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Vertigo

(11 Posts)
watermeadow Thu 04-May-17 18:42:12

I occasionally wake up with vertigo and spend several hours unable to move or open my eyes because of the severe dizziness and nausea. It wears off slowly, leaving me sleepy and feeble for the rest of the day.
I keep motion sickness tablets handy but they don't help much. Has anyone got tips on coping or shortening the time it lasts?

silverlining48 Thu 04-May-17 19:05:48

It is probably labrynthitis, something i have suffered with on and off for too many years so can sympathise. It is truly dreadful. Try serc aka betahistine, it has helped me. With luck you may never have it again. You can also be given an injection via doctor which gives instant relief. Good luck.

shysal Thu 04-May-17 19:46:30

I find prevention better than cure, so spend my life avoiding the triggers. I only turn over in bed or get up very gradually and can't lie flat to do abdominal exercises, prefering to rest my head on foam yoga blocks. I also never look up at tall buildings or the sky or turn my head quickly. Travel sickness tablets don't help me much.
I hope that for you it won't be a recurrent problem, it varies for different people. My father used to swear that eating stinky cheese brought his attacks on.

M0nica Fri 05-May-17 18:49:52

I would go and see your doctor. The problem could have one of multiple causes; migraine, Meunieres Disease, labrynthitis to name but a few and the treatment for each will be different.

vampirequeen Fri 05-May-17 19:52:00

You need to see your doctor. As M0nica says there are many causes. This sort of thing needs checking out. DH gets labrynthitis. The first time he had to take a course of tablets and has a supply of them to take if/when the symptoms come back.

M0nica Sat 06-May-17 08:22:13

I have had migraine since childhood and recently I have had a couple of attacks of vestibular migraine, which has symptoms and progression like this. If this is your problem travel sickness tablets will not help. This is why you should see your doctor and get a proper diagnosis.

silverlining48 Sat 06-May-17 10:06:04

Vampirequeen, it might be worth checking which tablets your husband has. Buccastim under the gum are used during an attack, to help with sickness, nausea and Are release. Or if they are serc or betahistamine they need to be taken every day, all the time, as a preventative. I am now down to one a day but started off taking 3 a day. Have been free of attacks for the last 4 years. Huge relief.

vampirequeen Sat 06-May-17 10:24:55

The last attack was so severe that it put my DH in hospital. He now gets checked over at regular intervals and the tablets he has are only to be taken for a short time. The plan is they nip the attack in the bud. That said if he starts to take them then he has to make an appointment to see his GP asap as well.

He's not been the same since he reached 57. Most people go into a gradual decline but he decided to do it overnight so there are lots of bits of him that don't work as well as they should. He's even losing his hair which, I think, upsets him more than all the bits added together. He had such lovely thick, wavy hair. It's still thick in parts but the front is moving further back every day sad

henetha Sat 06-May-17 11:02:25

I have great sympathy for people who get regular attacks of this. Mine are puzzling. When they occur they are extremely violent, rendering me unable to do anything and last for about 24 hours.
But they only occur many years apart. I haven't had an attack for almost ten years now and live in daily dread of the next one. My Buccastim are now well past their sell-by date.

CeliaVL Fri 12-May-17 17:04:52

I have had vertigo for years, on and off (now 73). If it's due to age degeneration, there's not a lot that can be done. The pills are useful for controlling nausea when it's a bad attack, but you can also ask for physio, which is supposed to help. I found that fizzy drinks (tonic water, fizzy water) make it worse/cause attacks, but that may be a personal thing.

norose4 Fri 12-May-17 21:49:25

Agree with Silverlining, ....you can't take the tablets to prevent an attack, but you can take them as soon as you feel it coming on, if it's a very severe episode it takes a bit longer , but they are a god send .