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What is a drop attack?

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by Weeba, Jul 22, 2021.

  1. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    I have asked this before, but, what exactly is a drop attack?
     
  2. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    For me, I was out for a walk and someone came up behind me and hit me with a baseball bat in the back of my head. I fell to the grown and tore my rotator cuff. I had dirt in my teeth and had no idea what happened. I got up and walked home with no problem other than wondering what just happened. When I got home I looked up violent vertigo throwing me to the ground and up popped drop attack. It’s exactly what happened to me. This is my experience and it was a life changing experience for me…for the good.
     
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  3. Nathan

    Nathan Well-Known Member

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    Technically speaking, a drop attack is your cerebellum & muscular systems attempt to keep your body upright in response to a significantly abrupt, short-lived, & erroneous message produced by your vestibular system.

    In a sense, your vestibular system induces a type of momentary virtual reality, that by definition fails to correspond to the real environment, hence an analogous scenario can be found here.

    The fall captured in the above video, however, is induced by false visual information produced by a VR headset, rather than false information produced by a vestibular system.
     
  4. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    Thank you so much for your response. Can you tell me why it was a life changing event for the good??
     
  5. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    The drop attack I described convinced me to see a specialist “OTO” at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. He told me I had entered a life threatening stage with my menieres. He told me I should not be driving a car, I should not be babysitting my grandchildren alone and a few other suggestions that helped me realize that I needed to consider a labyrinthectomy. After a gentamicin shot that only gave me 8 months relief from the attacks I chose the laby. This was the “good” you asked about. I am free of the fear of drop attacks. I am able to live my life the way I choose. I have no regrets choosing the laby after 12 years of menieres hell. The surgery gave me my life back.
     
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  6. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    I am going to be 77 years old next week and I have had MD for over thirty years in both ears. These drop attacks have really got me scared and depressed. I don't see how I can go on living this way not knowing when it will happen next. Thank you so much for the info.
     
  7. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    Have you thought about surgery? If not talk to your doctor there is no need for you to live your life in fear of a drop attack. I know what you are going through and it is very depressing living with fear. Please do yourself a favor and speak with a specialist.
     
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  8. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    Yes, I have thought of surgery but I have MD in both ears. I will give the Doc a call and find out my options. I am terrified that at any moment I could be crashing to the floor. Thank you for your response.
     
  9. Bulldogs

    Bulldogs Well-Known Member

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    Drop attacks are game changers and at the end of the day life threatening to both you and others if you drive. Many/most Oto’s will suspend/revoke your license if you are having drop attacks.

    if you kill someone in the road the judge does not care if you have mm/drop attacks.

    what Redwing said above ^^^^
     
  10. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    I do not drive as I know what would happen if I had an attack while driving. Two days ago my wife was driving and I had an attack and I could swear the vehicle was rolling over and was upside down. You know I am a Viet-Nam vet and I was a cop for fifteen years but nothing scares me more than these drop attacks. I have MD in both ears so I don't think a nerve removal is in the cards for me. Maybe someone on this forum could enlighten me.
     
  11. IvanNew

    IvanNew Active Member

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    Have you had any drop attacks in your 30 years with meniere? It is a very rare symptom in cases of Meniere, if you have never had it I would not worry at this point.

    I have been with Meniere for a year and a half and it could evolve and get worse and have drop attacks, but I go out for a walk, I drive and I try to make life as normal as I can. I cannot choose not to have Meniere, but I can choose how to live and I do not intend to isolate myself or live in fear, if I fall and break my arm it will not be much different than when I fell running and broke my arm.
     
  12. EkkoMusic

    EkkoMusic Member

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    According to our great Dr. Richard Gacek here: "Severe vertigo and falling actually occur because of abrupt vestibular ganglion cell degeneration. Episodes of vertigo and falling are produced by viral damage to a cluster of vestibular ganglion cells. The morphologic correlate of this event is focal bundles of degenerated axons in the vestibular nerve trunk."
     
