Just wondering how everyone copes with drop attacks or if there's any way to prevent them? I just had one out of nowhere (as they are wont to do ) in a coffee shop and am a bit shaky but back at work. I think the trigger might have been caffeine and it doesn't help that I have work shoes on (I did not trip though, it was a drop attack for sure).
Caffeine is a definite NO-NO! I had a cup just the day after abstinence and wow, my tinnitus started, my heart was racing, and off-balance for hours. I learned my lesson good there.
After my first one, doc said I couldn't drive anymore. That was the game changer for me. We got more aggressive with treatments and I decided to have surgery. First VNS, and then two years later laby.
Drop Attack One minute you're standing and the next you're not. Usually no loss of consciousness. No warning. Sometimes you'll feel as though some forced shoved you down. The more you're anxious about it, the more you feed it. This is only from my experience.
Iv'e had 3 or 4 drops attacks in the 50 years I have MM. For me its an invisible force pushing me hard that I fall. I don't get vertigo during a drop attack. One time I was sick and was laying on my couch, this was many years ago. All of a sudden I got thrown to the floor. It was bizarre when I ended up on the floor I had no idea what had just happened. That was my first drop attack. My last attack was 1 or 2 years ago I think after root canal, I posted about it here, I had just started taking antivirals, and the stress of my fear of dentists and position I had to be in for over an hour caused it I am sure. That is when I was told in times of great stress, illness, fatigue, allergies etc to increase my dose which I do now. I got off the dental chair, paid then walked to the waiting room and bam! that force pushed me hard and I fell onto the waiting room chairs. If they were not there I would have hit the floor. Extremely bizarre experiences for sure
I was walking up to the counter of the coffee shop when I was suddenly on the ground, no loss of consciousness and no ankle twisting or anything just bam, sudden fall out of nowhere. It's happened to me before a number of times.
I really need to learn that lesson! It also drives my anxiety through the roof. As much as I love coffee.. I better stick to decaf
these surgeries destroy residual hearing though, right? I've been told I am going to need to drive for my career, but I also need my hearing for my career and I'm bilateral :S
I asked you this because this was the first thing my OTO asked me when I was experiencing drop attacks. After I told him that I felt as though I had been hit from behind by a baseball bat he shook his head and gave me quite a lecture. It went something like this..."you should not be driving, you should not be climbing on ladders, you should not be taking care of your grandchildren, you should not ride a bike.....I know it is very hard to hear believe me, but it is true. Just like feelinggoodnow stated, this was a game changer for me too. My OTO even said, you are in a different ball park now. Drop attacks come out of no where, there is no warning. You are putting your life on the line when you drive ...along with the other folks that are on the road. I hope you will discuss your drop attacks with your OTO. This is a life or death situation.
If you are experiencing drop attacks as others have said, driving would be considered a very very BIG no no. Hearing, you can explore CI and/or hearing aids depending on your hearing level.
And I was just looking into buying a bicycle, lol. Maybe I should be looking into a cane.. Thank you though, you're right - it's a lot more serious than I've really been treating it. I guess I'll have to talk to my ENT.
I just got a bicycle recently. Balance was an issue at first. It had been so long since I was on a bike, too. I got the hang of it after a couple of times, but to stop I had to run into a tree or fence. LOL! I believe it helps with retraining your balance. I also have a cane, though I don't use it much anymore. It's there if I need it. It's pretty, too. Butterflies all over it. It also helps when say I'm at the grocery store, it sucks to have to say this but when people SEE the cane they know there's some kind of disability. Most people don't understand Menieres because we LOOK "normal." As far as watching my grandchildren...nothing could stop me from doing that. I may have said this before but research Antivirals and ask your Dr about them. It may help you. Give it 2-3 months. It may not but it doesn't hurt to try. I hope you're feeling better today.
The VNS surgery preserves what hearing you have, the laby leaves you deaf in the ear. In my case, we thought the VNS worked. Then I started have symptoms and finally a another drop attack after the VNS surgery. That is when I had the laby done. I have been 100% symptom free since the second surgery. It's been 2 years. The explanation for the re-occurrence after the VNS was that some fibers were not completely cut and they grew back enough to let the symptoms occur.