Woke up this morning with vertigo

[NQAS]

I didn’t know it was vertigo. All I knew is that the world was spinning around me. Ordinarily, this would be fine as I’m pretty much convinced that the world revolves around me. But it was in fact pretty scary. I didn’t know it was vertigo. I didn’t think about vertigo. If asked, I would’ve said that vertigo was the title of a movie, and that was the extent of my knowledge of the word or condition. I just thought I was having a stroke.

Call 911 for the first time in my life.

They came and told me I didn’t have a stroke, that I probably had vertigo, and then my wife drove me to the hospital while I lay down the backseat, feeling like a kidnap victim. By the way, it’s really hard to keep track of left turns and right turns as characters in books and movies seem to be able to do. Got to see an excellent ER doctor who told me I was having vertigo, prescribed some medication, and I spent the rest of the morning morning, groaning, and feeling sorry for myself, and sleeping, until I was OK enough to go home about four hours later.

This was not my idea of a good start to the day, and it reinforced my absolute conviction that getting old really sucks.

[Irish_Dem]

1. By any chance did you recently have a Covid vaccination?

I developed vertigo after my second Moderna shot. It last about two weeks and then gradually decreased.

[NQAS]

2. Two months ago

Don’t think there’s a connection.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes, it was too long ago for there to be a connection.

I was just curious.

[Binkie The Clown]

3. Many yers ago I had vertigo that lasted for several days.

I had to keep on hand on the wall of the hallways at work to keep from falling down. Turned out to be an inner ear infection.

[sdfernando]

4. I get these attacks as well

You might want to see an ENT and have your hearing checked and monitored going forward. My vertigo attacks seem to track with my hearing difficulties. Usually they last about 1/2 hour or so. I generally lay down and close my eyes, even try to sleep a bit while they pass.

Not very often I have had a bad attack that causes nausea and in 1 case it was bad enough to make me hurl.

[appalachiablue]

6. I had a vy slight touch, don't know if stress

related; seems to have passed. An uncomfortable experience for sure.

I hope things stay calm & all the best.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo

[dweller]

7. Have you suffered a blow to the head recently ?

Google BPPV is so, it is a form of vertigo
I had this several years ago, freaked the hell out of me
Cleared up over a few weeks on its on but also can be treated
Benign Proximal Positional Vertigo

✌🏻

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. Yeah, I got it after a fall

I didn't hit my head, but I'm sure I gave my noggin a good sloshing around. For a few weeks I would be laying in bed and suddenly feel like I was going to fall out. Such a strange sensation.

[dweller]

24. BPPV

caused by a crystal falling onto the cilia in your inner ear disrupting your sense of positioning in space ...
I was hit in the head by a large sauce pot from a shelf above, about 3 1/2’ fall,
I saw stars and was almost off my feet dizzy ... just a bruise I thought no blood etc ... several days later turned over in bed with my eyes closed and felt I was spinning across the bed fast and off the bed and opened my eyes with my hands up thinking I was going to slam into the wall ... it I was just lying on my other side I the same place I turned over ...
ltr in the shower bent to wash my feet with my eyes closed and now I was somersaulting in space over and over til I opened my eyes, and I’m just standing there getting wet ... happened again drying my hair when I bent forward, EYES CLOSED and realized if I keep my eyes open, no problems ... it went on for a few weeks and went away. I had one more short episode a few months later, and it resolved itself
You can get PT for it where they manipulate your head to coax the crystal from where it’s stuck
But yeh, it’s surreal, like tripping 😱

✌🏻

[Lars39]

8. There are exercises a physical therapist can do or show you if

the dizziness or vertigo is caused by the crystals in your ear(s) being in the wrong place.
A doctor might need to diagnose which side is affected.

[Fla Dem]

9. Getting old (I don't think) has nothing to do with it.

The almost exact same thing happened to me almost 40 years ago. Was living alone. Woke up and when I went to sit up it was like I was slammed back on the bed. The room absolutely spun around me. I flung both my arms out to my sides because I thought I was going to go flying off the bed. Like you my immediate thought was a stroke.

Have had recurring episodes ever since. Can go years without an attack, and then wake up with the room spinning again. Only had one episode though that was as debilitating as the first one.

Went to one Dr that gave me a pamphlet with head movements you can do to reposition calcium particle in your ear which could be a cause of the vertigo. When I get an attack that is particularly nasty, the movements generally help.

Good luck. You learn to live with it.

