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Ideas for self help with BPPV

Posted , 12 users are following.

Jac27
Jac27

Hello,

Have just come back from dioctor who has signed me off for a month because of my continuing vertigo which he says is BPPV. (have has symptoms since November). Being signed off for such a lenght of time has, I have to say, taken the wind out of my sails a bit.  When I aked if there was anything I could do to help with the symptoms he said to continue the exercises I was given following Epley treatment and continue taking the medication (Stemitol). Otherwise nothing but wait it out. I've had a CT scan and have been referred for physio and to an audilogist but I was just wondering if anyone out there has found ways that seemed to alliviate their symptoms or are happy to share their ways of coping. I find I'm able to do very litte at the moment without feeling dizzy and cannot walk at a normal pace or operate at a normal level for everyday activities. Sometimes I get dizzy even just sitting.

Thanks in advance smile

0 likes, 91 replies

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  • Gilly_flower
    Gilly_flower Jac27

    Posted

    I having a job to believe that bppv can cause all these terrible problems , I had the eppley a week ago , have felt worse since , I'm so worried because I'm walking on a trampoline  all the time , 
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Gilly_flower

      Posted

      I ageee. To many drs dagnose bppv without really knowing for sure.  It's,just am easy 'handle' for them. On and ask some qeustions as you will het responses not just from fellow sufferers but professionals.
  • Gilly_flower
    Gilly_flower Jac27

    Posted

    Do you ever fill like this 
    • Jac27
      Jac27 Gilly_flower

      Posted

      Nearly 3 weeks on from epley I am still having dizziness and occassional feelings of nausea when i try and walk at a normal pace. I think everyone is different but I do know what you mean, how can it cause so many problems? Yesterday I just burst into tears because I felt dizzy just standing foe 15 mins preparing dinner.
    • kathie37110
      kathie37110 Jac27

      Posted

      Everyone is different.  It has taken me three years to get back to a halfway normal balance.  But also I don't have kids to chase after and my job is more mental than physical so I have been able to carry on somewhat of a routine, which has made it easier on me.  Three years ago I was so bad I was about two days away from a wheelchair and I was sure I had MS.  All of the specialists scratching their heads and trying to give more medicine.  I had to get off of the meds to start my real recovery (not suggesting everybody needs to get off of meds, they were just too much for my system). So you will have some bad days but keep pushing to rebuild your strength and hang on. 
  • dee50000
    dee50000 Jac27

    Posted

    Hi Jac... just my 2 cents - my audiologist said that if it is BPPV (loose crystals floating back and forth where they shouldn't be!), one Epley should put them back into place. It did with me, when he did it, in one ear. The other ear continued, but not as bad so I tried to do it myself. After a couple months of no success, my neurologist did it and it worked after that one treatment. 

    Now, a little background. I had MULTIPLE Epleys at the Pysical Therapist's office (at least 50 of them over a span of 6 months). No help at all. I think you just have to find someone who knows how to do it correctly! Also, I was told by the audiologist who actually helped me, was:

    - you may feel sick as the crystals are moving back into place, but this should only last about 10 minutes

    - it is as important to not lay down on that side, move your head anyway but side-to-side, down, and even more importantly backwards for 48 hours, because you can dislodge them again

    - he actually did each of the steps for TWO minutes, not 30 seconds. He said sometimes the small crystals take that long to fall out of the canals

    While you may think you are doing it correctly, often doing the Epley at home can cause more harm than good (this was told to me by a balance expert).  Also, while the crystals may have gone back into the right place, NEW ones can fall out, making it seem like you "still" have it, even if it's a new set of crystals.

    The off-balance feeling is something toatlly different for me. I used to get the vertigo (room-spinning) when I moved my head different ways. Now I just have the imbalance sensation (vestibular-ocular-brain problem) pretty much every time I move my head - no vertigo, no nystagmus. Two completely different problems. Maybe you have more than the BPPV going on if you have both symptoms; a specialist should be able to tell you.

    Sorry for the long-windedness, but one last thing - you can have the crystals in more than one canal, and the Epley will not do a thing to help if they are not in the canals that are "most common", another position is needed for those, such as a log roll if crystals are in the lateral canals. You can ask your ENT/PT/specialist about that; and they can't really do more than one side at the same visit, because that will "undo" the other side, if that makes sense to you. Good luck and keep us informed on what works for you!

  • gary97183
    gary97183 Jac27

    Posted

    Hi Jac,

    I had BPPV for a few years on and off. I found a cure for me and have not had another attack in years.

    Take two magnesium glycinate capules daily and drink more water like 6 glasses a day. 

    It will gradually get better slowly and then disapear.

     

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