Vertigo

[Fargus]

Who has experienced vertigo? How long did it last? How did you get over it?

I was smacked hard by it back on Nov 30. Hard enough that my wife called an ambulance. Two weeks later I am still dealing with residual dizziness. Dizzy enough that I still do not feel safe enough to drive. I was given some exercises to do that have me flopping around like a fish out of water, but those haven't alleviated the dizziness entirely. My issue arises when I start moving whether it be getting up from sitting, walking or simply sitting in a moving vehicle. How do I get this crap to go away?

[IowaHunter]

I guess you run with the movements the ENT “prescribe”. That’s what I did years back. It went away after a few months for me. Mine he called Positional Vertigo. A friend of mine was put into the hospital with it - he couldn’t even stand. His would last for hours. Good luck with it.

[Sidro]

It will take some time but should get better shortly. Don't watch cars at an intersection zip by or train cars going down the track as that may bring it on. Close your eyes when raising up out of bed then open them when upright, stops the dizzy world from going around. Do not look straight up while standing you may fall over backwards. Stay off of ladders if you can because once your feet leave the ground it seems to want to kick in and disorient you. It will get better with time but I can't give you a time frame. You may have short episodes for 6 months to a year or maybe not. After my initial onset about 15 years ago it now only comes around 3 to 4 times a year for a very short time (less than 2 or 3 minutes). Hopefully yours will get better soon 2 weeks was about the time for me to start getting better. I had to touch something or hold onto wife's shoulder to even walk without going off some direction other than intended for about 3 days. Good luck.

[Drycreek3189]

That sounds sucky to me. I hope you get better quickly !

[jerp]

If yours follows the course mine did, the number of things that trigger the dizziness will gradually be reduced or go away entirely. It’s been 7-8 years since the episode that put me in the ER and I still have some of the positional vertigo mentioned above. For me it is very manageable once I figured out what sets it off. If I tilt my head back and look straight up for more than a few seconds, things start to spin. So if I’m working on something above my head, eg; repairing a light fixture I just use a stepstool to get it at eye level. The other position that sets it off for me is laying flat on my back looking straight up which is easy to avoid by putting something under my head. It is a miserable feeling - I hope you get over it 100% !

[Paycheck]

My wife had it just recently. Went to the doctor, sent her to an ear nose and throat specialist. They sent her to a therapist to do exercises. Mean time she watched you tube videos of the exercises and did them. Cured it right away. She went to the therapy anyway and told them what she done, and they said that they were going to do the exact same thing. Has something to do with something getting out of line in the inner ear.

[Quackerbox]

Chris, my womans uncle had it crazy bad to the point he passed out. He went to the hospital over it and got sent to an ENT. It ended up being his salt intake. He changed his diet and cleared it right up. Just something to think about.

[Ishi&Elvis]

Better get it checked out. Could be Meniere's syndrome. My wife has it, and has dealt with it for almost 40 years. It will not hurt to find out.

[mjhaverkamp]

If yours follows the course mine did, the number of things that trigger the dizziness will gradually be reduced or go away entirely. It’s been 7-8 years since the episode that put me in the ER and I still have some of the positional vertigo mentioned above. For me it is very manageable once I figured out what sets it off. If I tilt my head back and look straight up for more than a few seconds, things start to spin. So if I’m working on something above my head, eg; repairing a light fixture I just use a stepstool to get it at eye level. The other position that sets it off for me is laying flat on my back looking straight up which is easy to avoid by putting something under my head. It is a miserable feeling - I hope you get over it 100% !

Pretty much exact same for me, would not wish that on anyone.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Dang Chris! First thing, don't use any elevated deer stands!!
Seriously, hope you get the cause identified and fixed real soon! My daughter had it as a child. ENT identified her issue and fixed it with tubes in her ears... Seems fluid in the ears (inner ear) can mess with you balance and that's what her issue was. Once that was corrected, no further issues and she's 41 now...

[Wiederhold]

I had pretty much the same thing last August. It is horrible and I would not wish that on anyone. I could barely walk for 3-4 days and it slowly got better over the next couple of weeks. I stayed the first night in the hospital where they ran every test that you can imagine. When we got back to Weatherford, I went to the ENT and I took a series of 3 steroid shots to the inner ear with a steriod. I know, sounds horrible but anyone that has gone through it would try anything. The scary thing was that it is really difficult to diagnose the issue. They said that it was more than likely Vestibular Neuritis which is a fancy word for inner ear infection. I haven't had any other major bouts but it worries me as I was driving and it came out of no where. Good luck and just remember that it will get better.

[glen]

Go see an Ear Nose Throat Dr- they will send you to a therapist- you will get exercises and ways to rotate your head etc. don’t do exercises in wrong order or direction

wife has done it.

[lanceodom]

I have had it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Went to the ER, I thought I was dying. I was on my back, lying still as could be for a week straight. Turned out to be a virus in my inner ear that the ENT finally got me some meds. Awful feeling. Took me over a year to get over it. Just doing any movement would have me spun up to some degree. It diminishes and I learned to work around it. I cannot ride in a car unless I am driving or I get motion sick. Never go deep sea fishing and fly our annual helicopter deer survey for as long as I can until I get so motion sick I feel like I am going to barf. Other than that, I am good! It will get better and you will adjust, hang in there!

[Hogmauler]

I had it so bad that I had to go to an ent. He sat me in a chair and rotated my head several directions and cleared it up. You can do the manipulations yourself but if done incorrectly can make the condition much worse. Usually I end up taking Dramamine and laying in bed de real hours. Sucks bad man.

[ThisLadyHunts]

I have had it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Went to the ER, I thought I was dying. I was on my back, lying still as could be for a week straight. Turned out to be a virus in my inner ear that the ENT finally got me some meds. Awful feeling. Took me over a year to get over it. Just doing any movement would have me spun up to some degree. It diminishes and I learned to work around it. I cannot ride in a car unless I am driving or I get motion sick. Never go deep sea fishing and fly our annual helicopter deer survey for as long as I can until I get so motion sick I feel like I am going to barf. Other than that, I am good! It will get better and you will adjust, hang in there!

Were the conditions you described above ones that already existed or have you experienced them just since your inner ear infection?

My mother had a similar experience—vertigo caused by an inner ear infection. It was awful for her. She had to lie in bed with a black washcloth over her eyes for the better part of a week. Opening her eyes, even while laying flat on her back in bed, was enough to set off her vertigo.

Hers ultimately went away and it appears she has no long term effects. She gets a little car sick if she has to ride in te back but she says she’s always been that way.