vertigo

[whit]

2 days ago i woke up about 3 in the morning with my head spinning, i tried getting out of bed and fell on the floor, i managed to get to the bathroom bumping into walls on the way , i wanted to be sick but couldn't, head spinning and generally feeling awful , i stuck this out for a couple of hours getting worse ,my wife phoned an ambulance, long story short they said i had a vertigo attack, kept me in for the day and gave me an injection and pills which have helped,( i always thought vertigo was a fear of heights ),now i know better, does any one know is this going to happen all the time or is it a one off thing , i have enough problems with my c o p d thanks for listening to my moan.

[Titian8]

Hi whit,

You have just described the exact same symptoms I once experienced.

The spinning, nausea, bumping into walls as if drunk plus had projectile vomiting.

I had just returned from a holiday abroad and a 4 hour flight and thought I must have caught something really bad, although it did come on within hours on return and still think it may have occurred due to that flight. Doctor at first thought it was Labyrinthitis but it wasnt.

I was off work for months as couldn't turn my head without the spinning feeling so couldn't drive etc. Long story short after out patient appointment the consultant advised had a type of vertigo called BPPV (look it up as sounds same as your symptoms). Reason is small crystals that break loose in the canals of inner ear and touch nerve endings inside. This was diagnosed very quickly from looking at eyes as there is abnormal jerky moments when lying down and head to the side. He immediately performed something called the Epley manoeuvre (you can see it on You Tube) which only takes minutes and amazingly the condition vanished there and then and has never returned thank goodness. Like you I always thought vertigo is a fear of heights which I don't have. It took minutes to remedy after months never being able to turn head or lying in bed and feeling like I was on a waltzer! Hope you feel better soon as if you do have BPPV the cure is instant. Best wishes.

[Hidden]

I would get your ears checked. If this is a one off you may have had a virus passing through which dislodged the carbon in your ear. This in turn jiggles the 3 tiny bones in your ear and makes you dizzy. I have had a lifetime of this. I take stugeron as soon as it happens and do epleys manoevre which you can find on you tube. It's horrible. I hope it clears up soon.

[Hidden]

Some people have vertigo for a brief period like yours and then don't experience it again for several years.

I have a friend with severe COPD who has vertigo problems, every few months and they can last 3 - 7 days. Vertigo doesn't discriminate between wellness or illness, but there are certain things which may trigger it.

With vertigo you should lie still and become aware of the head position you can manage without the room spinning. It becomes difficult when you have to go to the bathroom eat and drink, but experiencing it regularly you get to know what triggers the spin more and how to move in a certain way to manage things.

If you've not seen your doc since, maybe you should arrange for an appointment to discuss things;

nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an...

Hopefully you may just have had a one off experience.

[whit in reply to Hidden]

thanks

[Johnsel]

Hello Whit this happened to me a few years ago and it was very frightening. Never had one since, so hopefully you won’t. Carole

[whit in reply to Johnsel]

Thanks, i certainly hope i never have it again.