Off balance and constant feeling of nausea

[Twitchen]

Feeling so down.

It started four months ago, I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, which I do every night, and just fell backwards onto the bed with everything spinning. I honestly thought I was having a stroke, absolutely terrifying. Following that I haven't felt completely well and have had some really bad days just feeling completely unstable and constantly nauseous. Recently had a couple more night time incidents of the falling back sensation - always worse at night - and for the past couple of weeks have felt terrible. Haven't been able to go to work and just don't feel confident enough to drive. Every night I am awake a few times feeling sick and quite often having to go to the bathroom for BM's.

I have been told to do Brandt Daroff exercises for a couple of weeks, which should sort out the problem as Dr thinks it is BPPV, albeit no sign of nystagmus . I am finding that the exercises make me feel even more unwell and really struggling with them. I can only manage twice a day, think three times would finish me off. Has anyone else had something similar that these exercises have helped with?

I haven't been able to go for a walk or even leave home for a couple of weeks now.

This horrible thing is ruining my life. Will it ever go away?

[Batty1]

Sorry your feeling unwell right now …. I have lived my whole life with vertigo attacks from Meineres Disease and I also get them from optical migraines your eyes flicker back and forth.. sucks! Anyway if your exercises don’t seem to be helping much you could try when your lying down or sitting still to keep your head completely still as you stare at a non moving object during a dizzy spell your eyes will flicker but don’t allow your head to follow I promise eventually your vertigo will subside (takes a while) to practice this.

I know this is annoying when people say this but stress will make vertigo worse and sadly when your always emotionally prepped for a vertigo attack its hard to not be stressed…. Don’t do ANY fast head movements as this too can bring on vertigo attacks….. Try a Vitamin B complex like (Super B- Complex … by Ingennus) cheap on Amazon.

[Twitchen in reply to Batty1]

Thank you for replying and sorry to hear that you have suffered with vertigo attacks for so long.

I felt so ill all of last night I just didn't know what to do with myself. Apart from the constant nausea, I had the most incredible pain in my neck and the back of my head and I am sure this has been caused by the Brandt Daroff exercises, so I haven't done any today. I am so desperate to stop feeling sick that I have started taking Stemetil tablets, even though I had hoped to avoid them. Do you take these, as I believe they are primarily for Meineres Disease?

[Batty1 in reply to Twitchen]

I stopped all medication for my Meineres disease moons ago they just don’t work and if you have pains in your neck and back of head believe it or not this could cause vertigo this is how my vertigo attacks start ….. Im not bothered by nausea I do the staring at and object Im 100% certain doesn’t move and everything subsides, this takes patients and practice ….. Your brain is telling your body it’s moving when actually its not … vertigo!

[Twitchen in reply to Batty1]

I know that I have some nerve pinching on the righthand side of my neck - think they said cervical spine - and it seems to have been made far worse by doing the repetitions of Brandt Daroff. I know the Dr said these exercises can make you feel worse initially, but he didn't say that would be 24/7. I have hardly eaten anything for three days as I just can't face it. We have decided not to bother with cooking a Christmas dinner. When I am up I don't get spinning, just a feeling of being off balance, but the nausea has been unrelenting for days now.

[Batty1 in reply to Twitchen]

Have you taken any tylenol and try the B complex

[Twitchen in reply to Batty1]

If that is the same as paracetamol, then yes I have. I also take ibuprofen and ave tried aspirin, but none help much. Is vitamin B really helpful? Perhaps I will give it a try.

[Batty1 in reply to Twitchen]

Yes B12 complex can be helpful

[Don1245]

Hi I am not sure if this will help. I had the same experience last year. I was terrified. I thought I would never live a normal life, it was so scary. I got to the doctor eventually, the first one suggested the same exercises as you have tried, it made it worse. Got to a second doctor who diagnosed ear infection, vertigo etc, gave me Pro Calm for the vertigo antibiotics for the ear infection and a nasal ointment Bactroban. This combined treatment helped, I only neede Pro Calm a few times. I have found cold windy weather or draughts make my ear throat swell up, this seems to be a trigger. I know how terrible this is, maybe ask your doctor to check for ear throat infection, and all the best.