hi does anyone get vertigo?

[sweetness86]

hi i suffer vertigo i feel dizzy most of the day and its been like this 20months. Ive had numerous tests and im about to see a neuro again soon. I get dizzy rolling over looking down up etc and generally giddy all day some days better than others. One doctor thought i had migraine disorder one thought menieres disease but i have no hearing loss.
I dont take anything for it at all just put up with it but my life is shitty with this i havent had a drink in 18 months and have 2 young sons.
I honestly dont know how i go to work i do it for the money but somedays just want go home and cry and not wake up each morning .

Does anyone get this? what meds are you on im at my witts end

hi aristocat, so sorr you are still suffering too. It is good to get an mri to rule out anything like that. I think mine came through within about a week, but I was referred as an urgent case at the time as I was so ill with it. Hope your appointment comes through quickly and you have a better day tomorrow.

Sorry it's not been better, aristo. How's everyone else?

I feel much improved. I don't know if it is that I am better, the Serc is working, sleeping tablets helping, being away from
Work/ home/ crappy situation with DP, being in the sun or what. It's not been perfect but much better, so much so that I am scared of coming home tomorrow.

grrrr my appointment arrived today and i cant make it on that date so have cancelled and need to wait for a new one
it was for a sunday is this normally when they are done?

So glad that you are feeling better Grockle, really hope its the Serc working for you. I was on them for ages and they didnt help me - they are meant to be better for people who have dizziness relating to ear problems. I didn't know you had a crappy situation with DP, that can't be helping. I know that when I was away and completely stress free I had a lot more better days, I am beginning to think that stress does play a part in this and if you already suffer from dizziness it makes it worse. Such a shame you are scared of coming home but please try and relax when you get home.

Aristocat, sods law isnt it that you get appointment when you can't make it. Mine was on a Saturday morning at 7.30aam. I remember thinking it was an odd time to do it, so it must be the norm! Hope you can rearrange it soon.

Thankfully mine seems to have gotten better now. I didn't take the medication but had my eyes tested recently and they said I need glasses for certain things. Started wearing them while driving, watching tv and using pc or iPhone and it has helped massively. Bit unexpected as I thought my sight was fine but I guess it has deteriorated slowly over the last couple of years and I just got used to it! Am only 33 buti think overuse of pc and iPhone has done bad things to my eyes :( Oh well i look sexy and intelligent in my new specs

Hi, I have just been diagnosed with Labyrinthitis and it is the worse thing I have ever encountered! Am taking betahistine as doctor thinks I might have menieres. I had a similar attack in 1999 and it lasted about 2 months but left me with intermittent mild dizziness which worsened when I got sinus issues. I had sinus surgery in 2001 for a deviated septum and I then had 6 months of no dizzies. Then the mild dizziness came back with further sinus issues and now the labrynthitis again. Doctor also mentioned it could be Migraine related.
Does anyone get flashing lights when they have a bad spinning attack?
Also, does everybody still feel nauseous even if they are sat still?
Really feel for anyone who suufers with this, is truly horrendous.
Wishing you all well x

Good news, Angry.

I don't get flashing lights but I feel nauseous pretty much all the time, even when I'm not dizzy.

Hope everyone else is ok.

Glad you are feeling better Angry. I had my eyes tested early on in this but they are ok. So glad yours was something simple that could be fixed though.

Dinky - sorry you are suffering too. It's awful isn't it. I think mine started with labyrinthitis too. Funny you mention sinus issues too, I always have sinus headaches and feel my nose blocked but I am not ever snotty. I also get migraines though so they have said mine is MAV, all related to migraine. I am not too convinced about that though.

I do get really nauseous when I am sat still if I am having a dizzy day. Mine is more like dizziness than full on vertigo, it is constantly there in the background. I don't get the flashing lights though. If the gp thinks you have Meniers he needs to refer you to ENT to get it diagnosed properly.

Gorckle, hope you are feeling ok too.

I am feeling crap again - just when I think I am getting better and have a good day it all comes back again the next day. I am so scared that I am stuck with this forever.

Its horrible thinking that, RichTea. I am going to ask my GP about prognosis and what he thinks this is next week. I've not actually been told what the diagnosis is although the ENT consultant mentioned Menieres. I'm scared that I will feel sick and dizzy forever. I need to know how to make it better. Do you drive, RT?

Hi all,

How are are you all? Sorry to see the newcomers. This is horrendous isn't it.

RTAC - sorry to hear you are bad again.

My DSs have had tonsillitis so I am massively sleep deprived which I know sets me off. I now have it. I am hoping it doesn't make me feel any worse than I do.

For those who may have Menieres - my neurophysio says this burns itself out eventually.

Grockle, I hope you get a diagnosis soon, it is awful. My diagnosis has been 'I think its MAV' - nothing more solid than that. I do drive yes, but not very often. If I have to drive and I am having a good day then I will, I am ok driving, its when I stop that it hits me hard.

