vertigo

Hi Joyce, sounds like the Epley chair. You can google it. If that's what it is, then it's not just your head that goes in, your whole body gets turned upside down.

I researched this when I got BPPV earlier this year. A colleague had had it a few years ago, and she'd gone to a specialist balance centre in this city, where they have an Epley chair. (I think it's the only one we have in this tiny country.) She referred to it as "the space chair", and said it was a very good experience, that cured her immediately. I was going to go to the centre if the physiotherapist I had lined up didn't help. However, it was my Plan B as the vertigo centre is very expensive, and you only get the basic State insurance contribution to the cost.

In the event, the physiotherapist cured me on the spot with an Epley manoeuvre, at minimal cost, so I never had to go to the centre. However, my arthritic neck had stiffened up badly during the two months I'd hardly dared move my head because of the vertigo attacks, so the manual Epley was quite painful, and left me with headaches for several weeks.

I gather that having it done in the chair is a much better experience, because they don't have to yank your head around independently of your body. I honestly think if I got a third attack (the most recent one was my second in 25 years) I'd bite the bullet and pay the extra to have the Epley done in the chair.

Do come back here and tell us all how it went, won't you?

If it is "only" BPPV, you'll definitely get your life back. I did, and it was well worth the month of headaches - which you won't get, of course, as your whole body will be put through the movements, rather than twisting your head on your neck.

If your doctor is using the chair, he'll also be using the infrared video goggles. The physio I saw did use these, even though he did the manoeuvre manually. The advantage of the goggles is that they can follow the rotation of your eyes during the different movements. They record them too - I was shown mine on the screen when I went back for my follow-up visit a week later and it looked quite alarming! Not only does this make the Epley more efficient, but they'll be able to see more clearly whether or not it is actually BPPV. I hope it is, as it's so easy to cure, but even if it isn't you'll still be a step closer to diagnosis.

Good luck!

I was diagnosed years ago with chronic sinusitis and serous ottis. But I knew that these episodes were not my normal dizziness. Thank goodness my CT scan and blood work were perfect. I was going crazy thinking I had a brain issue! Next Friday can't come soon enough

The only draw back is if you have any eye disorders, the computer doesn't know how to deal with it. My right eye does a little bounce every couple times I looked right to left. It's a very slight movement. But the computer recognises it and concludes the test is unreliable. Got that result for most of the testing. I was heated. Spoke to my doc and therapist. They said they see alot of that type result. Because it measures eye movement and movement that's out of the ordinary it concludes the test unreliable. I was mad. That testing made me so dizzy I almost got sick. And it was almost for nothing. I had the entire test video sent to my neurotologist so he could see it instead of reading the results. He basically tossed out the results and added his own in my file.

Sorry to hear about that Bill. In fact, I too had a little something going on with my eye movements, which I suspect is normal after a certain age, but it didn't interfere with the results.

The physio first had me sit up on the edge of the table for a few minutes, wearing the video goggles and just moving my eyes in different directions. He told me there appeared to be some minor vestibular problem in my left ear, as there was a bit of horizontal nystagmus when looking in certain directions.

He only proceeded to the Dix-Hallpike after this, and concluded from watching my eye movements on the screen that I had right-sided posterior canal BPPV. He was clearly right on that one, as the Epley cured it. I suppose he might have run the results from the goggles through the computer as well, but from what I could hear him saying to his students in the course of the D-H and the subsequent Epley, he was doing it all visually from just watching my eye movements on the screen.

Apart from the goggles, his set-up seemed very simple (in a scuzzy little room in the basement of a low-cost public clinic). I was interested in having a look at everything of course, but I didn't see any apparatus that looked like what you see on-line, with the computer interpreting the results on a graph. I know he recorded the D-H/Epley video though, as he showed it to me on my follow-up a week later. (Wow - completely circular rotation!)

We went through the whole thing again at the follow-up, when he also had me do a few balance tests. From these, he concluded that whatever was going on in the left ear wasn't affecting my balance enough to need anything done about it, and just advised me to see my GP again for referral to a neurotologist if I had any noticeable balance problems in the future.

The D-H and the Epley made me feel pretty sick too, but it only lasted a couple of minutes and it was worth it in my case.

I had the water test done years ago. Didn't like it at all. The VNG I had done this time they used warm and cold air. Didn't like it either. Lol. I was very dizzy before they even started. Knowing how it makes you feel after I was nervous too. They ran right down the list. Target popping up in different places, swinging target,hall-pike, air, all kinds of stuff. It was bad. Was done in special diagnostics unit in a hospital. To get out of there it's like walking threw a maze. I had to stop and sit down a couple times. You would think a place that runs tests like that would be close to the exit or the elevators. Then ride home was torture.

Me too, but not during this latest attack of BPPV. This time I got lucky - well, unless you count the consultation with the ENT who refused to discuss vertigo! Still, at least I got a plug of wax removed from my ear and had a hearing test - first in about 25 years - so even that wasn't a complete waste of time, and it only cost me €15 ($17) after insurance participation. After that, my GP referred me to the specialist physio and it was roses all the way.

