VERTIGO

[Spuddy]

Out of the blue I woke up with a severe case of vertigo.  It's been 4 weeks now and it has been SLOWLY diminishing until I went in for physical therapy, which, seemed to exacerbate the condition the next day. This really sucks. I haven't been riding because I don't want to take a chance of an occurrence on the bike. 

I understand there is a simple case of vertigo which is supposed to go away in 1-2 weeks.  Then, there is something more involved. Has anybody had any experience with vertigo?

Spud

[Groover]

I am far from being a doctor, but maybe check with an ENT. Could be many, many things, but one that I know of could be Meniere's disease which is an ear thing.

[Guzzistajohn]

That's a bummer spud haven't had those symptoms since I put the still away

[Two Checks]

I have the same prblem except it isn't constant. I never know when it will hit. Been to doctors, none can explain it. Haven't ridden in a few years.
Hasn't happened for a while so I'm going try riding again.

[tiger_one]

Yeah I got it once on a trip to Moscow, ID.  Thought I was going to have to leave the bike, but turned out sea sickness medicine over the counter cured it.  Cropped up later and doctor referred me to the Epley Maneuver.  http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/liberatory-maneuvers-for-vertigo-epley-maneuver

Still took a few weeks before it went away.  Never came back, that was over year ago.

[Waltr]

 My wife has had bouts with vertigo.  When nothing worked We ordered a device from Canada that took care of it.  It seems the single payer healthcare system is more concirned with solutions than profit.  Since the fix is cheap by today's standards nobody cares in the US.

Ckeck this website     http://www.dizzyfix.com/

[Waltr]

 My wife has had bouts with vertigo.  When nothing worked We ordered a device from Canada that took care of it.  It seems the single payer healthcare system is more concirned with solutions than profit.  Since the fix is cheap by today's standards nobody cares in the US.

Ckeck this website     http://www.dizzyfix.com/

[ITSec]

Sorry to hear of the issue. If the physio made it worse, have you talked with your doctor about blood pressure? BP (either too high or too low) can cause symptoms of vertigo, but it takes some checking to isolate the cause. Some docs do the full BP check at rest and under exercise to check this.

If you're self-diagnosing, don't.

[Muzz]

Quite a few years ago my wife took a tumble down the stairs and shook a few ball bearings loose. The resultant vertigo slowly disappeared but did come back a few times. The physical therapy made it worse.

I gather the usual causes are due to the balance weights getting gummed up for whatever reason, and the horizon and what they tell your body become different. Nausea and loss of balance result.

I empathise with you guys that have it; I found it quite distressing watching my wife suffering with it.

[Chuck in Indiana]

To add even more joy, I had a good friend that died from ALS. That was his first symptom, and he had to quit flying and riding before they figured out what it was.
Get yourself to a pro. Fast. Don't ask us..

[Triple Jim]

I am far from being a doctor, but maybe check with an ENT. Could be many, many things, but one that I know of could be Meniere's disease which is an ear thing.

I have Meneire's disease in my left ear, and had trouble with it making me dizzy enough to make me sick, off and on.  Then my wife read about a coctail of seemingly quack supplements that include lemon bioflavonoids, and I tried it.  I have not had an attack for about four years now, and my hearing in that ear, which had gotten pretty terrible, now varies between normal and a bit like I got a little water in it while swimming.  If you're interested, email me and I'll dig up the link.  It's called "John's regimen".

Even during my worst dizziness, I was able to ride a bicycle and motorcycle fine.  Apparently that doesn't rely on the ear's balance system as much as you'd think it would, unless you close your eyes while riding.

[garbln]

Ive had it a few times, seems the rocks in my head start rolling around and mess me up.  Actually there's some sand like stuff in the inner ear that gets a little too loose and moves around  messing it up.  The doc sent me to PT and once we figured witch ear it was a few simple movements would cut it way down.  I did the moves every time it kicked up, it mostly went away but I still get it once in a while.  It happens mostly when I stand up after laying down for a while.  Like I said I have loose rocks in my head.

[Lcarlson]

I had it once several years ago. It came on suddenly when I stood up out of a chair, presented with dizziness, nausea, and a weird visual effect. The nausea went away in about a day, and the rest slowly resolved in about a week. Basically it results when small crystals in your inner ear, which your brain uses to perceive balance, shift position. Over time, your brain adjusts to the change, and the symptoms abate. Hasn't recurred since.

