Positional vertigo/spinning nausea

I have no useful tips for you, however I experience some dizziness when I bend forward at about 45 degrees. It is fairly consistent- and it turns out that it is due to a 12 mm cyst I have on my cerebellum. It was not growing after 1 year interval of MRI. It was found because I have abnormal eye movement when I move my eyes horizontally and I was sent to a neuro-ophtalmologist with this finding. He said that with this cyst and its location, it disrupts the cerebro-spinal fluid flow in the brain when I bend down like so. There is nothing to be done of course, due to risks of surgery. I am thankful it only happens with this one movement.

As you probably know everyone is different and causes of vertigo and dizziness will be different. I hope one day you find out too.
 
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CRG said:
With all the usual caveats when suggesting any medication - there may be a few reasons why Phenylephrine might be helpful - it is available in various decongestant over the counter treatments - blocked nose etc.

It's a vasoconstrictor so if the problem is labyrinthitis/vestibular neuronitis it may work to widen the tubes a bit and give some relief. Pseudephedrine does a similar job but I've found that to be intollerable because of 'the shakes' - I get a similar but less intrusive effect from Phenylephrine. Sudafed has multiple formulations using these two drugs - which is OK if you find the added ingredients helpful - but Sudafed Decongestant is straight Phenylephrine hydrochloride - Tesco "Blocked Nose Relief" is exactly the same but half the price. Caution regarding over-use and especially with Pseudephedrine, known addiction effects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylephrine
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I was thinking one of the 'least dramatic' to look into was the sinus thing. However, I personally wouldn't touch decongestants (for me they dry things out and cause rebound effect later, but I also have other meds etc).

I have bad rhinosinusitis and go with the following, in order, to ease/open tubes:
1.hydrate (ie drinks lots because you want to 'dilute' mucus so a number of drinks over a few hours, not just a cup of tea level),
2. then heat - hot water bottle/compress on back of neck and one over forehead/cheek and particularly the nose/eye area (it's the holding it there bit that is hard so have to prop elbows up on pillows if I'm 'dabbing'). You basically just want to relax all the muscles and airways etc. I do this for a good 30mins plus, but you'll feel if it works because your nose suddenly feels like it is able to run again.
3. sterimar which is just aerosol saline solution


I also can't have radiators on in my bedroom and have to have window open at least a bit at all times otherwise I get a migraine within a few hours so worth getting some air in. I use sterimar followed by nasonex every day anyway, but the above is for when it gets tight or have face pain (and I find myself inadvertently putting my hot mug next to my cheek). Oh and I always sleep with my head raised by pillows.


Having also had a few other things (inc labyrinthitis someone else wrote about) and read your description, I'm not sure it is this - your spinning sounds bad (the classic sinus one is the 'reeling effect' after having to bend head down e.g. to put on socks).
- I guess you can pick and choose the bits you can do that are worth a try etc.
 
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Thanks @Michelle, I'll give it a try. Looks easy enough to at least give it a shot.

Yesterday was better. I tried taking a Claritin, Loratidine + pseudoephedrine, no idea if this is what helped. I'll repeat if I have a worse off day, could have been just a coincidence.
 
I suspect that what started this was a bout of really bad back pain that lead me to do a lot of stretching. I think I bent too far, from a standing position basically rolling my back until my head is pointed down with knees locked, a few times I probably went too far and felt a heavy rushing in my ears, lots of pressure and a loud rumbling noise. Didn't hurt, but felt a bit dizzy after.

Maybe some fluid moved out of place, or something like that. Or the pressure moved those damn snowflake crystals who can't take a little bending here and there.

Still have the back pain, though. Ain't managing symptoms fun?
 
This is a quality of life hoover and utterly miserable. I only had this appear in the last 8 years or so and have had very severe bouts. I am desperate to get rid of it. I wonder if thyroid is part of the issue. I know that when I bend my head back, it clicks (like neck tmj). I then get a post nasal drip, I swallow and there is a release of pressure. I then stretch the neck both sides. I also get a few seconds of temp relief from hand pressure on top of head. Vision clears up. Then it tends to go back to how it was which is utterly frustrating. Lymph drainage around head and neck will also help stop build up for me and trying to keep the shoulders relaxed by massage as they won't stay relaxed. Cold flannel on base of skull to reduce inflammation.
 
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Sometimes I'll have vertigo and then I go to youtube and look up the Epley Manuever and do it several times, exactly according to instructions (some instructional videos are slightly easier to do, slight variation but all work).

I may have to repeat the Epley Manuever a couple of times but it works on my occasional vertigo, especially post upper respiratory virus.

