It's often thought that drop attacks happen separately from dizziness. I was under this assumption for a long time myself. It can be confusing. You're not sure if you had a drop attack or an especially quick-onset vertigo attack. A number of sources say that IF you have Meniere's, it could have been both. From Dr. Hain: "Then patients describe a sensation as if they are suddenly in free fall, they desperately try to right themselves, and end up on the floor. Variants include "invisible hands", or "shoves" with nobody around to push. Injuries are very common. Drop attacks from Meniere's are more "active" -- the person involved actually ends up participating in the fall (because they feel as if they are flipped). Most other drop attacks are slower and are more of a "collapse" than an actively driven fall. The mechanism for drop attacks in Meniere's is likely a "popping" of a dimpled inner ear membrane as pressure changes in the ear." (I have no idea if he's right about non-Meniere's drop attacks being "slower") But the section in bold perfectly describes my only drop attack, which occurred during the onset of a Meniere's-caused spinning attack. I was in bed feeling slightly dizzy. I got up to get a drink of water from the hallway bathroom. Felt dizzy but no problem walking. On my way back to bed I got super dizzy and felt up-ended...forced into a somersault. Luckily I was close enough to the bed and my legs are strong, that I managed to stay upright and face-plant onto the mattress instead of the floor. The difference was a matter of 2 feet, or half a second. It all would have looked very similar to those football plays where the ball runner is tripped forward 10 yards from the endzone and is awkwardly trying not to fall forward before he scores. I know this was a drop attack because even when I'm super dizzy I never feel FORCED into the ground. Just wanted to clear things up by stressing that a drop attack CAN accompany vertigo.
This is what you will often read from serious sources. Note bold: http://www.medlink.com/article/drop_attacks As discussed in the first post, and from my own experience, there WAS a preceding stimuli (mild dizziness for about 20 minutes), and I did not rapidly return to baseline, but spent the next 15 hours spinning. (There's a possibility I'm full of crap about everything I'm trying to say on this subject.)
At least you admit you are full of crap LOL!! Seriously though my experience with drop attacks is no warning at all. For me it is something similar to being hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat,slamming me to the ground. I had no clue as to what happened. I had no symptoms before or after the attack other than a torn rotatar cuff, a mouth full of dirt and a fear of another attack. Not saying that you didn't have a drop attack but most who I have communicated with have experienced the same as mine. Either way it is a horrible experience.
I had one 'slow falling attack' in the living room--where I had gotten up to head to the kitchen and felt as though I was being 'pulled toward the right and just went on down--then crawled to my chair as the pressure to the right continued--and I had to literally pull myself up into my recliner--and grabbed a Meclizine from my pocket (had to work to get it as I felt like an invisible force was against me). No room spinning, just a heavy 'force' against my body--Took the meclizine sat there a long time and it passed. Was alone--but husband was outside. Told him when he came in and he helped me to bed. ======== 2nd attack was while in the E.R. following a bad vertigo attack--was in a wheelchair--ready to head home, after getting meds to calm the vertigo hit, but felt like a drop attack and would have been had I been standing up--and hubby was standing behind me fortunately--and instead of horizontal vertigo, room went upside down! The room suddenly went clockwise top to bottom instead of horizontal-- round and round. Nurses and my husband helped get me into bed--I was admitted overnight. I've shared this before here, but thought it was applicable to repeat. Had a large bruise on my shoulder from hitting against the wheelchair arm and handle! Really scary! None since the 'shunt procedure' in 2012-=!
Pupper, I have had what I think you described in bold. I feel like the whole world suddenly rotates. I usually grab onto something for balance--sometimes that is the floor. One time it happened in front of a hot stove, and it was a great relief that I grabbed sideways to the counter. No time for any conscious thought--so glad that my unconscious thought could do that. Anyway, I think for me those episodes may be migraine related. They have come at times when I have had eyestrain, which is a MAV (migraine associated vertigo) trigger for me.
Drop attacks is the final straw that lead me to the Laby which cured me totally and gave me my life back . For me the drop attack was similar to being shot with a 357 pistol . I hit the ground with violent spinning that last for a short time and afterwards returned to a ok feeling . The fact that this can happen at anytime is all someone needs to know that would lead you to a fix , the Laby , because drop attack can kill you or someone else . Good Luck
Exactly as Hurricane says my drop attack made me get on the phone and schedule my laby. Best decision I ever made.