1. Community
  2. Ears, nose, throat and mouth
  3. Vertigo and Dizziness

BPPV and nervous: What should I do?

Posted , 5 users are following.

kirsten92094
kirsten92094

I'm 27 and have had BPPV for the last two years or so. The attacks seem to be completely random but are almost always my right ear and are, thankfully, always when I'm sleeping. I have gone as long as 6 months without an attack but sometimes it's just a week or two.

At first, to avoid getting dizzy I just slept on my left side but then, eventually, it happened in the left ear. Then, I started sleeping on my back. Then, eventually, it happened again. There never seems to be a correlation between my activities and when BPPV attacks. The Epley maneuver has always worked though sometimes I have to do it a couple times and I always feel really crappy/unsteady for a day or two. If I sleep upright or reclined, I never get BPPV (or at least not yet).

I now get very anxious/scared to sleep lying down. For the last three weeks I've been sleeping in a reclined position because the idea of sleeping laying down is so scary. I had to go to the dentist a couple of days ago and I nearly had a heart attack laying there while they worked on my teeth because I was afraid I'd suddenly have vertigo.

So my question is this: is it better to sleep in a reclined position all the time or is it better to face my fears and sleep laying down? Part of me thinks that sleeping reclined all the time might just be something I have to do, like a diabetic has to give themselves insulin. Part of me thinks that I'm being a weenie and "giving in" to BPPV. So what do I do?

2 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • gillian76726
    gillian76726 kirsten92094

    Posted

    No you are not being a weenie, you will find on most good .vestibular sites they actually recommend sleeping slightly elevated.  In Fact one I read highly suggested putting bricks under the top legs of you bed. I can't do this as my bed doesn't have legs, a box base.  But am trying  to to work out something I can put under the top part of my mattress to incline it.  Apparently pillows aren't the same., although I now sleep with two.  iF you go look on the Veda website and/or th or FB page you will find a lot of good ideas plus info about n this condition. 
    • kirsten92094
      kirsten92094 gillian76726

      Posted

      Would you mind sharing a link? I know you're supposed to sleep elevated for a couple days after an attack but I'm thinking about permanently changing my sleeping position to (hopefully) avoid it ever happening
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 kirsten92094

      Posted

      I don't know how to do the techno thing of sharing links Kirsten, especially on iPad...  But  you just google VEDA and their site  will,come up. I think you will find it has to be a permanent thing .
  • linda95289
    linda95289 kirsten92094

    Posted

    Hi

    sorry you're going through this......unless you've experienced it people trivialise it as they think feeling dizzy equates to feeling drunk!!!

    Every one is different but similar if that makes sense.....I have always had a problem sleeping or sitting reclined I'm much better sleeping flat, gritting my teeth until my balance has settled but woe betide if I move! You find your own sleeping position, there is no right or wrong and no being a 'weenie' you have enough to deal with without putting undue pressure on yourself!!

    my dentist is very understanding and lowers the chair and the I let myself go back and the same when treatment is done.....Going shopping was always a trigger for me, I could be fine to start and by the time I'd walked up and down a couple of aisles I'd be so dizzy I couldn't get myself home! Putting on mascara was another trigger as I would put my eye 'in the wrong position'....Moving my head in the wrong position whilst sitting on my sofa would my sofa to the other end of the room....horrible, stirring gravy, I could go on but basically, anything that moves could set me off especially if I wasn't aware of it, if I was sat on a chair with wheels at work and someone puts there arm across the back of it and moves it hat is an awful experience.

    As I had had this for over twenty years people who know me are understanding too and can sometimes see I'm not well before I do! I worked in a very understanding department who were always having to bring me home, they knew how to put me where I was safe, lock my door and put the keys through the lock! When I would go back into work the next day they would be amazed at the difference in me. That is another reason why this condition plays with your mind because you are ok one minute then boom it all falls apart and you have no control of what is happening to you. I got to the stage where I wrote all my wishes down for my funeral, I was so sure you that at times I couldn't be that ill and survive it, awful isn't it!

    i am just glad when I awake in the morning and I can turn over and not be dizzy.....of course it can soon change but I usually know first thing whether I'm going to have a good or bad day and just try and get through it best I can......that's all any of us who have this debilitating condition.....peace be with us all xxx

    • kirsten92094
      kirsten92094 linda95289

      Posted

      So if you were me would you permanently change your sleeping position or would you try going back to sleeping like a normal person? I'm sorry that you've had such a hard time with this. It's only happened a couple of times to me and I've barely been able to handle it - you're incredibly strong! Have you ever thought about having surgery to permanently stop it? I know I have...
    • anne05147
      anne05147 kirsten92094

      Posted

      Hi Kirsten, i have it in my left ear.  I sleep with one pillow because i also have a stiff neck if i use more.  If i could sleep with more pillows i would to avoid the crystals getting lodged in the canal.  Epley doesn't do much for me and it takes weeks for the crystals to disolve on their own, so if there was a way to avoid them i would. I've got pretty use to it now though and at least know that this condition fluctuates and there are times when it goes away completely. The best advice the doctor gave me was try to get out of bed more slowly as i use to do that too quickly. 
    • linda95289
      linda95289 kirsten92094

      Posted

      Yes, go to sleep in your normal position bless you! Thanks for your comments.....I must be strong mustn't I, you don't really think of it that way and sometimes it takes someone else to point it out, thanks. I have made an appt today to see my GP on Monday so we shall see what happens from there, wish me luck as I wish you.....
  • kate47167
    kate47167 kirsten92094

    Posted

    Hi had BPPV for 7 years the clue is in the word Benign POSITIONAL.

    I have 3 pillows on a good day and 4 on bad days.

    I sleep on my good side or on my back.

    Even if you don't think you move your head I bet you do and if you have crystals floating around that's all it takes.

    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 kate47167

      Posted

      Yes agree Kate,,it does make a difference.  iF you can't bear to have too many pillows,du to getting neck ache, then another idea/s,,is to put a brick under the top end legs of bed so it is slanting, and if that's too hard, get something (maybe like dense Foam rubber), firm you can get cut to size and place it under mattress at top to create that slant. This would,then help the head to not be flat but still only use one pillow?
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.