Positional Vertigo or BPPV

Posted , 14 users are following.

Hi All,

Well, I jut had a bout of positional vertigo, which lasted about 12 hours. I started having these about the same time I had my first go around with PMR, about 15 years ago. I might get it once a year, but haven't had one for 6 years. You'll know if you have had it, it is debilitating. Thankfully, mine spontaneously remisses after 12 hours.

So here's the question: Any of you with this condition? I wonder if there if a correlation with PMR??

Thanks, and best to you all, my fellow travelers.

Dan

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    Ironic that you posted this.

    I have been dealing with vertigo for the last 4 days.

    I too get it once or twice a year and it is horrible.

    In my case though, I had it for years before my PMR diagnosis.

    • Posted

      Wonder if there is inflammation in the inner ear? Around those tiny bones?

      There's some tiny stuff in there.

  • Posted

    Hi yes i got it on holiday it was so bad i had a 50 mile ride in a ambulance to a hospital in newcastle, it lasted for six days we had to stay a extra two night.

    hope i never get it again

  • Posted

    I too had this condition about 15 years ago or more. I recently had a hint of it last year. I have also had hearing loss, tintinitis, and unexplained double vision within the last three years during PMR.

    • Posted

      Those last are almost certainly an indication of vasculitis affecting the blood flow to the ears - new work has been done recently in association with PMRGCANE but is not yet published.

    • Posted

      That is no surprise to me as I have had problems with tinnitus, mainly in one ear, and GP said I had inflammation and gave me drops. I have never had tinnitus before. It's still around at times and I shall have it checked again when I see the GP on another matter. I also find that I often cannot walk about safely in the dark.... at home. because I feel a bit dizzy. I think it's mainly a balance and ear problem.

  • Posted

    Not one I've heard mentioned before really. Intriguing though. Did they deal with it with the Epley manoeuvre?

  • Posted

    HI Dan, yes i believe there is a link between PMR and BBPV . I was diagnosed with PMR JAN 2017 and about a year later had a rotten attack of BBPV which lasted about two days. couldn'wt look up and felt extremely woozy! then 18 months later out of the blue on the morning we were to leave for a two weeks cruise i couldn't stand up and was violently sick. i managed to get a DR's appointment in the afternoon and luckily a note for my travel insurance comp. This time i was diagnosed with LABRINTHTITUS !

    again inner ear problem. the violent sickness only lasted for a day and two days later i felt Ok. funnily enough i still wont lie on the offending ear for fear it will start up, silly I know! so yes i do believe there is a correlation between the PMR and ear problems! hope you are feeling better, it's a miserable feeling!

  • Posted

    I was diagnosed with BPV a few years ago. I had a few Epley manoeuvres but they did not work. It eased after a while, then last year I had a really bad dizziness and sickness episode that lasted about a 10 days. The doc diagnosed labrynthitis and prescribed some meds which actually made things worse. I saw a specialist who confirmed I did not have Labrynthitis. The nausea and dizziness have been around on and off for about 9 months. I finally saw a lovely female GP who prescribed a short course of meds that she felt would help the nausea, they did. I still get dizzy now and again but the nausea is very less frequent now. Not sure how it could be PMR related but maybe. I have also had tinnitus in one ear for 12 years.

  • Posted

    hi i was diagnosed with tinnitus and BBPV years before PMR hit me in 2010 and still a. few times a year get the vertigo either upon lying down to bed or waking with it in the mornings.its very upsetting and dibillitating as it effects my balance for a few days till it subsides .i find that if i do the head shaking movements from side to side whiilst lying down it does stop the room from going round.i wish i could say that there was any specific thing that brings it on but cant.i am tea total so cant be that n dont smoke .one when i had it very bad the doctor came out and gave me tabs for the feeling sick but said nothing will stop the room from going round but to try and keep sitting up and move around until the brain or ears normalise on their own .hope this helps .

  • Posted

    May be totally coincidental and not have anything to do with PMR since it is the most common vestibluar disorder.

    "BPPV is fairly common, with an estimated incidence of 107 per 100,000 per year and a lifetime prevalence of 2.4 percent It is thought to be extremely rare in children but can affect adults of any age, especially seniors. The vast majority of cases occur for no apparent reason, with many people describing that they simply went to get out of bed one morning and the room started to spin. However associations have been made with trauma, migraine, inner ear infection or disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, intubation (presumably due to prolonged time lying in bed) and reduced blood flow. There may also be a correlation with one’s preferred sleep side."

    • Posted

      Exactly what I was going to say - correlation is not causation ...

  • Posted

    Absolutely, it is interesting that the incidence of PMR and BPPV have about the same (2.5%) rate. Damn. welcome to geezerville.

    I suppose the only way to know is to study the incidence rate of BPPV in PMR sufferers, then compare to the general population, of like ages.

    Thanks for all of your comments, fellow trekkers.

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