BPPV - Anyone have any experience of this?

[WerthersUnOriginal]

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

This started up in May. I feel mainy ok but very dizzy when lying down or moving my head in a lying down postion or tilt my head back. I feel like I've just stepped off a rollercoaster. It only lasts a few seconds but is a very pronounced dizziness. I'm fine when I'm upright and during the day. No sickness or nausea.

I saw the doctor and she was quite vague. Gave me anti dizzy pills but didn't mention BPPV which I'd never heard of before until I googled my symptoms and they seemed to match exactly.

I don't know why it started at all but I do have neck problems which over time I've just learned to live with. I wonder if it's connected in some way.

Is it likely to stop of its own accord? I've read about a neck manoeuvre (Epley?) that can help. Would a gp be able to do it?

Thanks so much if you can help

I think my friend's DH might have this. He's been having 'dizzy turns' for about a year, and has been given Stematil, and now something else that I don't know the name of. He's also been referred this week to a neurosurgeon. I'll find out some more about it and come back to you.

Thankyou YourCall I appreciate that

Hi I have been dizzy for almost 5 years although not with BPPV. It does sound as if that is what you have. I was referred to an ENT after it didn't clear up after a few months, they tested for BPPV & a few other basic tests & then I was sent for extensive balance testing and an MRI. I think an ENT person can do an Epley & a few special physios can but not any GP's as far as I am aware. The anti dizzy pills aren't really a solution as they just mask the symptoms. Hope this helps.

Thank you roundabout that's very helpful.

I must admit I haven't really taken too many of the tablets because I couldn't believe there was anything wrong with my ears. They feel ok and no other symptoms. I should maybe give the medication more of a go, I'm rubbish at taking things. Like you say, I wanted to know what it was and why I had it rather than mask the symptoms.

I do hope yours get resolved. How annoying and worrying for you. Five years is a long time to be managing that. I find it very weird and disorientating, especially when it happens when I move in bed and I'm half asleep.

Hi op. Earlier this year I started with what sounds like the same as you. When I tilt my head back or to the side I go really dizzy kinda like I'm going to pass out. I slept propped up as it was too dizzy to lay flat. A few weeks later it eased a little but keeps coming back etc, some days I feel like I'm walking on marshmallow. The gp diagnosed vertigo & gave me sturgeon but I hardly take them unless really bad.

Most GP's really don't know a great deal about dizziness, in fact lots of ENT's don't seem to know a lot either. Although I am still dizzy it's not as bad as it was. I have bad attacks & usually if I get a cold or a bug it gets a lot worse. My main symptoms are all quite vague, I have problems when travelling, have problems visually. I've been doing VRT - physio exercises aimed at retraining your brain but it has helped but only partially. I think I am uncommon though as most people do recover & it is a lot more common than I originally thought.

I've had two bouts of BPPV - both self-diagnosed, but I am a vet and therefore did have enough medical training to be pretty sure nothing worse was going on. One resolved on its own in a few weeks; the second bout took longer - gradually it improved so that the dizziness was less readily triggered and lasted for less time, and eventually that one too got completely better. I found it was only triggered by very specific changes in head posture and that I could avoid these much of the time, although lying down in bed was a particularly risky activity - going up a spiral staircase in an old castle was also especially disorientating! - obviously I am not you and not a doctor, but I found that it began suddenly and never got worse, just improved v slowly, and so I was quite happy to wait it out and never sought medical advice at all. I was in my early to mid forties both times, which were a couple of years apart; I understand certain people are prone, so maybe I'll have another episode, but at the moment I am completely normal again. Hope this helps.

Thanks so much everyone. I really do appreciate your replies.

It doesn't seem to be getting worse and isn't really a problem as such because it only happens when I'm lying down thankfully, and even then only lasts a few seconds, so I can get on ok during the day.

Interesting you mention age there Alice. I am also 40's (well 47 in fact) - maybe it's an age thing. I've never been too happy to take medication unless absolutely necessary and because it's not a big problem atm I'll probably take the wait it out route and hopefully it'll just gradually go.

I completely empathise with that steep spiral staircase Alice. That'd just the scenario that would set it off. Very odd sensation.

Are you ears fine? if buzzing or experiencing hearing loss, then it could be Meniere's disease. I have this and typical age for onset is mid 40s.