For me, a sudden head movement, especially with neck forward and/or to the left, or biting down on something crunchy, sometimes even just sneezing while my neck is forward, can do it. I am curious what sets off vertigo in other people. I am thinking my symptoms suggest that a substantial proportion of my problem is cervical-spine related, but maybe other people have a different experience.
I had similar but it was never a vertigo episode. It was more like the blood supply to my head cut off. After awhile - And I am not doctor so take this with a grain of salt - I realized that the carotid artery on the right side of ones neck would get pinched off if you bent your head/neck way to the left. Something crunchy? Can't say I've had that one happen ... yet.
Re. the carotid artery getting pinched, you might want to see this article-- Symptoms and conditions of cervical spine compression causing internal jugular vein stenosis – Caring Medical Florida
Sometimes they are just random but sometimes I seem to "wake up wrong". I haven't quite figured that out, but for instance this morning I was up at 3 or so for a bathroom trip - no problem whatsoever. Then I woke up at 6, my normal time, moved in bed half asleep and wham, I pretty full fledged vertigo attack complete with heavy sweat and urge to poop and stomach knot. I spun, crawled to bathroom, pooped, sweated and after a while went back to sleep. Woke up at 8, feeling almost normal, moving slowly and carefully to get up. &*$#*(%#@ disease
I have had the same situation-- sudden vertigo on turning over in bed, with diarrhea and vomiting, sweating, utter helplessness. I keep a walker next to my bed sometimes, just in case. It is terrifying. Then I can feel normal a few hours later, though tired from the stress. I have tentatively concluded that in my own case, and this may be true for you, such sudden attacks of dizziness are due to my upper neck-- it is misaligned due to an uneven gait from a long-ago ankle fusion, and I also have a forward neck posture and very tight trapezius muscles. I stretch my "traps" now several times a day. A good chiropractor used to be able to help, but now my postural changes tend to pull me back into misalignment. You might want to try a chiro adjustment, especially from a Palmer-method doc if you can find one.
Well, interesting that we share this problem. My head sort of sticks forward too, and that bump at the back of my neck can get very sore, especially on long drives as a driver, but I'm generally okay as a passenger. I will look up some trap stretches. Have you ever tried using a Therabody massage gun on your traps?
The massage gun doesn't work as well as doorway stretches do-- a good PT can get you started on exercises. When I am feeling extra vulnerable, I sleep (and eat) with a soft cervical collar on, and tuck my chin into it to keep my head from going forward during the night, especially when I roll over to the left, or while eating, if I crunch down on something hard. Amazing how a misaligned cervical spine can throw that nerve that goes along the neck, into a crazy overreaction. And all that, with no feeling of pain... see this link--Forward head posture symptoms and complications – Caring Medical Florida
Wow - that is quite an article on Forward Head Position. Thank you very much! This is definitely a problem for me, I've been a computer programmer since before there was an IBM PC. Yikes! Do you have a link to some physio that I can get started on, such as those doorway stretches?
Here's a good tutorial-- Trapezius Stretches To Relieve Pain And Tension My son spends much of his day looking at a computer and he developed migraines that forced him to stop work for 3 months. When he went to PT and started doing stretches, hew recovered and got off headache meds. Neuro docs were just going to keep him on meds for the rest of his life!
I don't know exactly how long ago, but several months for sure, I have had a wah wah wah addition to my tinnitus. It's been pretty constant. However, after our discussion and JanieJiffy's helpful link and ideas, I started some exercises for Forward Head Position (FHP). It has only been a couple of days, but the wah wah wah has almost gone away, for now!!!! Wow! I have done the trap stretches in the doorway, some stretches from YouTube and using this device The Posture Wedge There has been several posts over the years about the neck and the Atlas disc and I don't really think this is my primary source of Meniere's problems, but when you've tried everything else .... Anyway, it is extremely gratifying to try something and see an immediate change/improvement. It doesn't happen very often for us MD People Thank you Janie !
So glad the info was helpful! And that's a great video link you sent. I'm going to incorporate some of those exercises ASAP!
Can you describe that “wah wah wah” addition to your tinnitus? Does it sound like a low pitched droning sound that gets louder then softer then louder?
Well. these things are pretty hard to describe, aren't they. I just checked and it is about 64 per minute so it is probably pressure from blood circulation as that is approximately my heart rate. It is lower pitched than the background tinnitus
JanieJiffy - I am beginning to think that we maybe be really fortunate and have BPPV to go along with our Menieres. I checked Dr. Google and he agrees . My Meniere's vertigo had nothing to do with motion and this vertigo really does tie in with motion. Anyway, I made an appointment with a physiotherapist and he did the Dix Hallpike test and determined that there were crystals in the horizontal canal. He did a treatment, like the Eppley, (I think it may have a different name when in horizontal canal, but same physics) and then tested again and said there was improvement. So, it would be so refreshing to have something that could actually be fixed!! Fingers crossed. Hopes not too high, as I have thought things were "fixed" so many times over the years.
Well, I went to my physio and he checked all my neck movements first to make sure I had the flexibility I guess. He then did the Dix Hallpike procedure to determine which ear was the problem and which channel may have the crystals. He intently watched my eyes as he did the movements of my head and neck. He determined it was my left ear (my bad one) and the horizontal channel. He then did some movements, not Eppley because Eppley is not for the horizontal channel. Just some other known and similar movements to try to get the crystals back where they belong. It is really just physics and waiting for gravity to pull the crystals through the gel. Anyway, it wasn't unpleasant but there is no way for me to really know if it works until time passes. The problem can occur as I turn in bed, but I'm more careful now. The BIG issue for me is on the golf course. My last time out was a disaster. After a while I couldn't stand at all, could barely sit, which meant I had to be driven home, poured into bed, and then my wife back to the golf course to get my car, which is not close - not good for anyone. This is Saturday, I golf again on Monday and then on Wednesday. I see my physio guy again on Tuesday. Today is a slightly bad Meniere's day unfortunately, but I doubt that is related to the BPPV treatment.
I would suggest you get a good chiropractor to assess if your axis and cervical spine are misaligned. Getting adjustments from a Palmer Method chiropractor kept me out of trouble for years, until postural and muscular changes made my neck problem more intractable, and adjustments didn't stop the vertigo. If I sense I am in a time of inflammation, I wear a soft cervical collar to bed and tuck my chin into it, so I won't risk going into vertigo during the night when I turn over to the left, toward my bad ear. Neck misalignments can set off sudden vertigo. I would add that my chiropractor required a special set of neck X-ray views to determine if I had a serious misalignment (which I did).