Essexgirl, I hope you manage to get some sleep and get rid of the dizziness. Lack of sleep plays a big part in this as does stress. Hope your DSs are feeling better now too.

Hi - haven't been on MN for a while - but was around this thread early on. Sorry people are still feeling bad. RichTea I know how you feel - I was told 16 years ago that I had menieres but when I went back to the ENT dept 2 years ago they said it was definetely MAV and that over 90% of menieres was actually MAV and misdiagnosed- but I can't believe that basically I walk around with a migraine type response everyday of my life (my ears always feel full and I have floaters in front of eyes) and that spacey feeling which is better or worse some days but never totally "clear."

Grockle - things do improve -my first 2 years were the worst as my body was compensating and I had two toddlers and a job- for some people it clears but for others like me the ENT said my body had compensated as much as possible so I was left with residual problems and "bad periods" - usually August and after flus etc. Serc didn't work for me - but I met someone at one of my appointments whose life had been transformed. I had many good years (though never back to complete normalcy) and had 2 more children and managed fine until it got worse a few years ago - I'm almost 50 so perhaps hormone related. Things do improve.

If I have Mav it could be related back to having meningitis when I was 21 - I had horrendous migarines after that for 4 years and then was fine until my early thirties when I got Labrythinitis which perhaps triggered it again in this other format. My last ENt said if anyone in my family had vertigo or migraine its hereditary (no) or it could be that the meningitis acted as a form of head trauma triggering it. If you had motion sickness as a child that is also a factor (I did). So perhaps this is something to consider.

It is such a frustrating "illness" because no one is 100% sure about it and the treatments are a bit random too. For me giving up alcohol and caffeine helped - getting rest and making sure I always get up and go to bed at the same time, doing the VRT exercises and getting the confidence to say no to outings etc when things get too much.

Hello everyone,
Does anyone know what the medication would be used for MAV?
My GP mentioned my dizzies might be due to this. I am currently taking betahistine and stemetil for supposed labyrinthitis. It has helped but I still feel awful. I get chronic sinusitis and so have had many horrendous headaches which I have always assumed where sinus related but perhaps there is a migraine issue too.
Hope everyone is having better days - I know a few people who feel a bit better after the autumn so fingers crossed for us all.

Hi Javo, great to see you here again. I understand what you mean about not believing the MAV diagnosis - I feel the same, can't believe I have migraine every single day, so how can it be? But I can only trust what they say to me. I have always had migraines/headaches so maybe it is. Are they trying you on any medication for it?

Dinky....I am on medication for MAV - they put me on beta blockers that are meant to prevent the migraines and therefore stop the dizziness. Apparently you can get silent migraines without the pain but with the dizziness. I tried the meds you are taking and they didn't do a lot to help really.

Funny you mention the sinus issue - I have chronic headaches too which I always put down to sinus, I don't get any of the other sinusitis issues really though (apart from constantly needing to blow my nose at night oddly enough). I can't bear strong smells either, that always sets one off. I do get migraine too so maybe there is some truth in the MAV diagnosis I have got.

If you have got labyrinthitis the good news is that it should clear - they told me that's what mine was at first, but after ENT tests and it going on for months and months decided it was MAV.

I hope you all have a good weekend and don't suffer too much.

Hi Rich Tea thaks for the welcome back.

Dinky - Like Rich Tea I have had Serc (betahistine) for 3- 6 months 4 times and the stemetil but they did not work for me either (perhaps because I had MAV and not menieres all along).

The only drug I have been prescribed for Mav was Pizitofen (may have spelt it wrong) which is an antihistamine. The ENT discharged me after seeing me once with 14 days worth of it and a sheet about the "migraine diet" - I had to see my GP after that. The drug made my ears make all sorts of new squelching noises!and they cleared a little - so perhaps in the long run it would have helped but it totally zombified me no matter what time I took it at (to try to avoid falling asleep) - even an alarm did not wake me up for the school pick up - I couldn't live like that so stopped. There are other drugs ranging from beta blockers to anti depressants that can be prescribed. The other side effect apparently is a ravenous appetite and therefore weight gain,but luckily I avoided that. I am considering giving piztiofen another go now that my DP is working from home and so could cover childcare.

Dinky - this article discusses mav and mentions some treatments www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0315/p1115.html There is also a website called dizzytimes with a very active forum and information on the drugs used for treatment (I don't subscribe there as I find all the chat too depressing)

thanks for pointing this out to me RichTea - hello fellow dizzy wobblers [waves frantically whilst trying not to fall over].

I have been away from mumsnet for over a year, during which time I have been diagnosed with Menieres. So far Pukka 3 ginger tea is the only thing that gives me any respite from the nausea - it is amazing and almost instant so I drink it by the gallon with the vague hope that I am also going to turn into a lithe Gwynneth type in the process! I take Sumatriptan when the migraines kick in, they only help with the pain if I get them in quickly enough and even then I have to lay down and hang on tight anyway as migraines usually flag the onset of a really bad attack.