My first attack of BPPV, 25 years ago, was different. That time an ENT did the caloric test with warm and cold water, spun me round in a chair etc. till I threw up on the floor. And all for nothing. I know now, by comparing my symptoms then with the ones in the latest attack, that it was BPPV all along, so why on earth did he put me through all that instead of starting with the D-H? (Yeah, don't tell me - incompetence!) I suspect he also managed to move the crystals from the posterior to the lateral canal in all that, because I couldn't even stand up for the rest of the day. I lived less than half a mile from the hospital, but had to have the receptionist call a taxi to get me home. It was almost a year before the vertigo resolved itself totally.

As far as I'm concerned, the moral of this story is: avoid ENTs at all costs if you're suffering from vertigo! I know some people have had good experiences with ENTs but I'd never risk it again.

There's 2 kinds of ENT. One does simple sore throat, sniffles, ear infections, maybe tubes in ears for children. The others go much further and usually are or have a neurotologist in the same office. The second one is the one you want to see. The ENT I seen 4 times since this started I needed basically to order tests. I will never go to him for anything else. He did nothing for me. After a bad outer ear infection I had wax build up. Went to him to have it removed. Must be he had plans for the afternoon. He was bringing ppl in and right back out. Told everyone to come back next week. I was not happy. I had the specialist I had to see remove it. He did a great job. Next time I see my GP I will tell her. Take that clown off your referral list. He's milking insurance companies.

Just a quick one Joyce. Don't be alarmed by the correspondence I've been having with Bill. The manoeuvre you'll undergo on Friday will of course invoke vertigo and nausea, just like when you lie down in bed at night or sit up in the morning, but not much worse than that and only lasting a few seconds each time.

And it's highly unlikely you'll be subjected to the caloric (water) test, unless of course it turns out not to be BPPV. This is not not necessary or appropriate in suspected cases of BPPV and would never normally be carried out as a first line of investigation. The fact that your doctor has talked about a "machine" to get the crystals back in place indicates that he/she knows their stuff.

The ENT doctor I saw 25 years ago clearly did not know his stuff! The latest one didn't really either, but at least he didn't subject me to any unnecessary tests. Bill, of course, has Ménière's syndrome, for which caloric testing is indicated. This isn't the same as BPPV. 

Menieres is different for everyone. Why it's hard to diagnose. Lots of testing. It's basically a fluid build up in the inner ear. It won't go away. Doc told me 80% of his cases can be controlled by reducing salt and caffeine, diuretics to dump the fluid. Didn't work for me. You will be fine Joyce. Just try to relax. Anxiety will make you feel worse. I just happen to be one of those worse case scenarios ppl talk about. I tilt my head I can feel the fluid. I swallow I can hear it crackle. Menieres is wierd. Have some hearing loss but certain things I hear like a cat. Crazy. They don't know what causes it or how to cure it.

Tomorrow is the big day ! I just hope if any testing triggers an attack it's not a 3 day one ! I'll let you know how I make out and if I get a absolute diagnosis . 😀

I'm sure you'll be fine Joyce. I hope it's just BPPV, as this will mean an instant cure. From what you're saying about the doctor you're going to see (machine to fix BPPV etc.) it's obvious that this isn't just an ordinary ENT who knows squat about vestibular problems. This one will be able to diagnose BPPV on the spot if that's what it is. If it isn't BPPV, they'll be able to start addressing the real problem, so it sounds to me like a win-win situation.

Look forward to hearing from you once you've seen the doc, whatever the diagnosis turns out to be.

Thank you 😀

Good morning so I went to the ear specialist and I do not have BppV. He said if I did my dizzy spells would last only one to five minutes. I am going for an MRI of the inner ears and the sinus cavity and also have to see a neurologist and an allergist. He said what I am experiencing is a definate form of vertigo , not a dizziness from a bppv issue. I was very impressed by him. He said to me tell me how you feel don't tell me what other doctor said you have. After my test results are in I have to schedule an appointment to go back to him and discuss the results, discuss what is causing the issue if anything shows up and then a treatment. He believes it may be a cervical issue because I do have pinched nerve in my neck and for herniated discs in my neck. I also have a misaligned atlas and occipital. Thank you for all the info and kind words. I will be looking forward to my test results and maybe be able to finally get some real help!

That's really good news Joyce! Well, it would have been better news if you'd had BPPV, as you'd be cured by now, but still good that you found an ENT doctor who actually knows what he's talking about when it comes to vertigo. It's great that he was prepared to listen to you too. I'm sure you'll be able to make some progress towards getting a diagnosis now.

Not nit-picking, but just in case new posters get confused: BPPV does quite definitely cause vertigo, not just dizziness. I've had it twice, the second time quite recently. If you tilt your head into the wrong position, the world goes into a complete spin around you and you fall over if you don't have anything to grab onto. Your doctor is, however, correct in saying that the intense vertigo of BPPV only lasts a few seconds each time, until the crystals stop moving again.

I hope all goes well and they find something they can work on. Do come back and let us all know how things work out. We hear so many dismal stories of incompetent doctors on these boards, it will be good to hear a success story!

I most definitely will. Even though I am a little nervous about the findings (, if any ) I am hopeful to find a way to cope with this and possibly a way to eleviate it all together . 😀