BPPV "Spin" though somewhat different, Dix-Hallpike was negative...thoughts?

[shelzmike]

I will try to make this as short as possible. I have been diagnosed with BPPV, with my first episode being about 13 or so years ago. It was terrifying not knowing what it was, but after going to my doctor and receiving the diagnosis, I accepted it.

Since then, I have had recurrent episodes probably 2 times a year on average. They are not usually debilitating, but do cause significant anxiety (I also have generalized anxiety disorder/health anxiety/panic attacks, so this doesn't help).

I used to usually notice the onset when I got out of bed and sat up. My symptoms are generally "light" compared to what I have heard others go through. I generally get a delayed and significant spinning. When I get my spins, they are way more of a feeling of being pushed on or movement and less so an actual visual spinning. The way I relate it is when we were all kids (pretty sure we all did this) and spun around and around until we fell down and then you had that feeling of spinning as well as the visual spinning of the room. I get more of the body feel than the visual.

Most of the time, my episodes last about 10-20 seconds give or take and are then over, but I am left with a constant off-balance feeling as well as some head pressure.

About 5 years ago I found the wonderful Epley Maneuver. Whenever I get my episodes, I get a clear response with an at-home Dix-Hallpike and it has always been my right ear. Doing the Epley almost always gets me cleared up first try and I am so grateful for that. During the maneuvar, I usually get some pretty intense spins.

Ok...so my question and about what happened today that I am confused about. I was cleaning the house, took a drink out of a bottle of soda, but didn't tip it up too high that I recall, put something back in the closet and when I turned around, I got a sudden and one of the most intense spins that I have ever felt (save for perhaps my first one I ever had). It seemed to last longer than any one I usually have either, at about 40 seconds to perhaps a minute, though there was clearly an onset, a peak, and then falling off. I was very off balance and had to hold onto the wall for stability as I felt like I could fall down at any moment. Again, it was a familiar feeling, just slightly more intense. I had no other symptoms, didn't feel lightheaded, no nausea or anything like that.

That being said, my anxiety peaked pretty bad as it usually does whenever I have a recurrence. Even though I know what it is, I can't help my already anxious mind move on.

For the rest of the day, I went on about regular business, but my health anxiety was high and I was dealing with symptoms related to that. It seemed kinda different on one hand, but on the other hand I DO have BPPV, it did feel then same, just more intense.

So later in the evening, I did the Dix-Hallpike and didn't have nearly as much dizziness as I thought I would, on either side. Granted, laying like that in general always makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit dizzy, but it wasn't what I had expected. I did have a little bit of dizziness on the right side so figured going ahead and doing the Epley wouldn't hurt. Throughout the maneuver, I did have some noticeable, albeit quite slight dizziness - not like I usually get.

So of course now my anxious mind has been contemplating the "what if" questions of whether or not this was the same thing, or something else.

Has anyone had a similar situation at all. I tend not to go to the doctor unless I really have to and am trying to be rational about this. My health anxiety is not helped by running to my doctor for every little thing just for him to say I am OK and it was just BPPV (or whatever else ails me). I am pretty certain this was BPPV related since a.) I have had it for years, b.) felt nearly exactly the same just more intense, c.) it was short duration, no other symptoms other than anxiety. My brain just can't figure out why it happened in a different way. I suppose there was movement of my head when I drank out of the soda bottle which could have caused it. I'm not complaining that I didn't have much dizziness with the D-H or Epley maneuver but in some ways if there was, then my anxious mind would have been calmed a bit as it would have been without a doubt BPPV related.

Thanks for taking the time for reading this.