I have skimmed through the previous pages but will go back and investigate further another day. I see that you are all mostly dealing with conventional meds - has anyone had any joy with more hippy tree hugging approach? I only ask because I struggle with taking too much and being a single parent whilst trying to keep 3 jobs going makes the drowsy side effects a total PITA.

Hi all,
Thanks to all for your kind replies.
I am thinking mine might be MAV as I have some days where I feel not too bad. Does this happen with Labyrinthtitis too?

Also, is it normal to feel nauseous even when you dont feel too dizzy?

I find i have to force myself to eat but the other day had a relly "hungry" day and felt relatively normal. Could this mean I am getting better? I did go back to being dizzy the next day though. Is all very strange !
Good day to everyone :)

Hi Asteria and welcome! I have only tried magnesium vitamins and they didnt help me much. Other than that I take Sumatriptan when I get migraine attacks and also beta blockers as a preventative. I am not sure if they are helping or not to be honest. I still get migraines, not as often, but they are killers when they come.

3 jobs and a single mum....no wonder you struggle, I don't know how you manage that, must be so hard while suffering with vertigo. I hope you get some solution soon and hope that they can help you.

Dinky....yes I have days when I am not too bad with MAV and days when I am awful. When it all started I couldnt eat, I felt sick constantly. I still feel nauseus almost everyday but at least I can eat a bit now. Its almost cruel when you have a good day because you build your hopes up on getting better, then wham, its back again.

Hello all, welcome dinky & asteria but sorry you are here. I'm also a single mum but only have 1 job thankfully. It's exhausting. I'm always terrified I'll have a vertigo attack when I'm alone with DS.

I've had 2 bad days of dizziness including one when I had to stop driving but nothing terrible and no continual dizziness. The relief has been wonderful. I do still have noisy tinnitus and feel very nasueous with pressure in my ears/ head. I think I am imagining everything!

Hi the the newcomers.

Sorry you are here. It is awful isn't it!

I don't really have a diagnosis for my dizziness. I am seeing a neurophysio who seems to be helping. It is slow slow recovery. She says I will get better but it will take time. I am having a hard day today - mentally as much as being dizzy. I am so fed up of it the anxiety that goes with it.

Welcome back Javo - how are you now?

bleurgh! I had a fair in Scotland yesterday and managed a scary menieres attack right in the middle of a sale... Fecking brilliant! Everyone was lovely and ran about getting me gingery stuff (to stop me vomming) and paracetamol (felt like a drill going into my ears) - felt a total idiot and am still feeling shocking today.

Suffice to say that holding down 3 jobs is not easy at all! Thankfully they are all very flexible and one of them is largely based from home. I have a cooking job this weekend and I am going to have to cancel for the first time since I started having menieres issues - lunch for 15... Will put them in touch with the local pub (5 doors down and incredibly good) and hope that they are happy with that. Not much I can really do about it - I'm exhausted and walking like a drunk already! I do sometimes wish it was something more outwardly obvious (like leprosy perhaps) so that people knew there was actually something wrong...

Grockle - I know exactly how you feel. My ears are screaming at me and I want to be sick!

Asteria - how awful for you. It's hard when you have to cancel work commitments. Hope you are feeling better with some rest.

Essexgirl - thanks for the welcome back. I have been doing well - except for around and during my periods (now). I had to take my daughter to an open evening for a sixth form college last night and it was heaving with people and hot - felt terrible after about an hour but managed. Have lain on the couch this morning with ears full,noisy, head swimming and menstrual cramps etc - but have watched The Slap and come on here now -even though I have hoovering etc to be doing. I freelance and the only upside of the recession has been that I have had more down time and can rest up if I feel bad so I have energy for when my DC come home from school.

Hope everyone is well and not too dizzy atm

Oh Asteria, how horrible. I'm terrified I will have an attack at work and on Friday I decided I should perhaps warn them what happens and that it doesn't require a trip to A & E as DP always thinks. I think it probably looks quite scary to onlookers. I hate walking like a drunk when I'm not! And the fact that its one of those invvisible diseases is quite frustrating.

It's so hard when you have work commitments and even worse when you have DC to worry about.

I'm off work again. I couldn't drive, was sick & the pressure in my ears is horrible. The vertigo has subsided but I still feel dizzy and nauseous. I'm SO fed up with this. I hate feeling helpless and useless. I WANT to do my job. I've lost half a stone because I can't eat. I think perhaps the Serc isn't working all that well.

My GP has told me I might have to inform DVLA and stop driving. I won't be able to get to work at all then

Sorry, rant over. How's everyone else?

Oh Grockle, so sorry you are feeling bad again. And that is frightening about you stopping driving, I really hope it doesn't come to that. It doesn't sound like the Serc is helping you.

I haven't been great either - I got offered a job at the beginning of the week and couldn't take it because I knew with the journey and the job that it would be too much and I would end up letting them down. I need to work though. Actually I NEED to get better and stop this.

Sorry for not being around lately on the post, I have been having a hard time with it all and not coping very well. I will try and read back and get an update on how you are all doing.