Do you ever get dizzy?

[Bassn Blvd]

My equilibrium is WAY off.  I get super bad vertigo about every 4-5 yrs and I think I'm getting a small dose of it right now.  In the past, it comes on out of no where and requires a trip to the hospital via ambulance.  I'm also usually out of work for about a month.

After MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY doctors and twice as many tests, it was determined that these tiny little crystals in my inner ear get loose and cause MAJOR vertigo.   :'(

Does anyone else have this problem?

[fourbizz]

When I was 11 or 12 my mom had incredibly intense vertigo for 6 months straight. It seemed pretty miserable.

[Stasher1]

My equilibrium is WAY off. I get super bad vertigo about every 4-5 yrs and I think I'm getting a small dose of it right now. In the past, it comes on out of no where and requires a trip to the hospital via ambulance. I'm also usually out of work for about a month.

After MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY doctors and twice as many tests, it was determined that these tiny little crystals in my inner ear get loose and cause MAJOR vertigo. :'(

Does anyone else have this problem?

What you need is a syringe and a bottle of super glue...

[Muddy]

Usually an inner ear problem, maybe a doctor might help more than any of us here

[Uncle Leo]

Yep inner ear infection, I passed out much less after a 5th of Jack, no fun.

[Bassn Blvd]

I know what causes it and it's not an inner ear infection. I was just curious if anyone else suffers from this condition.

In laymen terms- there is a small sack located in your inner ear that contains crystals. The crystals will sometimes escape out of the sack and throw you into a MAJOR VERTIGO TRIP. It's like riding the Tea Cups at the fair while blind folded and stoned but worse.

Anyway, the only non-evasive fix is a simple head tilt maneuver by the ear doctor but it's not permanent. The permanent fix requires surgery which means drilling a whole through the base of your skull to access the sack.

[-HAWK-]

I know what causes it and it's not an inner ear infection. I was just curious if anyone else suffers from this condition.

In laymen terms- there is a small sack located in your inner ear that contains crystals. The crystals will sometimes escape out of the sack and throw you into a MAJOR VERTIGO TRIP. It's like riding the Tea Cups at the fair while blind folded and stoned but worse.

Anyway, the only non-evasive fix is a simple head tilt maneuver by the ear doctor but it's not permanent. The permanent fix requires surgery which means drilling a whole through the base of your skull to access the sack.

OUCH! If it only happens every 4 or 5 years id probably just live with it. Does this ever happen while driving? That could be bad.

[Fishing Rhino]

Yep, it has happened to me, twice seriously and a couple of other minor bouts.

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I was caught in the spin cycle of a washing machine.

An ambulance ride to the hospital.  Several tests showed nothing wrong with my ticker and all blood levels were normal.

Inner ear thing, just as you've described.  Felt drowsy and listless.  Standing made me nauseated.  Gave me some meds for vertigo and sent me home.

First med is Lorazepam.  Place under tongue and let it dissolve.  Causes drowziness.

The second is Meclizine.  A pill that is swallowed.  Also causes drowziness.

The first bout was the worst of the two that sent me to the hospital.  But, it also passed the quicker of the two.

It started in the middle of the night.  Went to the ER about eight a.m.  Came home a couple of hours later, and fell asleep on the couch.

Woke up around two in the afternoon, and felt like a new man.  

The second time, while not as severe, took a couple of days to clear up.

Was a few years between the two "attacks" and has been a few since the last.

[Stasher1]

My father has the same problem from time to time. He's a truck driver, though, so it puts him out of commission until it clears up completely.  

[Uncle Leo]

I know what causes it and it's not an inner ear infection. I was just curious if anyone else suffers from this condition.

In laymen terms- there is a small sack located in your inner ear that contains crystals. The crystals will sometimes escape out of the sack and throw you into a MAJOR VERTIGO TRIP. It's like riding the Tea Cups at the fair while blind folded and stoned but worse.

Anyway, the only non-evasive fix is a simple head tilt maneuver by the ear doctor but it's not permanent. The permanent fix requires surgery which means drilling a whole through the base of your skull to access the sack.

Wow sorry to hear that, hope it works out for you, this does not sound good.

[Bassn Blvd]

Yea, it sucks.

Rhino, I've been told that the episodes usually reoccur every 2-4 years, and get worse with each one. Some people get it every month or sooner and have to make life adjustments.

So far, mine have occurred as I'm in the process of lying down. I get a warm sensation throughout the body, the room starts to spin, I begin to sweat profusely, heart rate drops dramatically and I think I'm dying.

I only passed out once though. The spell last about 10-15 seconds and I feel like hell when it's over. Zero energy. The aftermath lasts a long time.

So far, it hasn't happened while driving. I usually have about 3-5 second warning before all heck breaks loose.

Lol, I sent the doctor who figured out what I had a thank you card and flowers, telling her I was indebted to her for life.  I keep her office phone number on speed dial.

[Fishing Cowgirl]

Yep, happened to me in May. I was hauled to the Hospital with high blood pressure, tingling in the arms, so dizzy I was throwing up. They weren't sure if I was having a heart attack. I was even put through an MRI and all kinds of tests.

