What exactly is vertigo

The whole room or area is spinning BIGTIME. In my case it comes on so quick that I have about 1 minute to grab on to something or it's floorsville. Then, if I lay down -which is all you want to do -you want to puke your guts out BUT CAN'T ! If your stomach is empty it feels like your stomach is going to come out of your mouth if some food doesn't. When mine hits it lasts 8 or more hours and sometimes I have to crawl to the bathroom or to let the dog out. I live alone and don't want to break anything with my head.
FYI -I have my first post nearby -

 

I promise you when and if you have your first vertigo attack, you’ll know what vertigo is. Lol. When mine first started like Yellowboy said, it was over 8 hours of throwing up and laying in bed not being able to walk. Usually you break out in a sweat, can’t focus because your brain is receiving bad signals from your ear. Your eyes and ears work together to keep you in balance. As the years went by, the episodes and duration decreased for me at least. Used to have an attack every month or so lasting 8 or more hours now they are about every 6 months lasting 2 or 3 hours. I get just as sick but shorter duration. Also, if you have MM, doesn’t mean you’ll have attacks, some people don’t. Hope your one of them. I was able to deal with all symptoms of MM but when the vertigo started it was a game changer and life altering symptom .

 

Don't you remember being a kid, going outside putting your arms out and spinning until you dropped?
I sure do, but that was fun. This is no fun.
Or the carnival ride where up to 4 people sat in a teacup like device with a wheel in the middle to make it spin faster.
Like Rich says, you will know it. I have varying degrees of attacks. Some are 50%ers, some 75%ers, but it is the 100%ers that leave you on the floor vomiting.

Jim

 

I’ve been diagnosed with Menieres. It all started about 11 years ago and for me it’s not a spinning sensation. It’s more of a balance issue like being on a boat.

A hearing test doesn’t diagnose you with Menieres. It’s a combination of symptoms. My dr at Michigan Ear thought I may have Menieres but didn’t diagnose me with it until about 5 years after my first attack. This was after I lost much of my hearing in one ear. He’s done two surgeries since then. One was an exploratory surgery to insure it wasn’t bone deterioration which was ruled out and also helped to confirm the Menieres. I also just had sac decompression surgery 5 wks ago. Still have mild episodes nearly every day. Hanging onto hope that I’m still healing and this surgery will solve the vertigo.

 

When this all started for me, my hearing was fine. I was 40 years old when I had my first attack. They initially thought it was heart related since I had never experienced it in the past. Fast forward a couple years and I was having attacks more often. Went to my Ear dr who ran me through all the vertigo tests with the air etc. I don’t remember what the test is called. The results came back fine. At this time I had no hearing loss but my doc started thinking possible Menieres. Over the next several years vertigo was hit and miss. I had gone over a year with no issues and on a terrible diet. Then I’d have bouts of vertigo sometimes weekly. I was put on a dietetic and I’ve tried both Valium and meclizine. Valium didn’t seem to help as much as meclizine for me. Around this time, I had a really bad attack (vomiting etc). Felt fine after about a week. Then as time went on my kids noticed my hearing loss more then I did. I couldn’t hear the waitress ask me things etc. Then back to the dr. Hearing test showed significant hearing loss. He tried steroid (can’t remember if this is the time he gave me steroid shots in my ear (I’ve had it done once but can’t remember which time. Been there so many times you start to lose track). Any how, now he’s leaning even more toward a Menieres diagnosis. Vertigo continued again hit and miss. I’d go months with no issues and then have a bad week or two. I consider myself lucky compared to many on this forum. Next my Dr did exploratory surgery to make sure the little bones in my ear weren’t deteriorating. That came back fine. Another check towards Meniere diagnosis that was about 3 years ago. I also got a hearing aid to assist my right ear. Over the past few years it’s been hit and miss. Like the past, I may have a bout once every 3 to 6 months where it lingers for a week or so. In May, I had a major attack and this time they just kept coming. After a few weeks back to the dr. He is now convinced that I have Menieres. He suggested the sac decompression surgery (we had talked about it in the past as a next step). Luckily, Non essential surgeries had resumed and he happened to have an opening the next week. That was 5 weeks ago. Vertigo is getting better but I still haven’t gone more than a couple days without an issue. Also, I’ve had several attacks while lying down over the years. A few actually in the middle of the night wheels I was sleeping.

So, I’m certainly not an expert on this subject and I’m new to this forum but based on what I’ve been told the diagnosis is based on symptoms and process of elimination. I’ve suspected I’ve had this but I’m now convinced. Hoping the sac decompression will reduce or eliminate my issue.

I’m 52 and I’m still driving. There has been a few times I’ve needed to be picked up though because I was unable to drive home.

BTW - I did have 2 MRI’s done over a span of several years to rule out tumors.

Best of luck to you.

 

When I initially started having symptoms (at age 32, now 51), I had two or three normal hearing tests. My Dr. at the time wouldn't diagnose anything because of lack of vertigo and hearing loss. Just wanted me coming in every 6 months. After a year and a half of that I said, I'll call you, don't call me. Over the next 16 years I had all sorts of vertigo like, dizzy like short episodes. I never went to the Dr. for any of the Meniere's symptoms. I already knew what I had, and that there was nothing short of surgery that would cure it. I ran back to a new Dr. last year once the first real vertigo episode it.
One winter a few years ago, every night I had vertigo the second my head hit the pillow. I had to sit back up, and lay down slowly. The next winter it was the opposite. Getting out of bed in the morning the same thing. Had to slowly get out of bed.

Now, I have all the classic textbook symptoms, including my grandfather having bilateral Meniere's.

Don't try to drive while having a full blown vertigo attack, don't ask me how I know. Certainly tell no one at your motor vehicle dept. I have not heard of anyone losing their drivers licence because of this.

Jim

 

Sandra,

I would say yes I do, or did. Having one malady, does not make you immune from other maladies unfortunately.
Although in my mind bppv is likely related to my Meniere's somehow. Since the big vertigo attacks have started, I no longer get bppv.

Jim

 

I’ve had meniers approx 6 years. Excessive vertigo and tinnitus and nausea At beginning . My dr only prescribed meclizine. I’m not a fan of meclizine as it makes me very sleepy. I live in a town that has soooo many roundabouts and driving around one was like a roller coaster ride, and I had to go through several to get anywhere. This has subsided. It was my urologist who actually put me on spirolactone - which it did help. My meniers was fairly constant until about 2 years ago He doubled my spirolactone and I was mostly symptom free (except tinnitus and some nausea) for about 9 months. I now have the episodes Periodically and currently on day 2 of one. I’m trying to pay attention to how I feel before they occur. I noticed my tinnitus the week before was crazy loud - really annoying - didn’t feel great for a few days and then got up at night to go to bathroom and find I was walking sideways in the wrong direction. . Today I’m tired and dry heaves. I had to go to vet and noticed I felt drugged or on something but wasn’t. I have a physical in a month - and want to look into options and tests but not sure who or what tests are best. My hearing loss in left ear is significant. I did that test to myself where you point to jaw looking up then down and they were not even.