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After 20 years of blood pressure meds

Posted , 3 users are following.

anthony51986
anthony51986

Hi,  maybe only now just found out about my Dizzeness , Amlodipine 5mg Besylate (me i think it is the salt Besylate) , been taken off amlodipine altogether by doctor , never been so bad in my life ,Latest  theory by doctor i might have Arthritis in my ear ?,or something to do with calcium crystals in ear drums,

Sorry for short explanation but you only get 10 minutes with doctors in Uk , something about Vestibular ballance & loss of inner ear ballance, So he as sent me for CT scan of mt head. 

me i think something to do with the salt Besylate (but who am i )lol lol

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lily65668
    lily65668 anthony51986

    Posted

    Anthony, how long have you had the dizziness? And is it actual attacks of vertigo - i.e. spinning - when you put your head in certain positions, in addition to a general feeling of instability?

    These are important questions, because if your doctor is talking about crystals out of place in your ear - though inner ear, not eardrum - then that might be a short-term thing that can easily be fixed by a physiotherapist. (I had two months of misery with it myself at the beginning of this year, but managed to get it fixed in a 20-minute session with a vestibular physiotherapist.)

    You might want to google BPPV to see whether your symptoms check out. If this is what you have, it won't show up on any kind of scan, but there's a very easy, safe test for it that you can do yourself at home.

    • anthony51986
      anthony51986 lily65668

      Posted

      Thanks lily ,i have never heard of Vestibular physiotherapist before, i will google BPPV ,
    • lily65668
      lily65668 anthony51986

      Posted

      I'm not sure whether they have physios specially trained in vestibular work in the UK, Anthony. In fact, all physios all over the world are supposed to be able to perform the Epley manoeuvre (which is specific for BPPV and won't work for other vertigo conditions) and can also help with balance exercises etc. in cases of non-BPPV vertigo.

      However, on this side of the Channel we have specialist physios who do mainly vestibular work, so are very skilled at it. I actually didn't know this speciality existed myself till this year. I knew I'd got BPPV from the symptoms so first self-referred to an ENT doctor, which sounded like the logical thing to do. He turned out to be useless, then my GP directed me to a specialised physio who he actually knew. This guy did a fantastic job - cured me on the spot. But like I said, this was only because my vertigo was due to BPPV. If it's down to labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis etc., there's unfortunately no quick fix.

    • anthony51986
      anthony51986 lily65668

      Posted

      hi Lily , i'm going on youtube see if can do myself first , before i go to docs, only because it will take months to see one from NHS in Uk , And thank you for the info on BPPV lol

    • lily65668
      lily65668 anthony51986

      Posted

      Anthony, do the Dix-Hallpike test first, to see whether it actually is BPPV. You'll find that all over on-line. You don't have to hang your head over the end of the bed like it says - if you've really got BPPV, just throwing yourself down flat on the bed with your head turned to the affected side will provoke a spinning attack. No point even attempting the Epley if it isn't BPPV, it'll just make you feel sick.

      Some people do the Epley successfully on themselves, but if you're very unlucky the crystals can get into an even worse place and make you feel really terrible for a few hours. I've actually had BPPV twice in my life, which is why I recognised it second time around. The first time, about 25 years ago, I saw an ENT doctor who attempted the Epley or similar but clearly didn't know what he was doing. He sent me into terrible vertigo. I threw up on the floor in his consulting room (poetic justice?) and had to have a taxi to take me the half-mile home because I couldn't stay upright. However, it righted itself overnight, leaving me with the baseline vertigo I'd started out with, which took nearly a year to clear up.

      But there are no risks involved with the Dix-Hallpike test. If that doesn't send you into a violent spinning attack lasting just a few seconds, then you definitely don't have BPPV so no point in messing with the Epley anyway.

      I understand about the NHS. I'm of British origin and worked in it for 10 years in the 60s-70s (when it wasn't much better than it is now, in spite of what the papers say!) I also had to cope with it during the final illnesses of both my parents.

  • jacqueline88909
    jacqueline88909 anthony51986

    Posted

    Wow Anthony. ..I'm on Alodipine and ever really accociated it with my vertigo!!!

    • anthony51986
      anthony51986 jacqueline88909

      Posted

      hi Jacquline ,its only my theory but it stands to reason if Amlodipine is a channel blocker it could also effect calcium crystals in our log holes lol
    • jacqueline88909
      jacqueline88909 anthony51986

      Posted

      All the tablets I take for blood pressure. .cholesterol. .and diabetes have salt!!! Goodness me ..I gave been to a private ENT Specialist. .and a Neurologist! !! And both have asked me about my salt intake ....I will be seeing my doctor again ....I'm so glad I'm on this site you learn so much

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