BPPV Vertigo and Pernicious Anaemia

[DBHolland]

I keep reading in the posts about Vertigo. My question is does Benign Proximal Positional Vertigo BPPV have a connection to pernicious anaemia and Vit B12 deficiency? I have had bouts of it for the past 20 years and always thought it was due to a virus.

[Nackapan]

I'd never had vertigo before I collzozed then had my first ever vertigo attack. This led to blood tests as I was getting very ill. Other symptoms in hindsight were ignored as b12 wasnt tested indeed nothing was when I went twice of not going to the gp for 7 years

Other symptoms that were put down to age stress and the menopause I had were; clumsiness

Trouble with varifocals /prescription of spectacles

Falling over

Paranoia

Fatigue

A few headaches (not bad but new)

Constipation

Forgetfulness

Then really worried as I forgot where my plates were kept.

So if you are concerned get s b12 blood test done to see your level??

I imagine other symptoms woujd be present too.

Virtigo had many causes . Low b12 one oc them.

Meniers another

ENT worth a visit if your b12 runs out tto be okay.

[DBHolland in reply to Nackapan]

Hi there x thanks so much for your reply - yes I have had Pernicious Anaemia since my 30's and I get dizzy when I am low - its always how I know I need another injection. But the BPPV vertigo was something seperate or so I thought. After reading your reply I will keep an eye on it and even ask the doctor. Sorry yours went untreated for so long xxx

[Nackapan in reply to DBHolland]

Oh okay. I was told my vertigo was BPPV but I thought the doctor wrong at the time but an Epley manpuvre did improve matters greatly. So who knows??My mum has meniers and BPPV her attacks are longer and she vomits.

I was offered an antiemetic drug but I wasnt sick so didnt take it.

I wonder if mine was low b12 only.

I also start to lose balance if Injection needed.

I've not got a PA diagnosis . I di need b12 injections every 6th day. I'm a newbie compared to you I think.

Just over 2 years in.

I found it a mistake trying to go longer between injections as instructed.

Only ever got to a 3 week apart few times. I've a strong will but as nothing elses found wrong and on no other medication to 'muddy the waters ' I've stepped up to this regime since April as got by own supplies .

So I wonder if it's all part of PA for you ??

[DBHolland in reply to Nackapan]

Hi x yes I know the Epley Manoeuvre it always works for me. if it worked for you then you did have BPPV ( Labyrinthitis ). Its a conclusive test. If you are new to PA then maybe over time you can build up the B12 in your system and go longer between injections. I hope so. I can go longer now than in the past years. Well done you for being so pro active.

[Frank77]

I think it does. I have had PA for over 2 years, but no vertigo until one awful morning about 3 months ago when i my head started spinning when i was still in bed. When i tried to get up I collapsed on the floor. Then spent hours throwing up into a bucket. When i finally saw a neurologist he diagnosed BPPV. No mention of B12 or what exactly triggered this episode. But i have thought since then that there is a link, and there is some literature out there to back that up.

[Narwhal10 in reply to Frank77]

Hi Frank, Sorry to hear you have BPPV, it is horrible. I have vertigo too. My NHS GP wasn’t bothered when I told him. Last week, out of desperation, I saw a private GP, they knew, they didn’t even have to ask. I did a follow my finger - oh you have nystagmus- eye tremors. Why weren’t you referred to neurology before ? 🤷‍♀️

[DBHolland in reply to Narwhal10]

Yes the Nystagmus eye tremors are the way of accurately diagnosing BPPV. The Epley Manoeuvre once learned can remove the crystals from the ear canals. But needs to be done with caution as I recommended it to someone and they went from dizzy to vomiting and fainting because they did it wrong : / whoops! That said the E manoeuvre has always worked for me.

