Vertigo. Help please.

[Bestbe]

I woke up a few days ago and had the awful spinning sensation. It stopped after about 30 seconds but when I rolled over it started again.
It's ok once I stand up although I don't feel normal and I wouldn't want to walk far or drive.
I've tried the Brandt Darroff exercises and they are manageable apart from first thing in the morning when they make me feel ready sick. I'm going to try and persevere.
The doctor has given me pills to treat the symptoms.
Is there anything else I can do? I have to shop for loads of elderly family and neighbours. Any help would be amazing.

I know it scary, but please don’t ignore these symptoms, it might well be nothing and a one off, even in these strange Covid times please see your GP incase a referral to a Neurologist would be appropriate. I hope you feel better soon OP.

@Roselilly36 I’m going to try the Epley thing tomorrow. I’ve been in contact with my gp twice they just give me different pills. They haven’t seen me.
People are so kind replying to this.

I hope the Epley manoeuvre helps, if it does it is more than likely that the Vertigo is caused by an imbalance in the ear.

If the vertigo doesn’t go, you really need to see GP for a basic neurological examination.

If there are any Neurological signs the GP will refer you to Neurologist, assuming you are in the UK you can wait quite some time for an initial appointment.

If you are on a private healthcare scheme use it, that is what I did, saw Neurologist, had MRI, head, cervical & whole spine, saw Neurologist for follow up and got my diagnosis in a week. The best thing is did.

Fingerscrossed for the Epley for you OP

@Roselilly36 I’m a bit freaked out now.

Try not to worry, good luck for the Epley, wishing you well

@Roselilly36 It didn’t work so I’m done for.

It sounds very like Menieres - fluctuating hearing loss, vertigo and feeling of fullness in the ear. If you google it you’ll come across terrible stories of people whose lives have been ruined by it, however for lots of people it’s nowhere near as severe. I was diagnosed with menieres in 2000 but for most of the time I’ve been in remission. I’ll have periods of a few months to a couple of years when my hearing on one side is virtually nonexistent and I’ll have fairly regular vertigo attacks but usually the only sign I have is permanent tinnitus. When my menieres is active, I haven’t found anything that really helps - none of the treatments has been shown to have genuine benefits other than a placebo effect - but it can help to feel that you’re doing ‘something’. Ideally your GP would be referring you for an urgent ENT appointment but no idea if those are happening at the moment ...

Sorry to hear Epley didn’t solve it. At least you can tell your GP that you have tried it. And GP can refer you to the most suitable route. You may even find that the Vertigo suddenly stops. There are so many different causes for these types of symptoms, so try not to worry, it’s difficult I know, Vertigo is awful.

Have you cut the dairy out yet? It may help and certainly won’t do any harm for a limited time (i take a calcium supplement in a multivitamin).
That means butter, milk, cream, cheese - and anything that contains them. So have toast with jam not butter. Don’t have cake, creamy sauces or milk chocolate as both contain dairy. All the little bits add up to gunk in the lugs first me!

Still the same or a lite better. I'm loathe to say that because I don't want to tempt fate.
My doctor has given me antibiotics and an antihistamine. She thinks it might be an infection. At this point I should see an ENT but that's impossible. I'm going to take everything she has given me. I feel like there might be a blockage in my ear. They don't pop... I dunno.
Anyway you are all lovely for taking the time to reply to me.

Ive had on and off vertigo for a few days, have had a sore throat for a couple weeks too so dont know if thats caused it but its horrible. X

Mine lasted six weeks. I was desperate nothing gp gave me worked. I then wondered if I had a tooth infection so OH took me to dentist, he could see nothing but gave me antibiotics anyway. They worked, when I told gp she said oh he should have given you different ones. I could have lamped her.

I had to see consultant, had an mri. he said I had suffered a bacterial infection he thought and had vestibular neuritis.

Went to my physio who was wonderful, the epley did not work so he put me on the Catherine Cooksey exercises, said I had to retrain my brain. Escalators were my worst problem and supermarket aisles, the height on both sides.

It was grim, I occasionally have giddy moments but tell myself to slow down until it passes. It was two years before I could open my eyes going down an escalator though.

Please push for some form of ent consultation. This could be a range of issues from infection, glue ear, to a form of migraine that may or may not include an actual headache and everything inbetween. As a general rule most sudden onset ear conditions are self resolving, but, medication can make a significant difference to the management of symptoms and recovery time. Your symptoms seem to be evolving and need a more experienced assessment than maybe a gp can provide. GPs are great but they have to manage and assess so much, that a more uncommon diagnosis is not always immediately on their radar. Example, ear symptom migraine can be treated with migraine meds but some GPs would not necessarily be aware and therefore try the meds concerned. You've done a lot to help yourself already so I don't think specialist assessment is is unreasonable. The hearing loss definitely needs assessing.

Just found this thread - this has affected me the last two nights, feel much worse today, nauseated and spaced out. Just waiting a call back from the GP.

How are you, OP, has anything worked for you yet?

Hi. Sorry I vanished. I got a bit depressed about it all. But it’s finally gone.
On Monday I woke up and the vertigo was completely gone. Ironically that was the day I finally got to speak to a ENT. Very posh, helpful but so snooty.
Anyway he said he had no doubt I had Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo. He advised I continue with the BPV exercises and is getting me a hearing test. I am having that in a few weeks.
Everyone was so helpful and I am so grateful.

@Wimpeyspread I’m so sorry it really is horrible. The GP in my experience seems to just give you lots of drugs which will help you sleep at least. Is it one side? Better on one than the other? Read the thread because people were amazing. Try the BPV exercises they make you feel awful but they do work.