[appalachiablue]

13. I experienced this yrs back #6. And I

thought sleep paralysis was bad which it is, sigh. But things could be worse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

[jmbar2]

10. Try the Eppley maneuver

You need to do it regularly. it works. Good luck.

[Croney]

14. Absolutely. Watch as many variations of this as you can find.

I have BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) and was shown the Epley maneuver many years ago in the ER.

It really works. Just knowing that it works can prevent the panic attack that can happen with the vertigo. I haven't had an episode in ten years, knock on wood.

[jmbar2]

16. So true!

Knowing that you can do something about it makes it so much less frightening.

[Fla Dem]

19. Thanks for this video. Explains how these movements work very well.

Have had BPPV for a long time (see post #9) and have just had a pamphlet that diagramed the movements. Wish I had seen this years ago.

[jmbar2]

25. Your welcome

I've struggled with it for years. It always helps to see a demo.

[Trueblue Texan]

12. There are different causes of vertigo...

There are even different causes for positional vertigo. If you've jerked your head fast like when you're waking up to see the clock in the morning and you can't believe the time so you do a double take, you could have dislodged the crystals in your inner ear canals. That kind of vertigo can be corrected by a physical or occupational therapist. You could also have positional vertigo that tinkers with the inner ear and kicks into gear when you turn your head a particular direction when reclined. That's the kind I have and it's usually aggravated by allergies. I get it every spring but I have some strategies to deal with it and prevent it--mostly.

The first time I had vertigo was about 8 years ago and it was the worst physical experience I've ever had--and I've been through chemo therapy so I know a thing or two about bad physical experiences. I couldn't move without violently puking. I had 2 episodes of this which lasted about 4 days and didn't fully go away for more than 3 months and was always teasing around the edges of my movements for over a year. For over a year I did not lie down at all. Now I sleep on an adjustable bed and if vertigo begins to threaten, I do not turn my head to the right when I am reclining. If vertigo has been at bay for some months, I will get relief for my left side and turn to the right but if I get that spinning feeling, which actually wakes me up, I very carefully move my body so that my head is neutral and not leaned to the right. I have studied everything I can about it but have never gone to an ENT. I know dehydration can cause vertigo because it makes the crystals come out of the solution they float in the ear canals. So stay hydrated, eat well, and cut down on salt. Using Flonase religiously keeps it at bay most of the year for me.

Man, vertigo is a real bummer. Good luck.

[Hoyt]

15. Used to get it when I tuned over quickly. It is definitely disorienting.

The maneuver posted above is what docs often do.

[Snarkoleptic]

17. The only time I had vertigo was when I was experimenting with melatonin as a sleep aid.

If you are taking melatonin, maybe try backing that down a bit.
Best advice is to see a doc!

[NQAS]

18. Thanks

No melatonin, no blows to the head, no rapid head movements. Just happened.

I’ll see an ENT and have that maneuver handy if it happens again.

Gotta tell you, not knowing what it was was frightening.

[Lars39]

22. You really need to know which ear is affected, though,

before you do the maneuvers or you could accidentally make the vertigo worse.

[Bev54]

20. You don't have to be old to get vertigo

I had it in my early 40's, woke up and everything was bouncing up and down, not spinning.

[frogmarch]

21. I get it 2-3 times a year

The first time I became violently ill - vomiting, flopping all over while trying to stand - and my husband took me to the ER, where I was promptly diagnosed and given intravenous meclizine, with meclizine pills to take as needed when I went home. Now I buy OTC meclizine or Dramamine.

My vertigo is related to wax buildup in one or both ears.

[wnylib]

26. This has happened to me 3 times.

The first time I was 28, so not related to aging. Lasted a couple days, then went away.

After the 3rd time, I made a connection to eating honey. I did not eat honey often, but the night before the first bout with vertigo, I had made a big batch of granola with lots of honey

Second and third times occured the morning after eating baklava at a Greek church summer festival.

I have a lot of allergies and some of them cause the interior area of my ears to swell up a bit. I finally realized that I could add honey to my allergies list. It took inner ear swelling to a new level with me, throwing me literally off balance.

Small amounts, as in honey nut cereal are ok. But pastry soaked and dripping in honey is off limits now. Have not had another bout of vertigo since discovering the honey connection.

My guess is that your vertigo is an inner ear problem.

[ironflange]

27. I've experienced it a few times

Its very disconcerting. I've gone down twice, one time I was just walking around minding my own business when I just suddenly went down like a sack of potatoes. I ratched my knee and punched a hole in the wall with my skull, and I'm lucky I didn't hit a stud. Thanks for posting that youtube vid, I'll try that if and when it happens again.