Vertigo

[donellda]

I started experiencing vertigo last week. I have been diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It is not dangerous health wise unless I fall or something but it is really annoying. I experience it mostly getting out of bed in the morning. I have medication and exercises to do to realign the calcium oxalate crystals in my inner ear.

Has anyone ever experienced this? It is apparently quite common in women over 50 but it is not limited to this group. I am able to do cardio workouts or anything where I am standing and not making any sudden turning moves. I have been participating in a series of workouts by a Canadian group called Participaction. I have done all the workouts except for their yoga inspired workout because I had concerns of going down to the floor.

If anyone has had this, how did you deal with workouts and how long did it last?

[warriorprincess]

I've had it three times, and my sister has had it twice. I did the Epley maneuver to get rid of mine, but it took a few tries. I actually ended up sleeping in a recliner during the first bout of it to try to stay in the best position all night, and it finally took. There were several years between attacks, and they only lasted a few days, with the first one lasting the longest. It was a pretty awful thing to live with. I mean, you can't even look down or tilt your head without getting woozy!

Definitely did not work out during this time.

[OSusanna]

Yes two times. The last time was awful and lasted 5 weeks. I was sitting up in bed, turned to get out of it and fell to the ground on all fours quickly. It was if I was velcroed to the floor. I went through the epley but overall I was pretty messed up especially for that first week.

When it got a little better I did Leslie. Front facing stuff with no changes in movement to my head.

It gets better but it can take time. I too was sleeping in a recliner that first few days.

[jackie7]

I second the Epley Maneuver. My doctor demonstrated it on me in her office. Worked so well.

[DD546]

I have suffered with vertigo off and on for years. My last bout was very transient, but I've had it where it lasted for weeks. Since my last go round I have shied away from weight work and yoga since both of those seemed to trigger an episode (although not contemporaneous but delayed). I usually just have to ride it out. I do find walking to be beneficial, but I have to hold on to my husband sometimes, and I tend to weave a bit. I'd never pass a field sobriety test, that's for sure. It sucks, but fortunately I haven't had an episode for months. I have tried the maneuvers but without much success.

[kat999]

I get flare-ups of this a few times a year. Once it was triggered by being in a yoga class and, doing a twist lying down, we were instructed to turn our head to look at the opposite hand. I felt the world unzip itself and everything went swimmy. It resolved in just a few seconds, but because of that I never turn my head in that position anymore.

I've had a full workup by an ENT on what causes it, and he was fully convinced it's just BPPV and my crystals being prone to dislocation. Epley maneuvers for a day or two almost always fix it right up. It's now been a while since it's happened, but having that reassurance and knowing exactly what it is has comforted me that if I have another flare-up, it's not something to be duly concerned about.

Sometimes I'll feel it sort of threatening to come on, and I do one set of Epleys on each side and it kind of staves it off.

Other than being mindful of my head position when lying down, I still work out and even do yoga and inversions, but just very carefully. At this point, I've almost completely pinpointed the specific positions that bring it on. I will say that I theorize that doing a FULL range of movement and exercise kind of acts as pre-emptive Epleys in a way, so unless you feel like your vertigo stays spinning longer than a few seconds or impairs walking and driving, you can probably safely do almost anything you want, just carefully.

In my case, I think several falls over time (one in very early childhood, one in elementary school, one in my early 30s, and one about two years ago) cumulatively worked to dislodge my crystals. While I was not seriously injured in any of these falls, they all involved some head trauma that wasn't bad enough to even cause a concussion but were significant enough that I still remember all four of them (nothing wacky happened; the first I tripped at day care, the second a friend and I were horsing around on a playground and I fell; the third I accidentally banged my forehead on a fireplace mantel that proved to be extremely hard; and the most recent one I tripped over a laundry basket in the middle of the night and faceplanted on my carpeted bedroom floor). Again, didn't even have a concussion from any of them, but I think that is plenty to have damaged these delicate dumb little rocks in my head.

Some things to remember about BPPV when it flares up:

1) It WILL resolve itself so long as you take the time to do Epleys carefully and correctly. Do them on the affected side three times a day for at least three days, and you should experience relief by the time the last day comes.

2) Try to slightly elevate your head when you sleep. If your pillow is very flat, get a fluffier one or double up.

3) Be careful when you roll over in bed. Try to prop yourself up a little and go slowly and carefully so you don't trigger an attack.

4) Go up and down stairs very slowly and carefully.

5) Be careful about turning your head too quickly, even when standing up.

If Epleys alone don't resolve it, your situation might be a little bit more serious. If you haven't already gotten a consult from an ENT, do so. Mine was great. I got a CAT scan, too, to make sure that it wasn't something worse, which was very reassuring.

Sometimes BPPV is accompanied by other ear issues, such as tinnitus and hearing loss. Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful with both. Get into a meditation practice to reduce stress.

Finally, make sure it's really BPPV and not Meniere's Disease, as the symptoms can be similar. Meniere's is not necessarily anything to be too concerned about, but Epleys many not be as effective in reducing the vertigo.

[donellda]

Thank you for all of the information and feedback. The exercise that my doctor showed me is the Epley Maneuver so I am doing the right one. I will just keep at it until it goes away

[Paine]

I occasionally get benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and it can be mild (feeling of spinning) or severe (vomiting, diarrhea, vertigo and unable to walk upright). None of the Epley positional maneuvers done at the doctor's office or ones I've tried at home ever helped me and no medication helped although if it is severe, Dramamine will stop the vomiting and allow me to sleep it off.

When it's bad, I am unable to workout that day. If it's mild, then I do more gentle workouts that I'm feeling up to doing. Floor work is often my preferred workout when I have BPPV.

I wish I had a solution but nothing I've tried has helped and I just have to wait for it to go away. I'm sorry you are dealing with this because it can be miserable at times.

[alisoncooks]

I'm sorry so many deal with this, but I'm glad for this thread. I get occasional vertigo (2-3x/yr). My most recent bout had me crawling to the bathroom.

I've never heard of that maneuver before so I'll definitely bookmark it for next time! My dad also gets vertigo and he says his doctor told him to take a Benadryl, which I think works similar to the Dramamine.

[donellda]

The medication that my doctor prescribed is betahistine. He did mention that antihistamines can help, which I take daily but he thought that I should also take the betahistine up to 3 times daily.