I'd like to know, too. I have chronic sinus troubles. My ears are blocked, off and on. I have tinnitus. In the last year, I have had days of vertigo, including double vision and nausea when I first lie down, or if I turn my head to the side while lying down. When rising, I may 'list' to the left at first. Sometimes this lasts all day; usually it doesn't. The hearing in my right ear has diminished by half.

My only medications are Advair 250 for asthma, Tylenol 3 for arthritis, and occasionally Zolpidem if I can't get back to sleep around 1 a.m.

I have Meniere's. However, there is also something called positional vertigo, interestingly, it can be avoided or the episodes shortened by using certain positions and maneuvers and avoiding others.

positional vertigo

Funny you should bring this up because I was thinking about doing it myself. I have intermittent episodes of vertigo at night when lying in bed but about a month ago I had it during the day. It was really bad and resulted in nausea and vomiting. I would have dismissed it as a virus or something but it reoccurred a few days later. I went to the emergency room where they cleaned out my ears and gave me a Rx for meclizine. Now I carry it with me and at the first sign of trouble I take a pill. Meclizine is the exact same drug and dosage that you can get in over the counter Bonine which is non-drowsy Dramamine. I don't worry too much about the night time episodes because they pass quickly and I have only had one more day time episode.

I had a really bad vertigo attack a few years ago, and ended up at the doc. He gave me these exercises... and I do them when ever the problem re occurs. During a "bad time" I do this 3 times a day. No meds needed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/tahlequahgardens/KT/exercisepicture.jpg

PS, I do the set 5 times!

Moni

Yes, plop down, turn your head to like if you were looking at someone standing there, and hold for 30 seconds. Sit up, look straight forward, hold for 30 seconds, plop down on the other side and again turn your head like if you were looking at someone standing there... sit up again. Every position to be held for 30 seconds. Do all 5 times, two or three times daily, and your symptoms prolly disappear. Mine do. After a few days I can quit doing the "exercises" again, till the next episode. I haven't had to do anything for AGES now.

Moni

Thanks for the link to the exercises Moni. I'm going to try them and maybe the night time spells will go away too.

Fran, it took me a while, but I finally realized, laying on my right side kicked the vertigo in. I no longer sleep on my right. Was a tough change... but when you wake up all pukey and dizzy, you learn. ;)

Also, when mine first started I could not stand ceiling fans, or sitting at a railroad crossing when a train went by.

Moni

If vertigo sensations don't recede much, then contact an ENT clinic. There is a test (sorta neat) where they put you in a comfortable chair and put a series of pictures on a screen while you are wearing some funky glasses. I forget the name of the test, but it was not invasive at all. What they are looking for is anything out of the ordinary (as it was explained to me). Among the things that they said I had was some minute movement of my eyes. Often, they said, that leads to other problems.

But wait, you might say, why ENT for something with the eyes! Because your eyes talk to your middle ear and tell them lies. Outright lies. The middle ear is where your sense of balance is. If the eyes are not telling the truth, then you ears will do something that is not correct.

It might seem strange that the eyes and ears work like that, but it also goes along with sinus issues and whether there is fluid buildup in the ears due to a blockage of the Eustachian Tube. Lots of things go together, there are several exercises that go along with BPPV.

Sometimes, the vertigo is a result of low blood pressure when moving to a more upright position. The heart is accustomed to just pumping a little and then you challenge it by sitting up to fast. Low blood pressure can get you into that vertigo sensation.

Speak with your primary health care provider and ask if a referral is appropriate for ENT. Typically, the referral will get you into the specialist's office quicker. You might not need an appointment with your primary, speak with a nurse and ask if they can recommend someone.

How do I know all this? Been there, done that.

My experience is similar to Jim's above. I had it for ages, then ENT guy did that exercise with me and it was (mostly) gone. I can still make it happen if I move too quickly (or something?) getting in or out of bed, but nothing like before.

I had cervical vertigo recently and it was such a bother. I didn't do much about it but go easy on my neck and back and it eventually subsided.

Ah-hah! The KT comes through again! Thanks, all. I will try the exercises and talk to my ENT again. (My eyes involuntarily move side to side at the speed of light when I turn my head to the left to check my clock.) I don't have low BP -- tending towards high BP now.

This also bothers me because my DM had vertigo immediately before she developed the 'blood problem' that became leukemia.

My DH was diagnosed with vertigo about 10 years ago by a local neurologist. He ended up having further testing at Hopkins with a vertigo specialist. He determined that it was a pinched vestibular nerve. He was put on Trileptal, an anti-seizure medication used to treat epilepsy and it worked. He stayed on it for five years or so then decided to try and taper off with the OK of the dr. He has been off the medicine for a few years and has not had any vertigo episodes.

I have suffered from vertigo episodes for most of my life but sometimes if I am lucky I can go a year without having severe episodes but that is few and far between. Mine all have to do with my ears. When I was a child my family Doctor would have my parents give me Dristan tablets, then I was put on a diuretic to get rid of the water in my body which I took for most of my life but a few years go took myself off because I was getting worried about the damage it might do to my kidneys. Since I stopped taking the diuretic I have more vertigo episodes. Worse feeling ever. Having to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom. I have prescription pills I take when I have an episode but they knock me right out which is good but one of the side effects for me is my brain feels itchy inside my head and you can't scratch it. Horrible feeling. Sometimes my vertigo can last a few weeks.

I have to go to the Doctor to have him flush the wax from my ear, which comes out like hard stones. When my ears start to feel plugged I know I should go in but many times I don't and then I suffer for it when I become dizzy a few weeks later, My Doctor also does the head maneuvers on me which do help a lot and then I do them myself every few weeks on myself. I wouldn't wish vertigo on anyone.

Here is a newer exercise to try for Vertigo

I'm late deafened. The only thing that helps is non drowsy Dramamine or Bonine. Th original non drowsy. not the stupid natural ginger formula which does nothing for anyone suffering from true vertigo. The ingredient to look for whether branded or generic is Meclizine HCI.

The exercises works on one condition commonly referred to as "ear rocks". It's a real condition but not that common. Except on the internet. Just a popular social media post or something chiropractors may be fond of. Get properly diagnosed. It may just be wax, it may sinuses, it may be blood flow to the brain, or a pinched nerve as someone stated. It could even be a tumor. See a doctor. Don't self diagnose.

Yes I have Menieres and BPPV. I have great success using the Epley maneuver. Lots of YouTube videos on how to do it. Don't do it alone especially the first time. I always have my husband help. And I always have a trash can nearby because at times during the maneuver it's so bad I vomit. I lose all knowledge of what is up, down or sideways. But I am usually better after one good session.

"The exercises works on one condition commonly referred to as "ear rocks". It's a real condition but not that common. Except on the internet. Just a popular social media post or something chiropractors may be fond of. Get properly diagnosed. It may just be wax, it may sinuses, it may be blood flow to the brain, or a pinched nerve as someone stated. It could even be a tumor. See a doctor. Don't self diagnose."

I think it may be more common than you think. While I agree that seeking medical attention is important, I also think it is important to review your symptoms, do some online research, and have some idea of possible diagnoses.

Just as in all professions, there are some unscrupulous doctors that will diagnose an illness with the most financial return, and some good doctors that will make an honest misdiagnosis. My father had positional vertigo, but the first diagnosis given to him was food poisoning.

Being familiar with your own body, with possible illnesses and outcomes, and having some idea of what to expect is a good starting place when something goes wrong.

Here you can buy cheap meclizine from Amazon. I also use it when traveling on cruise ships.

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