You can also get this done at a doc's office.
 
3 posts copied or moved from the Long Covid in the media thread

Somehow there are people going on talking about how the BA.2 variant has new symptoms to watch for. Those symptoms? Fatigue and dizziness. Apparently new to some people who, I guess, are new to this. I don't understand how not paying attention is OK in the medical profession but whatever. The whole process seems to simply break down when multiple symptoms are possible, with no plan B.

Just to be clear, dizziness was always a prominent symptom in LC, just one that's been mostly ignored. As for fatigue... ugh. "I have never heard of this" is not the same thing as "this is news to everyone".

 
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I think there are differences between vertigo and dizziness?

Vertigo is when the room spins when turning your head suddenly, particularly first thing in the morning.

Dizziness is a feeling of passing out or light headedness and wobbling which I've never experienced. Could be different issues at play?
 
Mij said:
I think there are differences between vertigo and dizziness?

Vertigo is when the room spins when turning your head suddenly, particularly first thing in the morning.

Dizziness is a feeling of passing out or light headedness and wobbling which I've never experienced. Could be different issues at play?
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I think you're right and that there are a lot of different types of balance disorders and the nomenclature often seems to overlap and lack precision. I have had "Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo" (BPPV) (otolith disease) on several occasions in my 30's and it was initially totally disabling and then took hours to days to gradually clear up. My "dizziness" began with the onset of ME in my 20's, and it was more like "Mal de Debarquement Syndrome" (MdDS), where you feel like you're "wobbling" or tipping back and forth - only, for me, it was 24/7 for almost a decade, even when lying in bed. The otologist thought that this might be due to an impairment of the microcirculation of inner ear, which I can imagine might be related to the recent suggestions of microcirculation impairment in ME. I also had difficulty maintaining the convergence of my eyes, which also seems a probable consequence of vestibular impairment.
 
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I don't know where to post this so I'll post here. A friends wife has been suffering from vertigo (no nausea or sickness) for almost 2 months where she stopped lying down and slept in a chair. She went for an MRI(neck and head) last Saturday and nothing was found. She wasn't given any other information other than they are seeing an increase in vertigo in the last year.
 
I had vertigo for awhile after a fall, and it was hellish. Mine cleared up with the Epley Maneuver got rid of it for me.

The actor Kristen Chenoweth deals with vertigo from Meniere's, which she got after an accident on set. I heard an interview with her on NPR's Fresh Air last year, and she put it well: When it's happening, life stops. This is how she deals with it, according to an article I read:

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To prevent and lessen the severity of Meniere’s episodes, Chenoweth has turned to natural remedies.

Her arsenal includes Tiger Balm, topical medication that provides a cooling effect on aches and pains, but that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Salonpas, an FDA-approved, over-the-counter topical patch; heated pads for her neck; and nasal rinse.

Chenoweth also sleeps on an incline, rarely drinks alcohol, and adheres to a low-sodium diet. High-salt diets, along with caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, can increase fluid retention in the ears and worsen the effects of Meniere’s, according to the Mayo Clinic. The hospital advised consuming less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day for optimal health.

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Before I got an adjustable bed, I used a foam incline on top of the bottom sheet. Various companies sell them. If you're a side sleeper, you might need a small pillow or roll to rest your feet on in order to take any pressure off your back. Good luck! Vertigo doth sucketh.
 
Jumping on this thread to say that on Monday evening I had onset of what feels like it might be BPPV. I was just led in bed watching Masterchef and I sat up or got up to the toilet and had the spinning room sensation. I guess it was more vertigo than dizziness.

I thought I'd just go to sleep and hope it was gone in the morning, but it was still there Tuesday. It's still here now but not quite as bad. I'm not sure whether to try and get a doctor's appointment, or wait it out, given I seem to now be in a crash.

It seems to be triggered by (head) movement, especially getting up from lying or sitting. I'm fine for a couple of seconds and then it builds over say 5–10 seconds then settles after about 20–30 seconds. I guess it just feels like being completely drunk. Can't focus my eyes. That's the best way I can put it.

Does this sound like BPPV?
 
I've tried those positions in the video but tilting my head back 30 degrees made me feel awful.

My eyes shift from side to side but the BPPV caloric test I had done at the hospital noted that I didn't have nystagmus.

When the vertigo starts in the morning I swing my head from one side for 34 seconds until the spinning stops and then to the other side. It usually works. But sometimes it doesn't work and I have to wait it out. It can take a few days to resolve itself. I've been doing this for over 30years. This is how my sudden-viral ME onset started.
 
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