[Narwhal10 in reply to DBHolland]

I am really glad it worked for you. I’ll see what the neurologist and MRI says just as I get trigeminal nerve pain, cluster headaches and when I do stand my tremors and gait are awful. 🤷‍♀️😊

[DBHolland in reply to Narwhal10]

Yes that is something else entirely x

[Narwhal10 in reply to DBHolland]

Hey DB,It’s a big, ‘I don’t know on my part’ and I’m always open to learning from others. If it is BPPV and the Epley can be done then that would be brilliant. But can vertigo occur due to demyelination ? In which case does relocating crystals help ? Clueless. 😊 x

[DBHolland in reply to Narwhal10]

I am sure dizziness can be caused by demyelination but the Epley Manoeuvre is a series of movements that removes the crystals out of the Labyrinth of the Ear canals. It would have no effect if it was demyelination. BUT if you had Nystagmus then that is evidence of the crystals in the labyrinth. So maybe you have both? Only a specialist is qualified to determine this. Good luck in finding your answers. Yes we all need to be open minded as we learn to understand out own bodies and not give the doctors free rein when WE are the best experts of our own selves.

[Frank77 in reply to Narwhal10]

Hello Narwhal. Well I have never been referred by any GP to any specialist as such. My experience with all GPs has been negative - most know nothing about B12. But I have 'referred' myself to a number of private specialists I thought might be able to help, including cardiologists (I have chest pain symptoms which I think are caused by B12d), two neurologists, two gastro doctors etc. Have had very mixed success with these people too, I'm afraid. The first neurologist I saw here in Moscow ( I spend most of my time between Russia and my home in Ireland) told me to keep quiet when I explained my suspicions about B12d. He said that HE was the doctor and HE would tell me what was wrong, and not the other way round. At this point I got up and walked out. This type was a typical product of the Stalinist school that is so prevalent here. But the other 'specialists' have not been much better, and I have learned absolutely nothing about PA from any of them. My salvation has been this site. It has taught me an enormous amount in the two years or so I have suffered from PA symptoms. As for the BPPV: the second neurologist did at least tell me that it is far from clear what causes it, but that I should be careful moving my head too violently in a lateral or vertical direction. So never to turn over too quickly in bed, or get up from a chair too quickly for example. He also recommend the Epley manoeuvre, in fact did one for me during the consultation. I have not performed one myself since then (three months ago) but have not (yet) had another attack. In my case I could not walk for several days after my BPPV episode. Now I am more or less back to normal though I still have minor balance problems. These may of course simply be 'normal' B12d symptoms, and not related to the BPPV - quite hard to tell.

[Narwhal10 in reply to Frank77]

Hi Frank,Thanks for replying. That’s good that you referred yourself.

I’m so sorry about your experiences and good you walked out. Personally, I think I would have stayed to listen whilst laughing in my head at their idiocy. Books, PA society and here the most knowledgeable. Good to know you are more or less back to normal.

[DBHolland in reply to Frank77]

Hi Frank it certainly sounds like it doesn't it. I never make the connection before. My first attack like yours came on suddenly and was very violent - I was laid up in bed for a week. I did have an ear infection which I thought caused it. Since then I have have had more attacks so I think once you have had Labyrinthitis BPPV then you are then predisposed to more attacks ( caused by crystals floating in the Labyrinth of the ear canal). Maybe Pernicious Anaemia is the root cause of the crystal formations I don't know. I will start to look into it from now on. My Grandmother had PA she was a bit of a hypochondriac always moaning about her health and getting "dizzy spells" which we as children used to joke about. It seems now she is vindicated and really was suffering x thanks for the input xxx

[Frank77 in reply to DBHolland]

Hello DPHolland. That is most interesting. Thanks for sharing it. I have given a fuller account above (in my answer to Narwhal) of my own experience with BPPV so I won't repeat it all here. But the possibility that B12d and BPPV are related is certainly a possibility, though I think a lot more research is needed in this area.

[Ctadds1]

This post is old but I just posted a similar thing a few minutes ago. I definitely think there is a connection and I am wonder what you have learned over the past few years. I am low b12 and also believe I suffer from BPPv