Migraine or Menieres?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I had a severe episode of vertigo about a month ago. I was standing at my computer when I started sweating, then vertigo for hours! I vomitted a few times, then eventually went to bed. Since then, I have intermittent ear ringing, ear fullness, facial numbness, migraines, neck pain, and a constant dizziness/rocking sensation.
In 2008, I had a very similar attack. I went to the ER and all my tests came back normal. I was told it was anxiety. It lasted for months! I was uninsured at the time, so I never went back. Since then, I have always had dizziness and numbness that comes and goes.
My PCP thinks it's Meneires. I just did my MRI today, and nothing is showing in my brain, sinuses, or ears. I've always had migraines, but never with vertigo. Does this sound like either? What tests would rule out one or the other? My doctor is referring me to an ENT.
0 likes, 44 replies
Waffalobill lea6643
Posted
Cause vertigo is a symptom not a disease it's irrelevant. Menieres is so hard to diagnose most won't even say one way or the other.the treatment for menieres or benign positional vertigo is about the same.ENT will or should order tests.VNG,hearing test.this tells them if vestibular system is working right.then they will say there's no cure.learn to live with it.i have had it for 10 years now.in the middle of a bad spell now.had several episodes of vertigo in the past 3 weeks.go for a VNG in the morning.its gonna suck.everythingnow trips it.light, sounds,movement.dizzy all the time.some things on the internet give you some hope but docs say different.will be going to vestibular rehab as well. been there a few times.it don't help either. Cat scans,blood work,ekg, all that stuff came back normal a dozen times.
tneesha lea6643
Posted
Since 2008?!!! Oh my goodness. I can only pray mine isn't permanent. I absolutely hate this rocking feeling. It's so strange. I've been on so many cruises, I go on my boyfriends boat regularly and I've never had an issue and then all of a sudden this. It's not fun.
lea6643 tneesha
Posted
It comes and goes for me. The first neuro I saw said it was anxiety. I was young and uninsured and thought he knew more. It went away for a while, then came back hard! Now I won't stop until I get answers.
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
DizzyLizzy68 lea6643
Posted
But it could be menieres. Do u have hearing loss? If so, is it one sided , and does it last or go away? If so, how long does it last?
I have similar to you, but without the major vertigo, more rocking dizziness. I was on the fence btwn migraine vs menieres. They are leaning towards migraine, even though I had a sudden sensoneural hearing loss that lasted 3 days and required steroids ( completely deaf in left ear, returned completely 100%).
Menieres disease responds very markedly, in 80% cases, to low sodium diet. If you can find a relationship there, it may be atypical menieres. Keep in mind, that all forms of migraine respond to migraine diet, which includes a LOT of foods, including cured meats, canned food, frozen dinners, which also are VERY salty. So it is definitely overlapping as far as triggers.
Have a vng test while symptomatic. Prearrange it with an ent. It should rule out menieres if you are having symptoms at time of testing.
Another migraine type that can cause numbness, fainting and dizziness is hemiplegic migraine.
lea6643 DizzyLizzy68
Posted
My ear felt full this last time, like there was cotton in there. Sounds seemed dull, and it only happened in my left ear. My doctor did a basic hearing exam in the office, but said my hearing was normal.
I have the constand rocking dizziness. Thankfully the vertigo only lasted for several hours. Hope that doesn't come back.
DizzyLizzy68 lea6643
Posted
lea6643 DizzyLizzy68
Posted
I've only seen my primary doctor, and she gave me meclizine to use as needed. Waiting on appointments to specialists.
Waffalobill lea6643
Posted
tneesha Waffalobill
Posted
I have meclizine also. I didn't find that it gave me relief. My dr had me stop taking it saying that it slowed down compensation. How did the Diazepam help? Did it stop the rocking feeling?
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
Second bad episode I ever had they used it to stop the world from spinning. Works real well for that rocking sensation as well. It's a very low dose. 2 mg. But in NY cause it's a controlled substance you get treated like a criminal to get it. Random drug and alcohol tests. Constant questions about what happens if you take less or none of it etc. I have no.problems with the testing. It's paying for it hurts. $1300 bux to get a 10 dollar script is crazy. Anyone who abuses them would eat a months worth of my script in a day. Side affects of diazepam/ valium is a headache to. I have the nurses joke with me all the time. Say why pay that much to get a script to stop the spinning,rocking if your going to drink and do other drugs that make you spin and rock. I tell them for $1300 bux you can get better drugs than a 2 mg diazepam that gives you no buzz and gives you a headache.
tneesha Waffalobill
Posted
I am going to try this. I am a registered nurse by profession here in Florida and unfortunately, the medical professionals can be very judge mental. But 2mg of Valium will do nothing for a real addict. Lol. I have Valium 10mg that I've had for about 3-4 years in my nightstand. Dr gave me the script for back spasms and I never took them. I'm going to my primary tomorrow to see if he will write a script for 2mg. Perhaps this will be an answer to my prayers for the rocking. Thank you for sharing.
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
Yw. Hope it helps. I tried meclizine, Dramamine, all kinds of over the counter stuff.no help. Very mild rocking a product called Divertigo helped a little. Walmart has it cheaper than most places. One of those all natural liquids you rub behind your ears. CVS has one called vertigo less is about the same. But if the rocking/ dizzy feeling is more then just very mild, it don't do much. Lol . Plus with the low dose diazepam if you need to take 2 ,which I was told to do if it is real bad, it's still only 4 mg. You won't have to worry about being to messed up on dope to walk or overdose. Lol. Helps with the anxiety a bit to. Helps calm you a bit without being overpowering. Was told to take 2 after my VNR this morning. Can't take anything for 3 days prior to that test. So I was dizzy bad just trying to get to the test already.
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
Will help if you get it rolling over in bed to. Won't make you groggy or give you that hung over feeling like sleeping pills. Had a doc give me those once. Woke up dizzy and groggy from them things.
tneesha Waffalobill
Posted
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
Results take 3 weeks. Tech said right ear definitely way more sensitive than left. But I knew that by the way it made my head spin more. Lol . Usually it's my left ear is causing problems. App with hearing specialist on the 7 th. ENT follow up for results on the 20 th. Was told years ago I had bppv. Hope this time they narrow it down to something more positive. Getting hard to deal with. Trying to work and hide it was getting impossible. Stumbling around with your eyes rolling around is hard to hide. Gonna get hurt bad one of these days.
They need to help me or disable me. Can't keep trying to hide it and fight it. It's to strong now. I am losing that battle. In the past month I have had several episodes of vertigo. 2 good spins and a bunch of small spins. Can't trust it to leave me alone. Been dizzy for about 3 years or so everyday. Some days very mild. Others real bad. Then vertigo about every month once or so.
tneesha Waffalobill
Posted
Yeah that sounds pretty awful. I truly hope you feel better soon and that there's something that can be done for you. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Waffalobill tneesha
Posted
DizzyLizzy68 Waffalobill
Posted
Caloric test during VNG test- normal ear will cause vertigo when the air or water is injected. The bad ear will have the blunted or absent vertigo/ nystagmus response. So u should've gotten dizzy with the good ear!
As far as benzos go, I take klonopin for my migraine related vertigo. It is a vestibular suppresant, and is used in menieres disease as well. Ativan is also used. Primary care drs may be adverse to prescribing these because of potential addiction/dependence issues.
Waffalobill DizzyLizzy68
Posted