New Person confused: is there ANYTHING for vertigo??????????

People have probably already discussed this but I do not know how to find information

I am practically incapacitated by my vertigo (sometimes needing help from couch to bathroom).  PLEASE tell me that this will get better and if there is ANTHING I can take.  I was prescribed antivert but it does not seem to work.

Give me hope.

mARY

Dear Mary:

I had vertigo for over a year and never found anything that helped it.  It has finally gone away mostly but I never encountered a quick cure.

ntw

i had to correct my dose and that helped the vertigo.  i tapered too fast.

i still have vertigo but it's manageable.

There is an exercise called:  Brandt-Daroff exercises.  you can google it.  don't know if it will help.  i haven't tried it.

take care,

truck

Hi Mary. Antivert was useless for me.  It can supposedly help with symptoms of nausea but is not likely to stop the vertigo/dizziness according to the vestibular therapist I went to yet the ER physician prescribed it for me longterm .  

Have you been to your ENT?  Have you had an audiogram and had other things ruled out? I saw an otoneurologist after my ENT diagnosed me with BPV (benign positional vertigo) which means dizziness based on the position, in my case lying all the way down on one side but not the other. Some particles had broken loose in my inner ear and they had to be stabilized back.  I was then referred to a vestibular physical therapist who I saw once or twice.

 In my case, I had C/T off about 7mg valium and was certain my situation was "caused" by that so I elected to go back on 5mg valium and not long after began my slow taper last January.  The Brandt Daroff exercises were prescribed for me as well and the combination of those exercises and going on the low dose valium eradicated the vertigo within a week. I had several friends and friends of friends tell me it took them months to get over.

 I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I just kept the exercises up and did not go back on the valium, certainly not suggesting that anyone updose on valium.   Well, the rest is covered on my "under 4mg and chipping away" buddy blog.  I finished a ten month taper off valium (turtle taper) last November and the vertigo never came back.  How long have you had vertigo and where are you in your taper?

Best,

Vertigo (NO MORE)

Hello all

Oh boy does this apply to me today. Had a bit of a medical issue the last few days and had severe spinning that was preceded by louder than usual tinnitus which I have had since tapering and jumping off almost 6 months ago. I've always had this off balance issue since my klonocrap use which at times has lessened and I've learned to live with but this spinning, vertigo issue is very debilitating. I've seen an ENT and learned what I'm allergic to and take Claritin for it. Also had a brain MRI which showed inflammation around my right mastoid bone that the ENT described as benign (hate that word). Tried Brandt-Daroff exercises which helped somewhat. Recently now diagnosed with possibly Menieres disease or BPPV (benign positional vertigo). Was given meclizine for the vertigo which effects me making me drowsy and Oh Boy the little blue pill (1mg of klonopin) which I did not use. Have to see the ENT again for who knows what now but would like to know if this is a residual effect from the klonocrap. Of course no doctor will connect a dot for me to the klonocrap as obviously more is prescribed for treatment. I've read time is what is needed for healing but this s/x really sucks!!  I will be looking for answers or relief if I find any I will post back. To all with any of these s/x's hang in there!! 

Sid

Dear Vertigo

I saw my family doctor who had me lie down on the cot with my head off of the cot, he held my head level and had me look at one side of the wall and then the opposite wall.

My left side is more congested due to my allergies and so he said it MAYbe aggravating the vertigo withdrawals.

I will look up what you suggested,

Thank you

Mary

People have probably already discussed this but I do not know how to find information

 

I am practically incapacitated by my vertigo (sometimes needing help from couch to bathroom).  PLEASE tell me that this will get better and if there is ANTHING I can take.  I was prescribed antivert but it does not seem to work.

