What to do about dizziness?

[Fluffysmom]

I've noticed that a lot of us deal with dizziness/vertigo.  I'm wondering if I should do something more about mine.

Yesterday at physical therapy, my PT worked on my neck, which increased my dizziness somewhat, though not as bad as in the past.  She then took me to the gym to try a new exercise to strengthen my gluts, saying that I needed a strong platform in order to keep my neck from being so constantly rigid, tight, guarded, whatever she called it.

She had me stand on a box, put my weight on one leg, and reach behind me with my other leg, tap the floor, bring the foot up without touching the box, and repeating 10 times.  By #9 on the second leg, I totally lost my balance, fell sideways off the box, landed on my left leg (tweaked my bad knee), stumbled across the gym sidestepping until I wrapped both arms around the front of an exercise bicycle.

My wee PT tried to catch me, but I was falling and stumbling; at first she thought I was joking around, she said.  Then she was horrified, and glad that I didn't hurt myself.

My knee now yelps at me with normal walking (my ACL{second replacement} is already loose and thinning), and doesn't help with balance issues any.

My question is what can I do about my dizziness?

A few years ago my otolaryngologist said that he could do a test to see if I had BBPV, but that would just show if moving me around caused my vertigo to be worse.  He gave me some low-dose Xanax to take, which helped very little, if any.  The last time I tried it, it actually seemed to make things worse.

He said that my dizziness was not from my allergies.

I called him after my brain MRI showed all those lesions, and asked if  my dizziness/vertigo could be caused my MS.  He hemmed and hawed, said it was possible, since some people with MS did experience dizziness, but it was difficult to say, since he's not a neurologist, yada yada.

Since we've had discussions here about peripheral as opposed to central vertigo, I'm wondering about tests such as a VNG or others I can't remember now.  None of my neuros have thought my dizziness extreme enough to be of any concern to them, but since it's messing with my life, I'm thinking that maybe I'll bring it up with a little more emphasis at my next appointment with my MS specialist next month.

Or do I see a new otolaryngologist?  Any ideas, suggestions?  

Thanks,

Kathy

[summerluvr]

I have also not been diagnosed with anything.  But I have had vertigo for 1.5 years+. Comes and goes, was better Nov. Dec. Jan. seems to be back (spring?)  I get full on spinning.  Like you're drunk. but lucky for me (or maybe not) I'm getting more used to it, can deal with it better.

It's much worse if I do not get full 8 hours sleep.  It's also worse if I'm standing and doing stuff. Or with movement like in a car, going down the stairs.  Like at work if I'm standing at the copier for a while. Sitting down and resting helps.  The only thing that makes it go away for me is sleep. I have double vision / foggy vision that usually is worse with the dizzyness.

I had a ENG.  It was unremarkable. ENT felt it was related to my vision problems with no one has been able to sort out yet.

[CheeserNurse]

My dizziness/vertigo/rocking boat feelings/feeling like I'm getting off an elevator is worse when I am sitting down or standing up still...movement helps me, which is very odd. I am a nursing student and always on my feet, so the only real relief I feel is when I am walking around, but once I stop, I feel like I'm going to fall right over. Very odd!!

[PastorDan]

Wow, where to start on this gaggle of giddiness?  I became dizzy reading this thread.  I've found, though, that docs don't like the term "dizzy."  It can mean too many things.  Super neuro seemed impressed when I used terms like "loss of balance," "unexplained sensation of motion," vs. "faint," or "lightheaded" (a term I'm not sure I could define).

I've tried meclizine, xanax, scopolamine, and now clonazepam.  They all just make me sleepy in varying degrees, with the newest being the worst.  There may have been some slight relief with scopolamine, but it was in a 3-day patch that would wash off in the shower the first day; kind of inconvenient for no more good than it did me.

I'd be making sure there were reports completed about the spill off that PT's stepping box.  I'll admit, though, I'd likely never have made it to 9 reps on either leg.

