Do I have MAV?

I have MAV (or Vestibular Migraines as they are also called), but not Menieres however have visited this board for many years for the wealth of information it provides.

Getting vertigo when turning in bed is classic BPPV, however I have found MAV can often mimick BPPV. Also, people who suffer from migraines are three times more likely to to suffer from positional vertigo, as evidenced by this post I kept from John of Ohio:

"Migraineurs are 3X more likely to experience idiopathic BPPV than any other cause. So MAV peppered with BPPV attacks is not uncommon.

There also is evidence that MV can mimic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Von Brevern and colleagues (2004) compared true BPPV with episodic positional MV or pseudo-BPPV. For their study, they modified the previously reported criteria for definite migrainous and probable MV in such a way that vestibular symptoms were episodic positional vertigo <1 minute duration. Of the 10 subjects who fulfilled the criteria for MV and presented with pseudo-BPPV, seven reported that the duration of the episodes never exceeded a few hours or days, whereas symptoms typically persist for weeks to months in BPPV without therapy. Additionally, the four subjects who were evaluated during a symptomatic period had positional nystagmus that was not typical of BPPV. The authors concluded that MV is a widely neglected differential diagnosis of positional vertigo."

For a definite diagnosis of MAV, you need to see an otoneurologist.

Interesting you should mention the salt/potassium ratio, I just finished reading an interesting book that claims to cure migraines by making sure this is in balance. It's called "Fighting the Migraine Epidemic...how to treat and prevent migraines without medicines" by Angela A. Stanton, PhD. I downloaded my copy from Amazon.

There are also a few excellent Facebook groups for MAV where you will find a lot of information.

 

computer screens are a MAV trigger. The boat feeling is a MAV sensation but turning in bed sounds a bit like BPPV, were you ever checked for that? If your head is in a certain position do you get vertigo? and then when you move your head out of the position does the vertigo stop? If so that is BPPV, benign positional vertigo, and that's is cured with he epley maneuver.

As for the salt it depends where you are getting it from if its from cured meats etc those foods are MAV triggers.

If you were checked for BPPV and do not have it, I suggest keeping a log of the foods you have eaten before an attack occurred or when you feel worse.
That will give you a clue to what foods are triggers for you. and you may have both MM and MAV, many of us do.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/vestibular/conditions/benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo.html

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo




Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common of vestibular disorders and the most easily treated. In most patients, it can be cured with a simple physical therapy maneuver. BPPV can affect people of all ages, although it is most common in folks over the age of 60.

BPPV occurs when small, microsized calcium crystals called otoconia become dislodged from their normal location on the utricle, one of the inner ear sensory organs. These otoconia are usually embedded in a gelatin like material on top of the utricle. If the otoconia become detached, they are free to flow in the fluid filled spaces of the inner ear, including the semicircular canals which sense the rotation of the head. If there are enough otoconia floating around, they can aggregate into a larger clump. Because they are heavy, they migrate into the lowest part of the inner ear, the posterior semicircular canal. Once in the semicircular canal, they may still move when the head changes position, such as looking up or down, over the shoulder, or when rolling over in bed. It is the movement of these stones that causes an unwanted flow of fluid in the semicircular canal even after the head has stopped moving. This leads to a false sense that the head and body are spinning around or that the world around you is spinning around.

Symptoms

Patients with BPPV usually experience vertigo when they turn over in bed, get in or out of bed, look up to a high shelf or put their head back in the shower. These are circumstances where there is a large change in the orientation of the head with respect to the pull of gravity. Patients often become imbalanced or unsteady when they get up from bed and try to walk and may even fall. They are occasionally quite ill with nausea, vomiting and other motion sickness like symptoms.

The onset of BPPV may be abrupt and frightening. Patients may even think they are having a stroke. Whenever they tilt or tip their head, they can experience extreme vertigo, imbalance, and may even fall out of bed. If they are up and around and tilt their head back or forward, they can fall to the ground. The usual course of the illness is a gradual lessening of symptoms over a period of weeks to months. Occasionally the symptoms can last for years.

While the hallmark of BPPV is episodic vertigo associated with changes in head position, many patients also have a mild degree of constant unsteadiness during the periods when they are also having the recurrent attacks of positional vertigo.

 

great info onehorse

 

Thank you Vicki...which is also my real name! (Even spelled the same).

I have had pseudo BPPV three times in the past three weeks. It resolves by itself within a day without me doing any manoeuvres.

 

that's cool! My real name is Victoria, is your as well? But everyone calls me Vicki except in business I use Victoria.

I'm glad it resolves itself, do you take any treatment for MAV?

 

I once asked an osteopath about those brief episodes of ear ringing and he said it was just some kind of harmless muscle spasm. My non-dizzy husband also gets them.

I have anti vitals (acyclovir) but never taken them as I'm on Epilim and the two shouldn't be taken together. I'm currently titrating down slowly from the Epilim because I've been on it for eight years. It did help with the MAV at first but seems to have long worn off.

I have always been interested in the antiviral approach, there is some evidence it can be associated with MAV. My neurologist strongly denied this to me (in my case) just last week, and prescribed Endep. However, once I am clear of the Epilim, I intend trying the antivirals, just to see if they help. I have nothing to lose but the misery of dizziness. If they don't work, then will try the Endep. I will also go on Lysine as per John of Ohio's recommendations.

I'm just plain old Vicki ;D, not shortened from Victoria.

 

According to David Buchholz the author of "Heal Your Headache", menieres is in fact MAV. I was urged by a forum member, Burd ( who has co written a great thread on MAV on this forum) to get a copy of the book 7 years ago. It became my bible, I followed Buchholz's list of dietary trigger avoidance to the letter and still do. I am very well and haven't suffered since 2009.

Alot of so called specialists will tell us that the cause of menieres is not viral, however they can't tell us what does cause it. To me that's quite arrogant.

Wishing you well

Frank