  13. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    The drop attacks started in October 2020. These drop attacks are nothing like when I got vertigo. These attacks are like someone is throwing you to the ground with no warning. I worry about where I am going to land and if I will hit my head on something. There is no way to break the fall as they come on quick and no warning. If driving I would surely crash so driving is out of the question.
     
  14. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    Look up TUMARKIN FALLS and it will explain it.
     
  15. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    If you are driving in your car and you crash and kill someone you will be in jail. Then you will have something to worry about won’t you?
    If and when you have a drop attack I guarantee you will change your attitude. I truly hope you are lucky enough to never experience one. Take care and live your life to the fullest.
     
  16. IvanNew

    IvanNew Active Member

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    Fortunately, criminal law in most civilized countries does not work that way. Out of curiosity, how the law works in your country in these cases. Do you go to jail only when you have an accident due to Meniere or does it also cover accidents due to a heart attack, a stroke, a faint from low sugar or low blood pressure? Your Penal Code must be quite interesting. :D
     
  17. Weeba

    Weeba Member

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    Thank you.
     
  18. Nathan

    Nathan Well-Known Member

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    Granting context, legal ramifications here in Australia hinge more so on what is & isn't known, what is or isn't treated or controlled to a satisfactory degree—a somewhat inevitable grey zone will likely separate satisfactory from unsatisfactory—or the degree to which our understanding of the medical condition allows predictions of future occurrences.

    For example, here in Australia, a traffic accident or possible traffic fatality produced by a known medical condition becomes more so comparable to an individual who has been previously diagnosed with narcolepsy, which is either untreated or uncontrolled at the time of the traffic accident.

    Excuse any possible typos that my tired eyes can not identify, it's 4:45 am here.

    I'm predicting that in 2 - 3 hours I will wish I had of contributed later in the day, but I will not have the time to do so. Hence it's either now or next week, or possibly my next life.
     
  19. IvanNew

    IvanNew Active Member

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    It is long to explain, but effectively to go to jail for an accident due to a disease would depend on the degree of knowability of the author that he could have that accident due to his disease (something difficult to prove because you can tell the judge that you drove because he was fine that day and did not expect to have an attack, in fact he can tell the judge that it was his first drop attack and that he had never had one before, etc). Narcoleptics are forbidden to drive, but their driver's license is directly withdrawn. Do you know any Meniere who have had their license withdrawn or have not passed the psychotechnic? No, therefore we can legally drive and work.

    It is a bit absurd to think that someone with Meniere will go to jail for having an accident when your own country does not want to recognize a disability and give you a subsidy, therefore you will have to work to live and most will need to drive to go to work . Personally, I would like them to give me a subsidy and thus focus on living with my Meniere nothing else, but if I can work for the State, I am also able to drive, walk and have fun. It's already fucking going weeks without going out because of Meniere to also stay without doing things in times of remission.

    Surely I will have drop attacks in the future and have to stop driving for fear of killing myself, but that can happen in 30 years and I am not going to spend 30 years without doing things waiting for my first drop attack. Obviously at 77 years old and collecting retirement and having falls attacks, I would avoid driving and fortunately I would not need to go to work, I would live as calm and comfortable as the disease left me and I would ask others to take me by car or accompany me for a walk. .
     
  20. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    Wow Ivan I guess I really hit a nerve with you. In a good way. My point was to help you realize that drop attacks are very serious. Yes live your life and don’t be afraid. However if you ever experience a drop attack you should (for your safety and safety of others) reevaluate your lifestyle. That’s my opinion. Legally can you go to jail for driving a car when you know full well you shouldn’t be I don’t know. But I believe if you killed another human being when you know you should not have been driving you will live with that decision and isn’t that a type of jail? Once again I truly hope you never have to make a decision due to drop attacks. Take good care of yourself.
     

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