BPPV/epley manouver

Don't worry about the epley manouver, It's very easy and will not hurt. It may make you feel better so that is something to look forward to. Try not to get down, It can e tough but there are plenty of people here to help.

Hi jac all I can say is snap.! Just the same for me, I'm still taking betahistine. They don't take symptoms away completely for me but at times I do feel a little better. I've been off sick for 6 weeks as can't work like this. I had the epley done last week. To be honest hasn't made much difference for me but we are all different. Because so many of our symptoms are similar and the conditions so similar I think the doctors have to try and rule out  things bit by bit. My doc has suggested I may have got vestibular neuritis following on from labs but who knows. Just  want it gone and life to resume. You take care, we are here to listen and we know how it feels xx

 

The Epley maneuver is a simple series of head movement to try and get loose "crysrals" of calcium. They are supposed to be there, situated on top of tiny hairs in your canals in your inner ear, to send a signal to your brain as to where your head is as you move it. The Epleys move them back where they belong instead of floating in places where they cause you vertigo. I had it done several times, and it didn't do much good, but then I found an audiologist, a friend I used to work with, and he did it - guess he had the magic touch because it worked for my right ear. The left one continued to have these crystals out of place, so just last week a neurologist my doctor had sent me to did the Epley in the left ear, and it worked! Finally vertigo-free. Still off-balance, but they said that's a separate issue.

As for the procedure itself, the Pt has to do it in a very specific way, or it won't help. He/she must have you hold your head down to one side, then turn your head to the other side (still head back), and then finally sitting up and looking towards the floor. Each position myust be held for at least a minute. After that, you have to not lay on that side that was done for at least 36-48 hours. You can't move your head up or down during those hours either. Side-to-side is fine. Any waivering from those guidelines and you can undo what has been done. (Think of a game where you have to put the little ball through a maze to get it to the middle!). I did get nauseous during one of the head turns and actually threw up after I ran to the bathroom. That meant the crystals were moving (you want that, to put them back into the correct place), but apparently they moved a little too quickly or there were a lot of them, or my stomach was off or something. It was after that that I found the audiologist that did it and it stayed. It turned out I had several crystals out of the place where they were supposed to be, both ears, all 3 canals! No wonder the maneuvers didn't all work... sometimes it's a tricky thing to get right. But once back in place, they should stay there. Good luck. It's great to be able to bend down and pick something off the floor without the room spinning now! You will get ther too.

Just wanted to say we are here for you. Having to wait till April to see an ENT will be so very hard,  but be patient. And sometimes you have to find a different ENT if the first one doesn't listen to you. This whole vestibular disorder thing is tricky and elusive and doesn't always get fixed right away. Dee is right in that it can take multiple tries to get things right. Keep us posted and know that you aren't alone. 

Hi Jac27, How did your Epley maneuver go? Sorry to hear you’re going through all this. I work with young children and know from experience how difficult it can be when you’re not feeling 100%. It's also discouraging when your own doctor keeps changing the diagnosis on you. Makes you second guess everything. The epley can often help determine bppv so it’s good that they are going to give it a try.

If it is positional vertigo I have found using a simbalance pillow to be very helpful. Especially if someone is having ongoing issues. If you continue to have trouble you may want to look into it. They also have a facebook page with articles related to positional vertigo if you’re interested in learning more. Also your doctor should be able to show you how to perform an epley at home so you can get relief. This should be done each day for about 2 weeks for best results. Don't be surprised though if at first it makes you feel worse at first. That’s where nausea medication can be helpful. Take it before doing any head exercise. It’ll help you get through them. Just remember your not alone. I really enjoy this forum too! It’s a great place for encouragement and support.    

Jac27 It's a pillow that this designed to help when proforming the Epley at home to help keep your head at the right angles and you can also sleep on it at night to help prevent future dizziness. I learned about it from at friend who won't sleep on anything else now because it helped her get over her chornic vertigo from bppv. Since i'm not sure if it's okay to post links I would just do a google search for simbalance pillow systems. You can learn more about it on their website. I know i'm glad i found out about it.