[Waltr]

The Dizzy fix re positions the crystals that float around and contact the little hair like receptors that we use to detect positional changes.  Sometimes a fall or a blow to the head can cause this. The older you are the more of an issue.  The dizzy fix directs you to perform a motion by directing a little ball in fluid from one side to another,  I have always helped my wife through the few minute exercise, the first time she did it she got very dizzy so we did it a second time and all was good.  we did it once more the next morning and was good for almost two years. 
Had some problems two years later and did the exercise twice and it worked. 

[keithl]

Same exact thing happened to me, went to 3 doctors, had all kinds of tests, ended up in the emergency room where I was told it was allergies. Yep, never had them before, but took allergy medicine and it went away in a couple of days.

Out of the blue I woke up with a severe case of vertigo.  It's been 4 weeks now and it has been SLOWLY diminishing until I went in for physical therapy, which, seemed to exacerbate the condition the next day. This really sucks. I haven't been riding because I don't want to take a chance of an occurrence on the bike. 

I understand there is a simple case of vertigo which is supposed to go away in 1-2 weeks.  Then, there is something more involved. Has anybody had any experience with vertigo?

Spud

[LowRyter]

I've had different symptoms at different times lasting for different periods.  I also suspect I have meniere's disease too.

I am not sure that any of the symptoms or the meniere's are related to one another and the affliction I had on-and-off for many years in the late 80s/early 90s was different than I have had before or since.  I get dizzy with heat/electrolytes when I work out and also displayed dizziness when I get up to fast (or the like) all my life even as a child (I suspect low immediate blood pressure even though I take blood pressure meds).

I can't recall getting an inner ear infection but my mom would get that and lay her up for a couple of days.

I took something useless called antivert in the 1980s. 

I've found that the best I can do is try to relax, catch my breath and pop my ears (with air pressure and holding my nose).  If that doesn't work I might lie down.  Oddly, I've never found it a problem when I ride (even though I did get one spell when riding in the late 80s). 

I've gotten no help from the medical profession.  It's usually too intermittent or nothing they can find wrong.

BTW- I used to suffer from car sickness as a child but I don't see a connection. 

[Red Dog]

Had it quite a few years back. 

In my case it was from dislocating the jaw on the right side which put pressure on the inner ear & caused the dizziness.  I had a habit of putting a pencil in my mouth while I went to pull parts for customers.  Got the jaw reset & broke the habit.

When all this was going on I was also having severe headaches.  Turns out it was from the same cause.  Not only was it affecting my inner ear but it had actually moved the plates in my skull.  I had what is called a Cranial Adjustment and reset the plates and no more headaches.

May sound crazy but it worked for me.

[Luap McKeever]

I had it very bad 6 years ago.  It hung on for a month.  I finally read and tried something that fixed it.  Do this at bed time.

Take a Benadryl, then fill up 2 bath tubs.  One with very hot water...really hot.  The other tub with cold water. 

Sit in the hot one until you're completely used to it, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Sit in hot water all the way up to the bottom of your nose if you can.  Get out and go sit in the cold one for exactly five minutes. When first getting in the cold tub, put your head under the water too for a second.  It will be the longest 5 minutes of your life.

Dry off and go to bed.  Wake up and it will be gone.  At least it did for me and I do not know the science behind it.  I was desperate and it worked.  Haven't had it since (knock on wood) and truly feel for those that have it.

[RinkRat II]

 Spuddy, :1: on the epley manouver! Had vertigo getting out of bed a couple days, read up on it, tried it in my living room and Voila no more crystals hanging up. It's quick and painless, try it then follow up with a good ear specialist.

  Good Luck, Paul B

[Sasquatch Jim]

  I have had that happen.  When it does I just brain wash myself with a rubber ear syringe until the poopy looking stuff is gone.  Then lay down for a while and doze.  Wake up all better.

[trippah]

Spuddy, there are pages of possible causes and a variety of fixes.  You need to see an ENT preferably (to start).  One of the major diagnostic measures is nystagmus,(movement of the eye) which is not a do it yourself measure.  Probably a transient attack but really worth getting a proper diagnoses.  Good luck with it.

[redrider90]

Besides illnesses that can cause vertigo there is also a mechanical reason for it to occur. The small bones can get out of alignment. Finding a good physical therapist who knows the technics is hard but they are out there.
Here is a link to various methods you can try at home to reposition the bones. That is assuming this is the cause. There are many causes for it beside the bones malalignment.
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/home/home-pc.html#CRP
The Epley maneuver is the best one if you can find someone to do it correctly .
A common remedy for vertigo caused by motion is ginger. But this would not work on BPPV.
As for ALS please that is not a common symptom of ALS so do not get yourself scared. The first symptom of ALS is unusual weakness/falling on your dominate side. It also includes muscle fasciculations (twitching) and swallowing problems. Vertigo is not even listed under ALS symptoms.
I have worked in an ALS clinic and almost to a person their first symptom was single sided weakness either in the hand or leg. 

