertigo.  There are YouTubes to show you how to do this for yourself. A friend of mine did it and it worked 

Epley maneuver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Epley maneuver (or canalith repositioning maneuver) is a maneuver used to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).[1] It is often performed by a doctor, chiropractor, or a physical therapist, after confirmation of a diagnosis of BPPV using the Dix-Hallpike test. This maneuver was developed by Dr. John Epley and first described in 1980.[2] Physiotherapists and some chiropractors now use a version of the maneuver called the "modified" Epley that does not include vibrations of the mastoid process originally indicated by Epley, as they have since been shown not to improve the efficacy of the treatment.[3]
The following sequence of positions describes the Epley maneuver:
The patient begins in an upright sitting posture, with the legs fully extended and the head turned 45 degrees towards the affected side.
The patient then quickly lies down backwards with the head held approximately in a 30 degree neck extension (Dix-Hallpike position) where the affected ear faces the ground.
Remain in this position for approximately 30 seconds.
The head is then turned 90 degrees to the opposite direction so that the unaffected ear faces the ground, all while maintaining the 30 degree neck extension.
Remain in this position for approximately 30 seconds.
Keeping the head and neck in a fixed position, the individual rolls onto their shoulder, in the direction that they are facing.
Remain in this position for approximately 30 seconds.
Finally, the individual is slowly brought up to an upright sitting posture, while maintaining the 45 degree rotation of the head.
Hold sitting position for up to 30 seconds.
The entire procedure should be repeated two more times, for a total of three times.
During every step of this procedure the patient may experience some dizziness.
Following the treatment, the clinician may provide the patient with a soft collar, often worn for the remainder of the day, as a cue to avoid any head positions that may once again displace the otoconia. The patient may be instructed to be cautious of bending over, lying backwards, moving the head up and down, or tilting the head to either side. The soft collar is removed prior to bed. When doing so, the patient should be encouraged to perform horizontal movements of head to maintain normal neck range of motion.[4]
It is important to instruct the patient that horizontal movement of the head should be performed to prevent stiff neck muscles
It is still uncertain in the research literature whether activity restrictions following the treatment improve the effectiveness of the canalith repositioning maneuver. However, patients who were not provided with any activity restrictions needed one or two additional treatment sessions in order to attain a successful outcome.[5]