Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and Tinnitus

I visited a famous Finnish T doctor yesterday. She has written her PhD thesis about somatic T and trigger point injections. Here's a link to her thesis and a video of the injection method. The first thing she examined was if I had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). (I most likely don't) She told me that this is the best and easiest way she has been able to help her T patients. BPPV can be cured with simple rotation movements of the body. More info about BPPV for example here.

I searched for BPPV here in the forums and there didn't seem to be discussions about this. I wonder if any of you have exeperience with T and BPPV? Maybe this is also a simple method to try for many of us and especially those who have vertigo symptoms.

 

Some more info about this. The doctor said that often people with BPPV don't actually experience any vertigo, but it can cause a lot of muscle strain all over the head, neck and upper body, which is then hard to treat. If BPPV is cured, the muscle strain will start to reduce naturally. So BPPV can be linked to various muscle disorders like trigger points, which can cause somatic T.

 

I had an attack of this. An ENT consultant I saw didn't seem to link it to tinnitus at all and hold me it 'usually goes away on its own'. Not at all helpful, what is it withENTs?! However there is a GP at my local surgery who can carry out the rotational movements you mention to alleviate it.

 

@tychobrae, you can very easily do the rotation exercises yourself at home. You can find the manouver instructions pretty easily online.

 

Thanks, I'll have a look

 

It's really great that your are addressing this condition.
Ive been talking to 3 people that has been diagnosed BPPV. One of them had T as well.

However, Im reading so much fuzz about somatic T.

I found this theory quite interesting though:

Dr. Robert Aaron Levine's Tinnitus...

 

^ yes, that theory about DCN makes sense. It's also backed up by studies like using TENS machine to C2 in neck, which is discussed in another thread here. TENS (electricity) supresses T for some patients 100%.

 

Hi all, I have suffered from BPPV off and on for the last 15 years, it usually has a cycle of every 5 to 6 months.

My doctor diagnosed me with it originally just by looking at my pupils, (which were quickly darting back and forth, the most telling sign that you have it!).

Back then all my doctor could or would do, was to prescribe drugs for the nausea, it wasn't until about a year ago when I come down with a real bad case that literally crippled me that I sought more medical advise and was prescribed THE EPLEY MANOEUVRE which was shown to me by a physiotherapist, done properly with the proper resting period BPPV should not return, (which would have been nice to know 15 years ago).

I have not been troubled since.

Rich

 

I should add that the main reason I developed BPPV was because of my dependence on ear plugs and the over use of them, not letting my ears breathe properly!, nothing to do with my tinnitus at all? which could be debatable I suppose!
lol

Rich

 

I have understood that there are several different manouvers which are used depending where small particles are located in the cochlea tubes (?) in the ear. I was given two sets of manouver instructions called Rahko and Lempert manouvers. Google has info and videos on both of these.

 

Never heard of those but because I have not been troubled since doing the EPLEY I suppose whatever works for the individual?

Rich

 

I have Meniere's which is now under control but the early years were devastating. IMO it is far worse than tinnitus because you are effectively disabled. The early treatment also consisted of anti-emetics and vasodilators which were basically useless. When I heard about reducing salt content I did that with a passion and whether this was what helped me the most or burnout in my bad ear something happened and the intensity and frequency of my dizziness attacks subsided. The vertigo itself took maybe 7 or 8 years to go away but I still have days where my balance is shot.

 

Yeah, Ill read up a bit on TENS

From my understanding, this theory might also explain why people with anxiety and GABA deficiency would be more likely to develop tinnitus. From what I have read, stress also depletes the body from this inhibitory transmitter.

My T does react to stress and/or anxiety for sure.

Some info about GABA: http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/GABA.html

 

Yep. I've been meaning to try Gaba / Picamilion etc but for example GABA is not sold anymore in Finland because it is considered to be a drug...

 

Could be worth a try

 

It's been two weeks plus since my tinnitus started and I did have BBPV from the get-go. The vertigo was so extreme that they couldn't administer the rotation movements until after two days of being on Meclizine. On the 3rd day, they rotated my head and did balance exercises. I was only to sleep on a 45 degree angle for the next two days and after a week, my vertigo and BBPV was gone.

My tinnitus is still being determined as to the cause, mostly it's because of hearing loss/inner ear damage. Not sure what other type of experience you were looking for...

 

I feel I should add something here even though it's an old thread...

If you have slight attacks of vertigo/dizziness/light-headiness (small duration, can be replicated by moving the head at certain position) you may not have BBPV or anything like that.
Check yourself for what I can only translate as 'vestibular migraine' (I'm Greek, don't really know the English term ).
It's basically some sort of migraine which causes tinnitus or balance problems instead of head pain / headaches. Flunarizine (a calcium blocker) is usually prescribed and it could resolve both the tinnitus and the vertigo.

 

Hi I've got T plus allergies ( rhinitis) and swaying / rocking balance all running together daily,the headaches are the pits,paracetamol no good,but I went onto Migraleve,and the difference to headache much improved on them,I think maybe some of us with T may just suffer from some sort of Migraine,same us with the balance issue.
Why some of us get,balance and allergies ? And others don't ?
I've tried exercises for balance,tabs but nothing's helped.I'm out of ideas,I like how UNDECIDED put it.
Will read up on calcium blocker.Thanks for that

 

Marlene... rotational, constant, persisting vertigo is a different matter.

However, giving a flunarizine based drug a try (e.g Sibelium) won't hurt unless you have some sub-clinical or actual depression issues (in that case, don't even go near the stuff).
Anyway, an ENT I trust prescribed them, it worked for me, therefore I thought I might share.

 

Thanks again for that info forewarned is forearmed.Im lucky in I've ( touch wood ) never had depression,never would care for that to visit either.
I do get the tad of anxiety,but it's an early morning thing,but not every day,I've learned to let it pass and I know it's not harmful,so the brain can go take a running jump.Ha !
I'm dubious of meds,but it's so good when others as yourself bring this to the fore,helps in preventing us even more troubles ,as if we've not got enough.
One good soul helping another Undecided

 

The evaluation of tinnitus and auditory brainstem response in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo accompanied by tinnitus

Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate auditory brainstem response (ABR) in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) accompanied by tinnitus and to suggest possible interpretative hypotheses.

Methods
Ninety individuals were included in the study. Individuals were separated into three groups: patients reporting tinnitus with BPPV (Group I), patients with BPPV (Group II), and a control group. The ABR test was applied at a low and at a high rate.

Results
For patients reporting tinnitus with BPPV, tinnitus was found to be localized in the ear affected by BPPV. Tinnitus disappeared after therapeutic interventions in 23 individuals with tinnitus. The difference between the Wave V  latency at high rate and Wave V  latency at a low rate in the affected ears of all individuals with BPPV (Groups I and II) was significantly long. In the affected ears of all BPPV patients, at a high rate of ABR, the absolute latency of the Wave III was found to be significantly longer than for the control group.

Conclusions
Individuals with BPPV showed prolonged latencies in affected ears in a high rate of ABR without the effect of tinnitus. High rate of ABR in individuals with BPPV can be used to obtain preliminary information in cases where ischemia in the auditory pathways is suspected in BPPV formation.

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00405-020-06413-w