 

Give me hope.

mARY

Hey Mary,

You may find suggestions here helpful in some way.  I hope so! 

http://www.grandmashomeremedies.com/vertigo.html

Hi Mary, Sid, Truck, ntw and others.  I know how debilitating it feels to get vertigo suddenly.  I hope you all get some relief soon.  I also experienced some minor tinnitus on my benzo journey but it was fortunately intermittent and not long lasting.  By the way Sidney, meclizine is the same thing as "antivert" which my vestibular therapist told me will not do anything to stop vertigo, it only will help relieve the secondary symptoms of nausea if you have it.  I did not have a lot of nausea because I avoided lying down on that side that caused the spinning, once I knew about BPV.  Soon after doing the Brandt Daroff exercises and getting back on 5mg of valium, the vertigo disappeared.  As I say, I wonder what would have happened if I had just continued with the exercises without going back on the valium.   The otoneurologist told me that valium calms the inner ear, is used to treat various issues such as Meniere's.  I am convinced that my C/T off valium caused a big reaction in my inner ear which was "over relaxed" (my interpretation, not the doctors) which then created the ensuing problem with particles getting loose in the inner ear.  By the way, I also was taking bonine on a cruise for a week at the same time as 5mg valium.   These benzos are powerful chemicals that can impact all sorts of brain functions including the ear.  I wish you all success in getting your vertigo treated.  I elected to not do excessive neurological testing that my ER doc suggested.  Being a speech therapist, I knew that the ENT was the right medical professional to go for balance issues of the inner ear.  I subsequently went to the otoneurologist.  I never did the MRI of the auditory nerve as I was sure my issue was from the benzo C/T.  However, it is possible that others may have more going on than BPV, probably best to get tests done to rule out things.

Best,

Vertigo (NO MORE)

You are not going to maybe believe this but I do these exercises to retrain my balance when I go through the vertigo thing. I call it the sobriety test. Stand with both feet planted on the ground with your eyes open. Just close both your eyes at first. Leave them closed and just go with the sensation, but then start trying to focus to stand up and not wobble to much.Open one eye hold for a bit then close that one and then open the other. hold. Then open both and relax.  If you get there. Open both eyes Stand on one foot and repeat the process. Helps me I have noticed.  You are retraining your mind and need to do every necessary thing you possibly can to get it back. It is tough but the brain can be retaught things. Ie. take someone that has a stroke. They start training exercises where say they have brushed their teeth with their right hand for all these years. They then start trying to brush their teeth with their left hand. And in time they start getting better and more functional.  I am starting to believe that many things need to be relearned to start making positive connections in our brains again so we can help the healing along. It isn't enough to just run around the block or walk. Although exercise just alone is highly recommended IMO for the downright rotten depression of losing who we once were. But I also think retraining is not only a huge possibility, it is necessary if we are to ever get over this crap. Just don't be really hard on yourself if it doesn't happen right then. Another big thing I've noticed is we all want relief so bad, but we have to realize that something like positive thoughts or learning  meditation is a long road. Not a quick fix. Think about when you are a kid learning how to do multiplication or addition or spelling. Time time time. And IT WILL COME TO YOU IN TIME. We have a lot of extra brain capacity for learning new things.  So it's there we just need to tap into it by repetition and extreme patience.

Keep on the sunny side in the darkness,

RB

"It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a sick society"

Krishnamurti

Hello All,

Oh I am a big backer of retraining in this whole process. I know we did some damage to our CNS system doing our use and some of the things that play a big part in this healing process is TIME and RETRAINING of our thoughts, actions and motions. I too look for the quick fix in all this and it's like searching for the holy grail to each their own. The other thing I would like to express is that we will heal after all this, keep the faith and keep fighting the good fight every moment every day (thanks TRIUMPH)!!

Sid 

Well said Sid

V

Thank you to everyone who shared

I am going to see an ENT, I am also going to mediate and do the sobriety test.  I can't work and I only have 30 days of being home left... 

yesterday I realized how important this group has become to me.  Someone called last night with a bad idea and I remembered my online support group and it made all the difference in the world. (I don't know if this was a correct post but thank you to everyone)  I dont feel so alone.

Mary

Hi Mary:

I am so glad that you are finding us helpful in resisting those bad ideas.  I tried the BD exercises and didn't have any luck.  Strangely, riding a bike was the one time I didn't have vertigo.  Can't explain that at all.

ntw

There are some interesting posts about benzos and hearing loss.

V