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Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi all. I have not been diagnosed with meniaires but waiting for am appointment to see a specialist.
I keep having attacks of severe vertigo and vomiting. To the point I want to die. The attack last about an hour or so but the dizziness continues for about 24 hrs.
The attacks are becoming more frequent and would welcome any advice on the condition and how to cope with it. What would be the best thing to do to prevent these attacks that are making me very down.
Thanks in advance
Paul
0 likes, 27 replies
Bluesmann paul_88958
Posted
paul_88958 Bluesmann
Posted
Yes I do 24/7. I was given a hearing aid which did help for a while after fighting for two years. Now it does nothing for me and tinnitus is worse. I did see a consultant who put me on betahistine 16mg three times a day which now don't seem to be working for me.
Waiting for specialist appointment but as NHS in the UK is so slow, that could be a way off. Thanks for replying
Debbieb34 paul_88958
Posted
Paul, I too have a hearing aid in my left ear, I did lose hearing in that ear but I have 4 buttons on it so I can hear 'white or pink' noise at varying volumes to mask the tinnitus in that ear and it has helped me from going crazy!
paul_88958 Debbieb34
Posted
mydarnear paul_88958
Posted
Hi Paul, sorry to hear about your attacks. The conditions sound similar to mine when I started out with MD. First thing would be to see a specialist as soon as possible so they can diagnose what it is.
For me I was also very down when it started, thinking about all the areas it might effect. For a period I went through very bad vertigo and vomiting until I was put in medication and also started to understand the triggers that would bring on a attack - mainly for me issues with stress, diet and sleep. This undersgandjng takes time to build up and you can see in this forum there are many people who have lived with MD for many years.
Personally for me once a bad attack starts I need to lay down in a dark room and not move my head (it's def not the type of thing you can walk off!). After a while the dizziness and vomiting subsides.
Hope all goes well with your appointment and good luck.
paul_88958 mydarnear
Posted
dan40016 paul_88958
Posted
Include a nurologist and an EEG test. Lots of things look like Menires's.
Don't accept the first doctors diagnosis. Hope you get relief soon. Good luck.'
Dan T.
SisterSledge paul_88958
Posted
Hi Paul -- I'm sorry to hear about your attacks. I was diagnosed in June after severe hearing loss, tinnitus and bouts of vertigo but have just had the most unbelieveable, frightening attack ever early sunday morning which sounds like what you've described. Uncontrollable vomiting and vertigo so bad I couldn't even lift my head to vomit. I too am very distressed at the moment so I am very empathetic.
How long before your appointment? Even while you wait I'd encourage you to be very very strict on sodium consumption, keep a daily log of symptoms and share with people like those on this site. I sought this place out precisely because I felt so depressed and alone. I can't say i'm totally fine with the whole thing but knowing that I'm not alone and reading about other people's experience has made me a little less frightened.
I'm going to have an electronsytagmogram this friday because my doctor wants me to -- but all I really want is some emergency treatment that will help me in that moment of hell that you describe. I've never been so terrified.
My thoughts are with and remember, you're not alone.
paul_88958 SisterSledge
Posted
Hi, thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear you are suffering as much as I am. I to wanted to find both a solution to the problem. I am also terrified of when it will happen again and sure it will so. I need to chase my appointment asap as the attacks are becoming more frequent.
I'm sure we all feel alone with this condition and glad I have found people who suffer like us and happy to talk about it.
Pupper SisterSledge
Posted
How did you throw up if you couldn't lift your head?
SisterSledge Pupper
Posted
not very well as it turns out -- never in my life have I thrown up in a flat position. The result was a lot of dry heaving which I can only assume was because i couldn't clear the path properly. i was twisted to the side and did have a bucket to my head but just sitting up was impossible so it was sort of a twisted hell that went on for 45 minutes -- i ultimately slipped to the floor trying to find some solid gravity and managed to lift my head slightly which brought up bile. I still don't know if the dry heaving was because I couldn't lift my head or what but it was my worst nightmare. Going to ENT at yale today -- fingers crossed.
Pupper SisterSledge
Posted
You can lift your head, it's just hard at first. Once the head is reposistioned over the trash can, the initial extra spinning from raising head lessens. The best thing is to have a trash can next to your bed and elevate can if needed (on a step or anything solid) so that you can rest your head against the side of trash can during vomiting. Get a can with rounded edges that won't cut into your hands. Dry heaves are just what happens when your stomache has nothing "left" to throw up. Anyway, don't throw up sideways that's uncessessary, possibly dangerous, and weird
Pupper
Posted
The point of the trash can next to bed is that you really don't need to elevate your head much, but just keep laying on your stomache and position the can so your head can be sort of level with the top of the can, as mentioned above. Good luck at Yale. Let us know what the ENT says. Very sorry.
SisterSledge Pupper
Posted
The meeting at Yale was okay but I feel like there's no real great options. I travel a lot on business and am, in fact, heading to the UK early tomorrow. So my chief concern was to have a plan when I'm somewhere away from home. He was going to do that test I mentioned earlier but because he felt that the risk of inducing another attack was too high he opted to hold off. My hearing, which had returned mostly, was again bad due to this latest attack. I have tinnitus all the time so I'm trying to learn how to detect when it gets bad enough to indicate the possiblity of an attack. I'm back on Prednisone in the hopes of recouping the hearing loss. He also gave me Diazapam and suppositories for the nausea. He told me my options, the possible surgeries etc. For now we're going with a day at a time, predisone and monitoring. I asked him about traveling as it's a big part of my job and he urged me, for right now, to not change everything as it will just enhance my feelings that my life is over. He's committed to be my 'cheerleader' as he says and we're just going to see how this plays out. So one day at a time for me. Thanks for the tips on the garbage can and the leaning -- I'm motivated to do what I can to help myself before during and after these horrible episodes so all suggestions are good suggestions.
Take care.
Pupper SisterSledge
Posted
I don't know how an electronsytagmogram (ENG), differs from videonystagmography (VNG), or if they're basically the same thing with different names. Anyway, the new method with VNG doesn't blow water into the ear, which is what makes people dizzy. But instead uses air. I had it done a few months ago and it didn't make me dizzy at all.
Sorry you have to travel a lot with MD. If on a plane, I'd thow a few plastic grocery bags in your purse. Roll them up tight and tie with small rubber band so they won't take up much space.
It occurs to me that I think about vomit preparedness quite a lot.
I wouldn't worry too much about hearing loss. It just adds to the stress and stress makes it all worse. Since I got MD a year and a half ago, my hearing in left ear has fluctuated greatly. After a severe attack the hearing loss is substantial in left ear, for up to a month or so. It would freak me out and depress me. It comes back a good bit though. I don't care too much about the tinnitus or hearing loss anymore. I pales in comparison to me just not wanting to be dizzy or have any more severe attacks. I was freaked out about my hearing at first too, like you. Now I'd gladly throw my ear out the window if it meant no more dizziness or attacks. (Not gladly, but you know...)