I was diagnosed with vertigo and had to go through the tilt therapy to put the crystals in line. They gave me medicine for the nausea and you have zero energy and feel terrible after the vertigo hits you.

[Fishing Rhino]

The crystals, as I understand it are little globes which are at the end of the hairs in the inner ear.

There are three rings at right angles to each other.  The rings are filled with fluid.  Picture the equator of the earth, and then the two longitudinal lines, one that encompasses 0 and 180 degrees, and the second that encompasses 90 and 270 degrees. as your head goes through various gyrations, the fluid in the ear does not move initially, so the hairs with the globe at the top sway one way or another.

The brain picks up the message from this bodily "inertial guidance system" and relays the message to the appropriate muscles to keep us upright, or any other position.

The nerves in the foot also serve to maintain balance.  When they detect a weight shift, we automatically make adjustments in muscle groups to keep from falling over.  

Sight also plays a part in balance.

The nausea in vertigo is caused by mixed messages, where the eyes tell us we are not spinning or falling, while the balance center in the inner ear transmits an entirely different message.

It's why focusing on the horizon can sometimes stave off sea sickness.  The eyes syncronize with the inner ear, and the pressure points of the feet.

You can see the motion of the boat in relation to the horizon, but if you just lie down and stare at some part the boat, your eyes tell you that you are not moving.

Another test which is administered to astronauts is to alter the temp of one of the inner ears.  Different temps in each ear can cause nausea.  The test gives them some idea of how resistant an individual is to motion sickness.

At least that's what a doc told me years ago.

[FishingBuds]

Wow!

I'm dealing with this right now, only its been going on for the last two years, I have about three to four episodes a month. Of course its been hell trying to find out why??

I had two Docs put me on emotional pills, they said I'm dizzy because of anxiety!? Not knowing any better I believed them, man I went thru some hard times.

Finally I went to another(third) Doc and told him that I noticed that My dizziness comes way before I get worked up nerves and its normal to get worked up when you feel like passing out? Duh?

He had a MRI on me two weeks ago and it came back fine, (thank God) so they think its Vertigo.

I checked out some of this vertigo stuff. I have a few things that don't help me. One is my jaw pops all the time and two is my ears itch everyday constantly(the other two Docs said it was allergies in my ears can ya believe it)

so I'm still looking into trying to fix me, Vertigo isn't taken very seriously by others, allot of guys think its a wimp thing and from that they don't understand the issues it causes. It has affected my family, Church Family, Hunting trips, Fishing trips, vacations, my job and simply working out side on choirs.

its hell and I wouldn't want to wish it on my worse enemy. Sometimes you think your going nuts????

[Fishing Rhino]

Wow!

I'm dealing with this right now, only its been going on for the last two years, I have about three to four episodes a month. Of course its been hell trying to find out why??

I had two Docs put me on emotional pills, they said I'm dizzy because of anxiety!? Not knowing any better I believed them, man I went thru some hard times.

Finally I went to another(third) Doc and told him that I noticed that My dizziness comes way before I get worked up nerves and its normal to get worked up when you feel like passing out? Duh?

He had a MRI on me two weeks ago and it came back fine, (thank God) so they think its Vertigo.

I checked out some of this vertigo stuff. I have a few things that don't help me. One is my jaw pops all the time and two is my ears itch everyday constantly(the other two Docs said it was allergies in my ears can ya believe it)

so I'm still looking into trying to fix me, Vertigo isn't taken very seriously by others, allot of guys think its a wimp thing and from that they don't understand the issues it causes. It has affected my family, Church Family, Hunting trips, Fishing trips, vacations, my job and simply working out side on choirs.

its hell and I wouldn't want to wish it on my worse enemy. Sometimes you think your going nuts????

Your jaw pops all the time? Do you mean like it's not quite aligned, and pops back into place?

I'd have that checked. It may very well be related to your other symptoms

I seem to recall reading that misaligned jaws can cause all sorts of problems from headaches. to tinnitus, and other problems commonly associated with the ears.

http://www.migraineheadachepain.com/diagnostic_checklist.html

http://www.itsmn.com/symptoms/

[FishingBuds]

NO it pops just like if you was to pop your knuckles.

Sometimes in past it has popped out of line. The ear icthing thing is horrible also.

Yea I have a long way still to go. My current Doc is working with me on it so far instead of given me a downer, so my next step is a ear, nose doc(what ever you call them)

[.ghoti.]

Bassn, I heard a report on NPR, national public radio, a couple of months ago about this particular problem.

The report included interviews with two doctors who were successfully treating this condition with exercises designed to re-align the stones.

A search of the NPR.org site should show you something, and maybe a place to go or call.

[SirSnookalot]

Doug, hope you're feeling better.

[Bassn Blvd]

Thank you Ghoti, I will look it up.

Sir Snook, I'm feeling a little better.  Thanks for asking and I'll see you on the water in 11 more days.

[SirSnookalot]

Deal!

I'm looking forward to late next month, maybe an early fall mullet run, high surf, big wind and lots of bluefish.