I began last year with the room spinning, almost always clockwise.  Then, it began tumbling backwards, with the floor in front of me coming up as if it would go backward over the top of my head.  Then, I started with falling sensations, like a high speed express elevator going from the 45th floor to the sub-basement.  Now, the room usually either rocks or rolls, sideways, although none of those other sensations are entirely gone.  I still get some queaziness along with it, and I've lost 25 to 30 pounds since last summer when this first hit me, because I often don't feel up to eating.  Those who know me are certain I'm ill by that one symptom alone.

There's a specialty called oto-neurology, a neuro doc that deals mostly with dizziness, from what I understand.  Ex-neuro a.k.a. neuromaniac finally referred me to one, but when I dumped neuromaniac, I didn' think I'd go through with the referral just yet.  Then I researched the guy a little more, and I'm not impressed.  Who knows?

A typical ENG or VNG (I've had both recently) will include a routine that I think is called the Hall-Pike Maneuver, where they lay the patient down with their head hanging off the end of the table, turn their head sideways, wait a certain number of seconds, then sit the patient up quickly and have them stare straight ahead.  If the patient becomes horribly dizzy under such a maneuver, I think the Epley stuff is the solution.  Not sure.

That about does it for me on this topic; my chair is rocking!

[Fluffysmom]

Hmm, looks like a couple of suggestions pointing towards ENG/VNG.

Dr. Epley, the doctor who made great strides in the understanding and treatment of vertigo, worked here, close to where I live, and helped a friend of mine lead a much improved life after a traumatic brain injury caused her severe vertigo issues.  Unfortunately, he's retired, or at least just teaching now.

I hope his maneuvers help you, Kelly.

My vertigo is variable; sometimes it feels like the earth moved under my feet, like maybe there was an earthquake.  Other times, I'm just off balance and get kind of woozy when I turn my head or body too quickly.

Other times, which I assume is during a flare, I get the full-blown room-spinning, motion-sickness (even watching motion on TV), really lacking balance and sense of myself in relation to other things.  I had one treatment by my PT that left me feeling like my brain was floating above my head for hours, and then the other vertigo stuff for a couple days.

I'm much happier with plain dizziness, if happy is the right word for it, lol!

Arnica gel helps the bruises, for those of you that run into things.  :o)

Kathy

[keddy1221]

I too am undiagnosed but I deal with vertigo almost every single day, and have been since September 2008.  My dizziness is more like a rocking boat sensation.  Every now and then the room will spin, but most of the time I just feel wobbly.  The neuro told me it's probably benign positional vertigo.  I had an ENG test performed and the results were normal, although I could tell a major difference with air blown into my left ear as opposed to my right.  I was hardly dizzy at all with the left ear but the right ear made me feel as if I was going to fall off the examination table!!

I think I'm going to try some manuevers thought to help with BPPV, I think they're called Eply manuevers??  I remember my GP helping me with them in his office but the vertigo came back.  

Does anyone else have any suggestions that may help with vertigo?

Kelly

[goofysmom1]

Keep in mind that I am not dx'd - but I have issues with Vertigo and dizziness.  The vertigo is experienced only when I am laying down versus the dizzy spells when I am upright.  I suppose they may be the same thing - but the vertigo is definitely a "room spinning" sensation, whereas the dizziness is more of a disorientated type of feeling.  Such technical jargon, I know!!  :)

Anyway, evil neuro #1 sent me for an ENG/VNG test.  That was interesting.  This test can tell them if it is central or peripheral that is causing the vertigo or dizziness.

I bet Quix could get more technical for you.

My test was mostly normal - with the exception of a bilateral weakness to air caloric stimulation and the doctors suggestion was to rule out a central nervous system disorder, as he didn't think it was a peripheral cause.  Evil neuro #1 told me my test was "normal" so there was no further investigation of it.

Good luck,
Chrisy