My girlfriend had great help with a U Tube video and realigning your Crystals.

Judy, I have seen a few during a search (but have not watched them fully yet). Will definitely try it! Glad it worked for your friend.

Yes, I have positional vertigo (as well as Meniere's) and my Dad did as well. What helped for me was learning to recognize the positions that bring on the vertigo and just avoid them. The actual episodes are horrible, but I have not had a full blown episode in years.

If your primary physician is unaware of your episodes, then you cannot get a referral to an appropriate person to help you with this.

If you primary is aware and you have not received a referral, then you might need a new primary. (Respectfully submitted by someone who worked in a nursing home for several years.)

Jim, that is a good point. I should have mentioned that I have just contacted my primary care doctor about these latest episodes. They occurred and I was diagnosed by a doctor while traveling overseas.

Realigning crystals?

No vertigo for me, just bad balance at times. I stay off of ladders, which isn't a bad thing in any event because it saves me from having to do many household chores.

Have your doctor refer you to a vestibular physical therapist before trying any of the exercises on you tube. I was diagnosed with BPPV and did many weeks of PT. It was helpful and helped me understand what was going on with the exercises.

I am in excellent health and decent shape. I can honestly tell you that the episodes of vertigo are the worst experiences I have ever had!! It's not just a moment of light headiness. I was actually bedridden and throwing up until I almost became dehydrated. Had to have my daughter come over and stay with me when my husband was out one night. We laugh about it now, because she says she was hungover that night and wasn't much better than I.

I hope you can find relief. Oh, it may be just chance, but I find that foods that are very salty can bring on an episode.

Thank you Whistle! I will ask my doctor about a vestibular PT.

My latest episode was as you described your worst one was. I had to have fluids afterward (via IV).

My DH has them and for awhile was having about 2-3 episodes a year. Since getting his hearing aids, he's has only had one mild episode the last 2 years. He got the aids to help him hear certain musical notes when working in his studio, but after he started wearing them all the time, he noticed the improvement in his vertigo.

As whistle mentioned, see a specialist first since there are other diseases besides BPPV that can cause vertigo. My DH initially saw a neurotologist who showed him movements & positions that help improve an episode. Correcting it on your own can be difficult if you're already experiencing the vertigo so try to have someone help with the correction. My husband would get so bad he couldn't/wouldn't move and sounds made it even worse.

I have suffered from vertigo most of my life. I had all kinds of tests when I was a child and brain scans, etc. My Doctor when I was 13 years old prescribed a diuretic which I took for 45 years and now and then would experience only mild dizziness. I decided it was time to get off the water pills because I was diagnosed with what causes gout. Once I stopped the water pills I started suffering from vertigo. The episodes come every few months and there have been times I have had to crawl on the floor to let the dog out. I only take the medicine for vertigo when I have an episode but not for prevention because the medication knocks me out and it makes my brain feel itchy haha. I can feel an episode coming on a few days before it happens. I do the epley head exercises myself and sometimes I go to the clinic and let the doctor manouver my head. They do work and the time between episodes last longer. I also have to go and get my ears flushed out because the wax in my ears turns to a rock like substance and the impaction also causes me to suffer from a vertigo episode. I have never been able to swing on a swing, I stay off ladders or step stools and chairs. I wouldn't wish this on anyone

cherry, thank you for sharing your experience. That's interesting that it started so early in your life. I can relate to the "crawling on the floor" part. And the nausea is the worst.

Is the medication that you take Meclizine by any chance? That is what they gave me overseas. I think it is similar to over the counter Bonine, Dramamine, etc? it made me SO tired. I stopped taking it as soon as I could.

my girlfriend had/has it and had her 'crystals' in her ears re-positioned and she said she felt like a new person. i am assuming she went to an ENT, but not sure.

please look into this as she has told me her daily living is 100% improved.

Thank you SPRT"fanatic"? That is another option I will look into!

your welcome!!

she felt so bad we could not even make plans to go out... it impacted her whole life. she had an episode while her DH was home and he took her right to the doctor and she corrected the problem..

As Lucille said I too have positional vertigo (as well as Meniere's).

Having the doctor help you with the Epley maneuver or the other maneuvers which will cause the calcium crystals to move through the canals and correct the problem. If you try doing it at home I don't recommend doing it alone. It can cause severe dizziness and neausea, sometimes vomiting, and falling off the bed in disorientation. These are official medical procedures done by specialists in the office. This is a definite help for those who have a severe case of Bppv.

https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/health-wellness/hw/medical-topics/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo-hw263714

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/other/home_epley_maneuver_135,405

There are some good you tube videos showing how to do the various procedures. The Epley works very well for me.

Everyone, I appreciate all of your help .

Raven, thank you very much. My mother has Meniere's. I definitely want to get the advice of a specialist before trying at home. I want to make sure I'm doing the right procedure. Thank you also for the links.

You are welcome. It was a real blessing for me when I found the doctor that got my diagnosis correct and especially when he performed the Epley on me. Omg it was amazing how quickly I responded. I do it myself at home but always with my husband right there ready to grab me if I get disoriented or start to vomit. If you watch the videos you can see how the eyes react.

