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Unable to Lie down - Diagnosed with Menieres

Posted , 5 users are following.

pauline59158
pauline59158

I have been suffering with Dizziness and Nausea for several weeks. My balance has been all over the place. Now for the last 3 nights I have been unable to lay down at bedtime. As soon as my head touched the pillow the room spins and dizziness kicks in. I find the only restful position is upright, sitting in a chair. This obviously brings on other problems ( sore neck, cramp and muscle pulls) 

I saw the Dr this morning and he indicated it may be Menieres. He has prescribed Betahistine 16mg x 3 daily. This replaced a cinnarizine based tablet which hadn't been helping.

Has anyone had similar symptoms and how did you cope? ( any tips and suggestion would be greatly appreciated) Has anyone taken Betahistine and what outcomes have you seen? How long did they take to work?

The Dr has called for blood tests, principally Thyroid underactivity, Kidney function, Cholesterol etc. 

Thanks for being there to listen,

Pauline

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • nickyg523
    nickyg523 pauline59158

    Posted

    Sorry to hear you're going through this. I have not been diagnosed with Ménière's disease, but it is still a possibility.

    I know that when my dizziness is at its worse I too have that awful can't lay down feeling. I find sleeping holding on to a pillow helps. Have you tried takimg antihistamimes? They sometimes work as temporary relief as well.

    I also started doing vestibular therapy at home and believe it is helping.

    Just remember when it's at its worse it will pass. Try to relax and just get through the tough parts. I know easier said than done.

    You're not alone! smile

    • pauline59158
      pauline59158 nickyg523

      Posted

      Thanks Nicky 

      I will look up Vestibular therapy,as I don't know what that involves. It's 01:30 and I am still trying to find a comfortable position that doesn't hurt or make me dizzy.  This is for the third night in a row!  I am trying to relax, but I'm scared. My Dr was very thorough yesterday, checking me for any recurrence of the Stroke symptoms, but there were none.

    • nickyg523
      nickyg523 pauline59158

      Posted

      Yes it can be very scary, but just stay strong. The worst will pass eventually. I find having a TV show on as I go to bed helps too. Kind of a distraction as I fall asleep. Are you holding a pillow? I really do highly suggest this. When my dizziness is bad I sleep hugging a small pillow. I didn't find any relief from taking betahistine, but some people do.

    • pauline59158
      pauline59158 nickyg523

      Posted

      I have found using extra pillows has helped dizziness, as well as fighting it and listening to the TV. 

      I have sensitivity to the flickering on TV and computer screens, so can't look at it for long. 

      I have only been on betahistine this week, its a bit early to gauge effects.

      Thanks for your advice.

  • caryl73160
    caryl73160 pauline59158

    Posted

    I had a similar experience for many months and  believe that the cause was BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).  Several times I was taken to hospital and a doctor performed an extreme manoeuvre which alleviated the problem to a large degree for a time, however it didn't resolve itself completely for another six months. I'm convinced now that had I continued with regular treatments it would have corrected itself a lot earlier.  I was unable to do the exercises given as they 'sent me off the planet'.   I devised my own, which work for me.

    Perhaps it is worth looking into BPPV and also your neck.  There may be a problem there?

    I was diagnosed with Menieres about 9 years ago now, and tried Betahistine as you have been prescribed along with other drugs.  They were of no help to me whatsoever(although I appreciate it does help many people) rather, made me feel worse, so after trying a few other drugs, decided no more! 

    Vestibular therapy is a good option. 

    So hope you find a solution.

     

    • pauline59158
      pauline59158 caryl73160

      Posted

      Thanks Caryl, I will look for BPPV and the neck. I have had problems with my neck, since a bout of Shingles last year. It will be worth reviewing that, thanks! They told me it may recur, because it may have damaged the nerve endings. 

      I assume the manoeuvre you mentioned was Epley. I saw that on a YouTube demonstration, it looked awful. I find moving my head in the way they demonstrate brings on the dizziness. So I will probably not be doing that.

      Thanks for your advice

  • jackie72283
    jackie72283 pauline59158

    Posted

    That's really unusual isn't it? I HAVE to lie down when I get an eposide. Poor you.
  • kerry53469
    kerry53469 pauline59158

    Posted

    Every time I stand up my hearing gets muffled and I get a ringing in my ears. I become dizzy and will sometimes have drop falls or lose control of my hands and drop stuff. But only when I get up from lying down
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