I thought I was special, a diagnosis of Meniere's without many vertigo incidences--only two short severe ones in seven months--none lasting more than 30 minutes. That ended last night. For four hours my head was spinning relentlessly and I became very sick. Nothing helped me including reading, sitting, focusing on one point, trying to sleep...nothing. Getting on the computer made it worse. I took two Xanax and then had to throw up, but held the vomit in my throat and swallowed so that the Xanax would work. I had trouble walking to the bathroom and the bed. Finally the Xanax worked and I went to sleep spinning. I slept until 3:30 pm this afternoon and still feel very out of it. I am only a slightly dizzy this afternoon. Now I truly have the full experience of this disease. Called my ENT this morning and she put me back on the steroid drops for two more weeks and told me to go to an allergist saying this could have brought this on. What do you all do when you have these events? I noticed some of you take medication. Feeling pretty sad today and wondering how I can drive with this or go on any vacation or airplane.....
Aww, Jimmy. I'm sorry to read of your recent attack. My experience when I'm having an attack is to get .5 mg of lorazepam under my tongue asap. It dissolves into your bloodstream so you don't have to be concerned with vomiting it up. You were sure brave to swallow your vomit to keep your meds down. What a gross thing to have to go through. I'm not sure I could have made myself do that. The lorazepam usually stops the vertigo within a half an hour. Before I was prescribed it, I would have to lie in bed and spin and barf into a bucket for 12 hours or more. Nothing helped, I just had to ride it out. I saw a different otoneurotologist and it changed my experience with Menieres when she prescribed lorazepam. I now know that I can stop a vertigo attack in its tracks. It has taken away the fear of driving, travelling, etc. That in itself seems to have lessened the frequency of attacks some of which I am positive are exacerbated by anxiety. Good diet, plenty of sleep, adequate exercise and lorazepam has turned my Menieres experience from an intolerable nightmare to now being able to live an almost normal life. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine and not to be taken without caution. I do not use it daily as a preventative, but as needed with the onset of vertigo. See what your doctor thinks about trying lorazepam because you don't need to worry about vomiting it up as opposed to the xanax you are currently taking. Good luck, Jimmy. You can get control of this.
Jimmy, sorry to hear about your vertigo attack. I take either Meclizine or Hyoscyamine immediately when I start spinning which are effective but make me tired so I have to get home quickly not drive if I'm more than 10 minutes from home. hope you're feeling better tonight.
So sorry to hear this, Jimmy! You are having a really 'rough time'. As you can see on this board--you have 'plenty of company'! Do hope you find the answers and help you need. Keep pressing for answers! Stay here for support and sharing of what works or doesn't. That's how we learn and 'cope'!
Thanks for the kind words from some wonderful people and I will ask about the drugs during a vertigo attack. I burned my throat holding back vomit the other night. I feel crazy doing that to save two Xanax pills. Well, I seem to be back to the old brief dizzy spells again. I had one this morning looking down at a pot while cooking and walking up the stairs. I hate it. I am holding off on the steroid drops for a few days. I am sick of steroids after three damn months of them. Ears roaring and ringing for three days now with intermittent hearing distortions. No more crying...trying to live with this and get better. I pray a lot now. My right ear drum has this "distended feel" today, which is the way my left ear started this dissent into hell seven months ago. I hope my right ear does not go bad too.
If medical marijuana is legal in your state, then it can help with the nausea and vomiting. I hope you feel better soon!
Find if the medical marijuana is legal and you may want to start it there. Sorry you are going through this. I am not sure if I could have pulled that off what you did. Hope you get to feeling much better man.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Valium for the vertigo which has worked for me. Also, there have been some instances of vertigo where I would feel better after vomiting, although I do understand not wanting to throw up your medication.
The problem with Valium, zotjen is that there is danger of vomiting it up if you don't take it soon enough. The lorazepam dissolves under the tongue so that's not an issue. I'm not aware of Valium being used the same way as lorazepam, but maybe you can. If so, then that would certainly work, too. My Dr. Felt that lorazepam ,also known as Ativan , had fewer side effects and fewer possibilities to interact with other medications. The two have different half lives as well I believe. My motto is what ever works so if Valium is working for you, that's great.
Lorazepam and meclizine asap as soon as the spinning starts. The meclizine stops the vomiting and the lorazepam stop the spinning for me.
Thanks, I will ask the Doctor about the medication. I don't want to go through over two hours of that again--pure hell.
When things are bad for me I have to use Phenergan since I'm unable to hold down anything, let alone a pill. Cant even use ice chips. This suppository has helped to calm my urge to purge and sedates me until the attack passes.
I agree - I use diazepam and dramamine or meclizine. I also keep a prescription of zofran and let it melt under my tongue. Always have a bowl on my bed for attacks. I feel for you.
Jimmy, sorry bud but that's a classic attack and it very likely won't be your last. I use Valium when I feel something fishy going on. Those tablets (I have the 2mg ones) are very soft and you can chew them and let them dissolve under your tongue if it's too late to swallow them. They usually work with about 20 minutes. Ondansetron is a great anti emetic, I have had the self disintegrating rating ones and they work well. I've had to visit my ER and have them give me IV ondansetron before. Effective, but expensive. Good luck, there is hope! Matt
Mbgphoto79. Yes, it was truly hell on earth for this few hours. The last few weeks I have just been lightheaded but can't walk into the dark, or I start spinning. I don't know why darkness brings this on. Sometimes walking up stairs does it as well. Just trying to live and be somewhat happy. Still very scared to drive now.
Jimmy, probably because your brain is relying more on your sight to keep balance than it used to, now that one ear is giving off all kinds of false info and interference. I was on a train a month or so ago and everything was fine until the sun went down and I could no longer see the passing scenery. I quickly went into a spinning episode that thankfully subsided when I deboarded. Matt