DH does the Epley maneuver at home. He got a terrible case of vertigo out of nowhere over a weekend but refused to go to the ER. He was going to wait until Monday to see his regular doctor. It scared the crap out me!

I googled sudden onset to try an put myself at ease that it wasn't a stroke or something, and came across Epley. He tried it and the relief was instant. He does it now monthly as prevention and as directed by his PCP.

Triggers for either Meniere's or positional are individual. For some people like me salt is a big trigger. You retain fluid and it increases fluid in your inner ear. Other people are triggered by coffee of all things. There are lists on websites for these disorders. I can also be triggered by bright sunlight. Well I Live in the PNW so that helps. If I feel a problem coming on I take an antihistamine to dry up my membranes. Normally they just put me to sleep. That interestingly enough can be part of the syndrome. If you can lay down and go to sleep your inner ear can reset. When I would have a major attack I used to try to get to sleep. That can be hard to do when you cant lay down.

When I'm up and about, I usually only get vertigo if I absentmindedly tilt my head totally to the side, such as looking for a cat toy that slid under a sofa, or such. But every night, I only 'twilight' sleep, in order to avoid getting vertigo. As I don't sleep well on my back and tend to switch from left side to right side all night, I consciously waken enough to remember to turn over very slowly, or the room starts spinning sideways. I once got a week long nagging pain in my neck, after having the Epley performed, so I just take caution to avoid my vertigo triggers.

Tackykat, the medicine I take is ACT Betahistine. I was on AntiVert -Meclizine for awhile but I prefer this medication. Here is another thing to try if you experience vertigo. I have heard from friends it works but since I can't sit on my bad knee on the floor I can't do it, I sure wish I could. https://youtu.be/mQR6b7CAiqk

Tackycat my doc offered me meds, or do this.

I tried that... and immediately after the first lay down though I would have to puke.. and said, NO WAY... but I really prefer no meds, and then tried again, and made one set. Eventually I was able to do 5 sets, which he recommended, and I was fine after. When I first had my first vertigo attack I did this 3 times daily. For WEEKS.. no, month. Eventually I did stop.

But when I felt an attack coming on, I did it again... till today. Ever so often I have to do this again.

The recomandation is hold each position for 30 seconds. I do. I bought a watch (timex) that has a repeating timer. I use that function, and am on my third watch for this.

I have told numerous friends and acquaintances about these "exercises" and it helped all of them.

It moves the crystals/rocks to parts of the ear where they don't bother you.

Moni

PS I can even be in rooms with ceiling fans again. :)

Doing it that way helped me also Moni.

I know first time the Dr did it to me I immediately thought I would vomit and I was literally spinning, my body, around on the table. It took 3 people to hold me on the table. Everything was spinning and I was too. I just watched a you tube video of a guy doing it for the first time ever and he was was just about to levitate. Lol. It's a shocking experience that first time since you have no experience. I do it at home but never alone because even with my husband right there I have nearly fell off the bed. My eyes are fluttering so fast. My husband said it looks like something from the exorcism movies. Well we are casting out that evil vertigo! My Nystagmus is severe during the attacks.

This is a very good explanation for what happens to cause BPPV and how to do the epley maneuver.

https://youtu.be/9SLm76jQg3g

I have it too. Did all the tests, positional aligning at the doctors, up all night in the neck brace in a recliner, etc. Nothing helps me. Frequency has lessened with taking over the counter allergy meds. year round. But I still get 1 or 2 whapping episodes a year, and I am always careful of positions. I was the only little kid who hated merry go rounds, and couldn't' really explain it to anyone.

Whistle what is BPPV?

My friend has it ... I went with her to "get her rocks back in place ". The doctor had me watch her eye movements as he turned her head from side to side. It was amazing how her eyes "danced"...but it really helped her.

i have had it happen a few times but was helped by Meclizine.

Thanks so much. I fall in place. My neighbor hears me hit the floor and laughs and asks if that is me. She knows she can't pick me up cause I'm dead weight. I will have neurological tests run when I can afford them.. Thanks so much.

My father-in-law had Meniere's disease that caused him to retire a few years early from being a Minister of the Gospel. His specialist told him he had no cure for the condition, but since it seems to be associated with the inner ear, it will reduce with hearing loss, and that is what happened to him.

One day when at an airport on his way to a convention, an attack struck him. The airport security was convinced that he was either drunk or high on something and locked him up in the drunk tank, and would not let him out until his wife came to pick him up. He was unable to convince them that he had a medical condition that was the cause. This episode made him consider retiring a few years early.

Thank you everyone for your input. Good to know I am not alone and that this condition can be dealt with relatively easily. The dizziness is awful, as many posters have experienced and mentioned.

I learned about modern treatments here. a friend gave me their pills b/c it didn’t work got her or me. That’s what people have told me. My old doctor wasn’t Sympathetic. I got a new doctor and I never told him. He found out when I fell in place and crushed my liver. I thought that vertigo, spinal stenosis, sciatica were all things women of a certain age got. Frankly, no one wants to hear complaints about it. I still get it and it’s serious I know. I live alone and some times bounce off wall or just go down. I crawl to a seat. Getting neuro tests done for other things maybe it will help.