New symptoms while VN slowly recovering
Posted , 3 users are following.
I had dizziness for the last 6 weeks.
My ent diagnosed VN.....
My physio couldnt find anything related to Bppv so concluded neck inducing dizziness..
I was gradually getting better with my dizziness and my ear symptoms ( noises from ear, pressure, earache) but one nighy i decided to do Epley - the half somersault...
When i did a couple of them, i suddenly had dizziness that was something very new. I had sudden nausea. I felt out of balance.
What is happening? The physio think it is nect related since the epley exercises put lots of strain on my neck. My eye movements ruled out the bbpv.
So whats happening??? Can anybody help??? I have sudden nausea and different kind of dizziness.
Pls help
0 likes, 5 replies
Guest elsie61818
Posted
lily65668 elsie61818
Posted
Hi Elsie,
Both the Epley and the half-somersault are specific for curing posterior canal BPPV. They won't help dizziness caused by VN or other inner ear or muscular problems and may make it temporarily worse.
It's unclear from your post whether you tried both of them or whether you thought they were the same thing (which isn't the case). The half-somersault won't do you any harm even if it makes you feel more dizzy. Getting the Epley wrong, however, can temporarily give you really terrible vertigo if you do have BPPV - though it should settle overnight. I still recall going through this myself when an ENT botched the Epley when I had my first attack of BPPV years ago!
Physios are usually best placed for diagnosing BPPV. If your physio says you haven't got it, then you almost certainly haven't.
It's not a good idea for anyone to attempt the Epley without medical supervision, as the timings have to be precise. The half-somersault is more suitable for home use in people who have BPPV, though I have to say I tried it a couple of times myself in my most recent attack of BPPV and it just made me feel worse. In the end, a physio cured me with the Epley manoeuvre. In your case I wouldn't advise doing the half-somersault either, as it's unlikely you have BPPV.
I'm sure your current state of increased dizziness will calm down once you get over the effects of whichever manoeuvre(s) you tried. It's highly unlikely you would have done yourself any permanent damage.
Guest lily65668
Posted
What a great and detailed response that was to her comment. I totally felt awful after my Eppley too. The half somersault I have found that I have to do four to five times with a half-hour in between for it to be effective. Thought that might actually help you. I have bppv but I've only had three episodes in my entire life.
lily65668 Guest
Posted
Thanks Jackie. I tried the half-somersault a few times during my second BPPV attack at the beginning of this year, but found it just caused a slight increase in my symptoms - though nothing dramatic. In any case, it was only a stop-gap till I waited for the physio to come back from his holiday.
I felt the difference immediately after he performed the Epley. No more attacks of spinning from that moment on, though it slightly increased the "seasick" feeling for a couple of days after. My only problem post-Epley was three weeks of intense headaches, brought on by muscle strain during the manoeuvre. No one's fault. I'd wasted a month at the outset waiting for a useless ENT appointment, then lost another month waiting for the physio. By the end of this time my arthritic elderly neck had seized up because of my reluctance to move my head. The headaches stopped once I managed to mobilise my neck again.
I don't think I'm going to need any treatment for the current minor attack, which was brought on by the dentist using the slow-speed drill to polish the surface of my teeth before applying partial veneers. It's nowhere near as bad as the previous two attacks, and is already fading. I'm due a return match with him in three weeks to have another two teeth done, but I'm going to make it quite clear to him that he can't use the low-frequency drill on me again!
I've now realised that that's what caused my first-ever attack of BPPV, 25 years ago. I was having weekly sessions with the dentist for six weeks as he tried (unsuccessfully) to get through the calcifications in a tooth to do a root canal, mainly using the slow drill. I thought the drilling just made the BPPV worse, but now I realise it would have been what caused it in the first place.
For those of us who are prone to BPPV, it's worth noting that we need to avoid low-frequency vibrations in the head area. The high-speed dental drill they mostly use these days doesn't cause any problem for me, just the older, slower one. I even read an account on here of a poster getting BPPV for the first time when they started using an electric toothbrush.
Guest lily65668
Posted
It is funny the things that can cause your initial bppv attack mine was a overly aggressive masseuse. He must have worked too long in the head neck area and it was terrifying because I initially thought I was having a stroke because I didn't know what it was. Went to the ER and the whole bit and they kept me overnight trying to figure out what it was. Was about a month before they finally realized I needed to see an ENT so I certainly suffered with it. If you do the half somersault it will make you initially worse and they say some people have to do it up to 10 times. I usually do it 4 to 5 but you have to follow the timing precisely and wait a half-hour minimum between doing it again. Wishing you the best. It's a horrible thing to have. But at least knowing what it is makes it more manageable.