Vertigo

[mazzywoo]

Morning all.
Since Sunday night, I have been getting vertigo, where everything spins. It's really scary when it happens (bending forward and rolling over in bed mainly) and it lasts a few minutes. I feel a bit nauseous and have a muzzy feeling. I am wondering if it could be because I use in-ear headphones (long train journey on Sunday!) and maybe have a wax buildup-yuk!
Is it worth seeing my GP or might it settle on its own?
Has anyone else had this?
Many thanks, Maz x

[daisya]

Sounds like ear problems to me, I suffered this when I had a bad ear infection, I could hardly get out of bed for feeling sick and the room spinning and I hadn't touched a drop the night before! Its horrible so know what you are going through. Best see the doc and get it sorted if it is your ears, some antibiotics should help you out then.

[Sqad]

mazzymoo.

vertigo is a symptom not a disease.

Are you taking any medication for a pre-existing medical condition?

Are the attacks transient (lasting less than a minute) OR do they last for 30 mins or more without easing up?

Are they ALWAYS associated with movements of the head or do they come on when you are resting?

Do you get ringing in the ears and/or deafness during an attack

I can't help without the above information.

Are thers

[gingejbee]

^^ what sqad says; and you could Goog "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" and see if it describes your problem.

[mazzywoo]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Sqad, Have been on Sotalol (V low dose as a precaution after an episode of AF which only happened once)+thyroxine for many years without problems. The attacks last a maximum of 2 minutes and stop as suddenly as they start. Always when movng my head-they don't happen when I am resting and I always have mild tinnitus anyway.There is no deafness but my ears feel sort of 'bunged up' Hope this clarifies things a bit.

[Sqad]

mazzy....thanks for that clarification and in which case I agree entirely with gingejbee....it does sound like BPPV
No medication is likely to help, but Google "Cooksey Cawthorne Exercises"

Monitor the situation.

[rowanwitch]

you have my sympathy its horrible...I get bouts of something that causes vertigo that can last up to a week at a time had loads of tests but no answer as to cause...my mother had the same... and they couldn't trigger it in the balance lab either

[mazzywoo]

Thank you all for the advice. I work for a chiropractic clinic and one of our practitioners has an interest in BPPV so I'll have a chat with him. I googled it (thanks gingejbee!) and it sounds spot on given my symptoms! Daisya and Rowanwitch, thanks for the sympathy-sorry you suffer with it too :(
As we say when we are typing letters to GPs 'Any further developments I shall be in touch'
Many thanks, Maz xx

[daisya]

I can't believe that not long after posting here I actually suffered this just moving from one side of the room to the other!! Not had it for some years since the ear infection and this morning I felt so sick and dizzy with it I had to sit down as the "room was spinning" it was awful. It cleared after a little while but still had the nauseous feeling for a while. Not done anything all day now, I just hope it doesn't come back. Hope you get yours sorted mazzywoo, people are really great on here with help aren't they?

[vallaw]

I had a bout of this several years ago caused by an ear infection. Sorted with antibiotics but now I don't trust my balance and can't go anywhere near cliff edges etc. Went to the Grand Canyon last year - that might not have been the best idea!