[kingoffleece]

My one and only bought caused my to miss the National in NH last year.  Came on in 2 seconds and knocked me down so hard I need an ambulance!  Took about 10 days to clear.  Had I been on my bike I'd have been dusted.  I collapsed then and there.

You need a ENT guy or gal to check you out.  You'll also need to consider both an MRI and a MRA.  A known cause is a tumor in your head and it needs to be ruled out.  Also, the eye test is something someone close to you can check if you're having an event.

[Shorty]

I've had vertigo for years. Went to a specialist and she performed several tests to ears, eyes, head movements and some kinda balance tests they give astronauts. Diagnosis: Meniere's and also the balance disorder that has to do with ear positioning. Double trouble. My worst attack had me lying on the floor with chest pains and vomiting so bad the ERTs took me to the hospital. Extensive tests showed heart was fine, and the emergency doc gave me benalyn injection and suggested Meniere's. I was given a series of eye , neck and head exercises and some balance stance techniques. These things kept the attacks at bay for about 10 years, but they are back. Now they tell me that if i want them to quit, I need to have them inject my ear with steroids (deafness to follow), or drill drain holes in my skull (to relieve the fluid build up in the ears), or have the main nerve to my ear cut, rendering me deaf. I love music too much to do any of those.  So, I carry topical anti naseau meds in a pointless sryinge, and also some sleeping pills. I can usually feel an attack coming on. If I have one early in the am, I stay in bed til it passes. If need be, I take the day off work. If I'm at work and it hits, I take the meds and if I'm on 3 wheels or more, I drive home. I have had to leave my bike at work and beg a ride home. Thank goodness I have many years experience in impaired driving    The docs tell me told I could go on disability, but I'm too lazy. I keep records and I've had about 30 attacks of varying intensity since the fall. It's hard to gather the guts to take off very far on a bike. I may be forced to go 3 wheels full time. Not the end of the world. Just don't ride behind me.....

[Johncolleary]

I had an attack in 2003 that had me crawling around on the floor and vomiting for 4 days and having dizzy spells for a year I saw many doctors and tried all kinds of meds and herbal remedies with no solutions.  I finally went to the House Ear clinic in Los Angles. within 15 min of being tested by John House he said I can fix this.  I had a vestibular nerve section where they cut the nerve from the inner ear to the brain and 3 months later I was riding my Aprilia at Sears Point race track.  Success!  It was determined that I had an infection in my inner ear that destroyed it this resulted in conflicting signals from the good ear and bad ear causing my issues.  I lost most of the hearing in the ear but that was the result of the infection and not the surgery.  If you have good hearing in the problem ear and the surgery is done correctly there should be no significant hearing loss.  Of course I would exhaust all other options before I went for surgery but it worked for me and I am glad I did it.  The House Ear Clinic is internationally recognized as the top hearing experts. 

[Triple Jim]

These things kept the attacks at bay for about 10 years, but they are back. Now they tell me that if i want them to quit, I need to have them inject my ear with steroids (deafness to follow), or drill drain holes in my skull (to relieve the fluid build up in the ears), or have the main nerve to my ear cut, rendering me deaf. I love music too much to do any of those.

You should read:  http://www.menieresfoundation.org/johnsregimen.htm

As I said above, for the five years I've been on the regimen, I have not had trouble with dizziness or balance, and my hearing improved to near normal in the affected ear.

[Shorty]

You should read:  http://www.menieresfoundation.org/johnsregimen.htm

As I said above, for the five years I've been on the regimen, I have not had trouble with dizziness or balance, and my hearing improved to near normal in the affected ear.

I will look, thanks Jim!

[LowRyter]

I wouldn't mind popping some cheap supplements and see what happens 
 lemon bioflavonoid

I've gotten nothing from the medical community. 

[Triple Jim]

I've gotten nothing from the medical community.

I was fairly depressed when I realized my options were things like diuretics or surgery that would ruin the function of my ear.  I couldn't imagine being on a diuretic long-term and still be able to ride my bicycle 20 miles in the NC summer without keeling over from dehydration.  After about a week of "John's Regimen", I walked past a cabinet and realized I had heard reflected noise in my "bad" ear.  My low frequency hearing gradually returned from zero as well, and the tinnitus dropped to a low level.  It was then that I realized just how much the problem had been getting to me emotionally.

[Shorty]

I wouldn't mind popping some cheap supplements and see what happens 
 lemon bioflavonoid

I've gotten nothing from the medical community.

I ordered the top 3 ingredients listed. (the author lists them as the most important) Will give them a go, thanks again.