Room spinning dramatically

[OnNaturesCourse]

This happened a few weeks ago in the hospital after a appointment for my child. We had stood up, walked back to the waiting room and id bent down under the pram then back up before spinning round to attend my other child. The room didn't stop spinning when I did. I had to sit down and do some big breaths etc. It all passed in under 5 minutes. I put it down to the up, down, spin motions I done in a few moments and quickly. I felt a bit off for a few days after then all back to normal.
Tonight I had bent down slightly and lighted 11month old out buggy, popped head round side of car to instruct other child to get in and possible looked around for my other child at the back of me too. It was dark and there was car lights moving around a lot. Suddenly got very dizzy and then the world started spinning. I had to sit on edge on boot and almost hold on. Kids moving around in car kept bringing the spin speed back up, I noticed I was almost holding my breath and after a few deep breaths it all slowed down again. But it was a bad attack I thought I was going to have to phone for help or lie down in my boot but I was desperately not trying to scare the kids. This was about 2hrs ago now and I still feel a bit woozy but no more spinning. In lasted, what felt like, a good 5 minutes if not longer this time and it was spinning fast. Like I was on the waltzers.
I'm iron deficient and low in folic acid - on treatment for both. Currently on a pretty heavy period (normal for me) but wasn't at the first attack. Was extremely hot having just come out of the kids swimming lessons tonight and possibly a bit warm the first time it happened.
Going to call GP in morning but wondered if anyone had a guess at what the hell is going on? I'm feeling pretty scared. My mind always jumps to the worse

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) springs to mind.

Sorry to hear this, it can be very scary. It sounds like vertigo and could be labyrinthitis which is a middle ear infection, which travel sickness tablets can help with. Or it could be something called BPPV which I can’t remember what it stands for but that is crystals in your ears which get out of place, there’s a manoeuvre you can do to help this. Make an urgent doctors appointment as they can give medication and excercises to help.
are you a migraine sufferer? I have vestibular migraines like this and take Triptans which help. I would avoid driving until you are feeling better and this stops.

I have had migraines with aura but very sparsely and more so when I was younger which were put down to stress.

I have to admit the attack tonight has really scared me.

Tell your gp and you might get referred for a neck X-ray.

Or it could be something called BPPV which I can’t remember what it stands for but that is crystals in your ears which get out of place, there’s a manoeuvre you can do to help this.

Epley Manoeuver: m.youtube.com/watch?v=o4GV-EbnMfI

Info here too: https://vestibular.org/article/diagnosis-treatment/treatments/canalith-repositioning-procedure-for-bppv/

I have these bookmarked because I’ve had periods when I needed to repeat them.

I’d still see your GP to be on the safe side.

What would a neck xray potentially show?

What bothers me most is I can't name a trigger - most Google searches state looking up or lying on your side for attacks but I've been up right and probably looking more down when then happened.

Yep. Sounds like this!!

I had this and it’s so weird. Felt like I was on a rather unpleasant fairground ride.

Was worse for me when I lay down and / or turned over in bed. I just had to ‘ride’ out the spinning.

The exercises really helped and it went away on its own within a few weeks.

How many attacks did you have? I've only had two big ones were the room was uncontrollable and with a big gap between each one.

Another vote for BPPV from me. I had my first event 20 odd years ago and it scared me witless.
When you have a quiet few moments, try sitting and lying in different positions to see if it occurs in any specific head position..
if it does then read up on the Epley manoeuvre as suggested upthread. In the meantime if you have any travel sickness meds in the house, they may be helpful. X

I tried doing the position were you sit and then lie down with your head at a angle but nothing happened other than feeling a bit woozy... No room spin though. I'd act like it to happen with another adult around to monitor me and time it etc. I can't focus on anything when it happens, it's hold on and ride it out

I’ve been diagnosed with vestibular migraines. I have a vertigo attack for a few
mins (often when I’m waking up) then I can feel low level dizzy for weeks or months.

I had aura migraines too, very very sporadically. I suffer badly with motion sickness which is another common prerequisite to getting VM.

I’m on amitriptyline now to try to prevent the actual attack (vertigo in my case) and have triptans to take when it’s bad.

Sorry to hear your troubles with it all. Interestingly though I have always suffered with motion sickness in cars that I am not driving

I had this recently too OP. Had around 3-4 severe dizzy episodes over the course of 6 months so convinced myself of all sorts and got a GP appointment. Was told it’s either BPPV, vertigo or could be anaemia. Was prescribed some form of antihistamine and given exercises to correct the crystal something or other in the ear. Mine also came on initially when bending down to reach in the pram so does sound similar to what you’ve experienced. Good luck getting it sorted

I hate reading you've suffered but I'm glad it's not just me especially with the pram thing. How was your episodes, were they to the point of having to sit and not able to stand

I hurt my neck one evening last week and it he next morning woke up to find the room spinning so in my case it was self inflicted. There could be other reasons for it though so if it continues you need to see a doctor. It’s horrible.

I had an attack where the room was spinning ( like when you get the bed spins through booze ) my husband carried me to the bathroom where I vomited twice. This was 2014 and it carried on all day… we eventually got to see a doctor and he said it was labyrinthsitis … 12 weeks on with it plus dizziness and balance problems I pleaded with them to investigate more. I had vestibular neuronitis which developed into having vestibular migraines, BBPV and I still have days where I feel the floor is like a trampoline… constantly feeling like I am on a boat in rough seas. I did get the epley manoeuvre many times and eventually it popped the crystals back in the right ear area…identifying the side which brings your vertigo is key and then sleep on the other side and if they says it’s labs but it’s still with you after 6 weeks insist on more investigation. Whilst it’s not life threatening it’s terrifying … I am thinking of you xxx

I’ve had similar episodes and my gp also diagnosed BPPV. First time it happened was when I turned over in bed one night but it also happened when I look down - I remember reading to my dd one night and the room started spinning just looking down at the book, or another time when I leaned over to turn the bath tap on. I still get spells of it periodically but not as often as I used to.

Did anyone get tested for BPPV? I've tried to test myself thro the test previously mentioned on here or my other post but it doesn't make me dizzy at all, just woozy and the room gets a bit wavey like it's liquid

Did you try the full epley manoeuvre? The one where you keep your head tilted back and turn your whole body? Worked instantly for me, was so odd!

I can’t actually remember how the gp
diagnosed me but I do remember trying the manoeuvre myself and it didn’t seem to do anything so I just assumed I wasn’t doing it correctly!

Sounds likely to be BPPV then, as you've found a trigger.

For me it was sudden onset - looking over my shoulder to check my blind spot when driving a car made me mildly dizzy and nauseous. Thank god it wasn't a severe attack, but I phoned the GP on the same journey after the fifth or sixth repetition as I was on the motorway home!

A week of repeated Epley manoeuvre on both sides plus travel sickness pills and it's not come back.

I would say I have a trigger. The room just goes a bit off, no where near like the spinning attacks I've had. I do get a bit spacey sitting up from the lying down tho

*I wouldn't say I have

Wouldn't

I may have found a trigger point - not to the extreme of earlier but sitting with my head tilted so my ear almost rests on my shoulder (sounds weird but it's my slouched comfy spot) and the straightening my head up to centre point brings on the woozy start of the spins but doesn't escalate into a full whole room moving situation. Interesting though as my head would be in a similar position reaching into/over the pram from the side.

Yes, but it shouldn't be doing that at all.... Therefore it's a trigger position.

Likely the full attacks are from faster movements as you described initially.