Dizziness

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jun 15, 2005

Hi guys...I know that you all can't diagnose me over the internet but I just wanted to see if the following symptoms ring a bell to any of you.
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I get dizzy spells everyso often. Not when I do anything inparticular, I could be walking down the hallway, sitting down or once I was in a shop and slowly looked up to see if they had the right size. After about 30 secs it goes away. Should I mention it to my doc? By the way this has just started happening in the past 2 - 3 months.

I started getting dizzy spells about a year ago while in jury duty (not fun). I called the first one my "big vertigo event" because it was full on vertigo, n/v, and I was listing heavily to the right. I thought that I must be having a stroke. It took several hours to go away. Ever since then, I have been getting small versions of the vertigo-sometimes lasting 10-30 seconds, sometimes lasting several minutes. I keep meclizine in my purse and it is a lifesaver.

My condition is called Benign Positional Vertigo. Sometimes it can be brought on with the slightlest movements. For me, it is when I look downwards and to the left, or if I spin around to look at the clock on the wall. There is a simple procedure that you can do at home to prevent future attacks. Before I did the procedure my attacks lasted hours, since the procedure they come less frequently and are very short in duration (like I said, sometimes 10 seeconds or less).

Here is a good website for how to do the procedure (our neurologist recommended it to me...)

http://www-surgery.ucsd.edu/ent/PatientInfo/info_bppv.html

One more thing, if you do in fact have BPV, this procedure won't be fun. Basically, you are trying to cause the vertigo. However, if you can stop this or prevent further attacks, it is worth it.

MIA-RN1, RN · Jun 15, 2005

Hi guys...I know that you all can't diagnose me over the internet but I just wanted to see if the following symptoms ring a bell to any of you.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
I get dizzy spells everyso often. Not when I do anything inparticular, I could be walking down the hallway, sitting down or once I was in a shop and slowly looked up to see if they had the right size. After about 30 secs it goes away. Should I mention it to my doc? By the way this has just started happening in the past 2 - 3 months.

I had labrynthitis and it was like that. One BIG episode and then diminishing episodes after that. Now its a once in a while thing and i have to remember to turn slowly and not get up fast. I would call the doc. It could be a simple ear infection.

Andi33 · Jun 15, 2005

I started getting dizzy spells about a year ago while in jury duty (not fun). I called the first one my "big vertigo event" because it was full on vertigo, n/v, and I was listing heavily to the right. I thought that I must be having a stroke. It took several hours to go away. Ever since then, I have been getting small versions of the vertigo-sometimes lasting 10-30 seconds, sometimes lasting several minutes. I keep meclizine in my purse and it is a lifesaver.
My condition is called Benign Positional Vertigo. Sometimes it can be brought on with the slightlest movements. For me, it is when I look downwards and to the left, or if I spin around to look at the clock on the wall. There is a simple procedure that you can do at home to prevent future attacks. Before I did the procedure my attacks lasted hours, since the procedure they come less frequently and are very short in duration (like I said, sometimes 10 seeconds or less).
Here is a good website for how to do the procedure (our neurologist recommended it to me...)
http://www-surgery.ucsd.edu/ent/PatientInfo/info_bppv.html
One more thing, if you do in fact have BPV, this procedure won't be fun. Basically, you are trying to cause the vertigo. However, if you can stop this or prevent further attacks, it is worth it.

Thanks for the tip about the website! I have suffered with vertigo most of my adult life and though I haven't been diagnosed with BPV, I'm sure that's my problem. I Have spent many nights (or days) in bed, unable to move my head from one side to the other because the spinning will start again. I'll try this treatment during my next bout. Have you had this while driving? I have and it's scary as hell! Fortunately though, I'm usually safe at home when it comes on! :)