Vertigo

I just had an episode of vertigo driving home. I turned my head to check a side mirror and all of a sudden it hit. It was quite severe when I turned my head, but kind of bearable keeping my head straight ahead. So, eventually I managed to get home which was close by. Had bad nausea, shaking and sweating.

The really concerning thing is, just a few minutes after it started, this ultra high frequency ringing started in my right ear (my usually quieter tinnitus ear but the one that I always get tensor tympani cramping). Over an hour I suppose it slowly got worse and then I think levelled out. I can still hear it.

I had never experienced tinnitus quite this high frequency before. The doctor I just saw thought it could be BVPP, which I did have last year twice (once after an MRI), but never with sudden onset unilateral change in tinnitus. She gave me some Betaserc which has helped before.

I’m just trying to think of why it happened and praying it’s not permanent. I’ve had a head cold this week but got past the worst of it on Monday and am pretty much ok now. My Tensor Tympani was somewhat cramped for most of today too, but nothing extraordinary.

Also I’m driving an older car this week, as mine is being repaired and this car vibrates like crazy. Could an otolith be knocked out so easily? I had musician earplugs in.

I have been getting to a good place recently with my tinnitus and hyperacusis. Although my Tensor Tympani cramping has been very erratic lately, happening daily almost. Even when it’s not cramped it makes ultra low hum that is synced with my pulse, which rarely annoy me anymore.

Bit worried really.

 

Hi @Gman, I get the same thing on occasions and it is usually either related to migraine or virus. I too have had it when driving and had to pull over - this was in North London and I made it to a residential street. Had the sweats and the shaking and the nausea, also.

I have also had it where I couldn't make it from my bathroom to my bedroom (about 2 metres) and where I have had to crawl along a corridor at my brother's house to make it to a bed to lie down. Was horrific, so I know what you have been through.

With regards to tinnitus, I get the ultra high frequency sometimes as a result of this. It usually takes a while to settle, but it always does settle.

Hang in there, brother!

 

@Elfin, how long did it take to settle the first time? Also did you take any Betahistine or anything to help?

 

I have never taken anything for it, only Ibuprofen or Paracetamol if I suspect a migraine is coming on.

Sometimes it has resolved in 5-15 minutes (usually the case); the time at my brother's was around 45 minutes - the vertigo, that is.

Tinnitus wise, usually within a day or so, but it gradually lessens.

 

Well I can say that Betahistine has helped with the vertigo. I did some BPPV manoeuvres too for good measure.

Still have the ringing but it might just be a little less intense. It seems reactive or just really high frequency so not much masks it and rides above most noise. It has cut out momentarily a few times. So not sure what’s going on, but I think it’s either a virus or my neck (cervical spondylosis and partial Chiari) as it isn’t feeling great today.

Still I just hope it’s not from the cold virus getting into my ear, as I’m not familiar with that and what could happen long term.

My insane Tensor Tympani cramping is not happening at all though, but I’d rather have that than this new ringing.

This another of many random bad luck things I just have to endure and try to be positive. I can’t seem to get back to relative normalcy.

 

@Gman, with any history of tinnitus or BVPP, it's noted that with vertigo lots of water drinking, Vitamin C and D, low sodium and changing sleeping position from side to side is important. We had talked before about BVPP, tinnitus, vertigo, ASD, TTTS, electrical impulses. head and neck - position and posture. BVPP and vertigo has one major underlying cause and we talked about that. I had all this going on, but when I changed sleeping position often, started to drink more water with Vitamin C, vertigo disappeared.

I have posted links showing lists in total of 6900 causes of physical and subjective tinnitus where the ears, neck and facial including TMJ may have involvement. Facial, jaw, related muscles, nerves, joints where toxins can be is complex.

@Jazzer mentions one very important brain and facial therapy and that is to focus on a relaxed mouth not only when getting into bed to sleep, but also during the day.

 

@Greg Sacramento, thanks for the advice. It all makes sense and I think I had covered most of those by chance anyway. I do think the night before it happened I possibly had slept solid throughout the night (a rarity) on the same side without moving - on the ear that was affected. My neck had been sore too.

I’m actually feeling much better now. Really not sure what the cause was. I really think either cervical vertigo or BPPV or my nutjob Tensor Tympani finally relaxing.

Last night a few hours before bed, my other ear had momentary hearing loss then unusually long lasting fleeting tinnitus. But both new tones in each ear seem to have disappeared during the night. So I would say I think I’m back to baseline hopefully. Really quite mystifying.

 

Hi,

Did you continue to have periodic vertigo attacks? I see you made this thread several years ago.

I had my first vertigo attack last night. I woke up out of my sleep to it. The actual extreme spinning only lasted probably 30 seconds. I’m still feeling extremely off balance though this morning.

I have had mostly mild balance issues since an inner ear osteoma removal surgery in October 2019. I actually just finished a stint of physical therapy for it about a little less than a month ago. At that time the BPPV testing came back negative.

 

Just had my first vertigo attack yesterday and I'm freaking out. I need help.

 

Go to your PCP or physical therapist and have them test you for BPPV. If you have it, they can do an Epley Maneuver and it should at least resolve it for some time. For some people it goes away completely. It’s a spectrum really.

 

My episode wasn't as bad and luckily I wasn't spinning. However, I'm afraid I may end up with this indefinitely. I'm hopeful it goes away on its own. I got an appointment for The House Ear Institute on Thursday.