Seven months after the first-ever episode of vertigo, I got the second episode. WHAT THE. I got this second bout of vertigo over the weekend. I kinda know it’s coming. So I started on the Epley maneuvers. But they didn’t quite stave it off. The ear crystals (octoconia) bounced, flew around the inner ear, and vertigo hit bad.
I had four cinnarizine pills left. I took one at 11am, thinking to take another in the night, instead of doing it thrice a day. That one ingested wasn’t enough. It was also slow to work. So by the time I took the second pill at 5pm, it was too late. By 7pm, the spinning and nausea hit full force. I had cold sweat and slight breathlessness from trying to control the hurling. I only had two more pills left. I needed more for the next two days.
The dear friends responded to my calls for help with the suggestion of an online consultation with Doctor Anywhere. As the world continued spinning, I downloaded the app and with a great deal of effort since I couldn't focus on the words and letters, keyed in all my information and signed up for it.
I didn't care which clinic attended to me. I just needed extra doses of cinnarizine before I investigate this further. The world needed to stop spinning first. I got an immediate consult with a doctor at a clinic in Ang Mo Kio; the prescribed pills were dispatched and got to me within two hours. Efficient!
I know, 'Doctor Anywhere' is an awful name, but hey, it works. Best if your personal/corporate insurance plans also tie up with the app's partnerships. The app had a successful Series C funding last August, just moved into a new fancy office, and will hit 1000 employees soon.
I had to cancel pilates and gym for the next three days. No caffeine, no alcohol, no bread, no flour things, no carbs, and keep meals clean and light and clean. I think I understand the hints now, before vertigo hits full-blown. I have a day or two of warning symptoms. They're not a result of a too-hot weather, headache, extra stress or whatever. These tell me that the triggers have been activated, and I should heed them, and start on Epley maneuvers + meds before the world begins spinning uncontrollably.
My detailed annual medicals cleared me of many things, and I highly doubt the presence of any auto-immune flares. The vertigo doesn't come from inflammation of the paranasal sinuses either. My ears do ring once in a bit, but it doesn't seem like I have Meniere's. It definitely isn’t a prelude to a stroke. I'll probably toddle off to the ENT at some point to get a proper diagnosis. For now, I can assume that my vertigo is BBPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).
Vertigo is now a thing in my life. I can't wish it away. I don’t know the triggers. But I do know that it’s debilitating. The attacks aren't mild, they last for at least three days. Vertigo is kinda embarrassing for me. I actually have to cancel workouts and lunch/dinner dates with the friends! I never quite know when it will hit, and I can’t quite guess my triggers. I gotta keep extra packs of cinnarizine in the medicine pouch.
5 comments:
gosh. I know the annoyance of it because it can attack suddenly. I've had it for decades, but mine had been mostly mild and infrequent. unfortunately, as I age, I get it more severe and more frequently now, like 6x last year! once was in the middle of a mahjong session (where I was winning some more! haha), but like u said, it was debilitating, so the game had to stop abruptly while I had to lie in bed alone and suffer the spinning (with a small container in hand in case I throw up!) until the medicine took effect. at the moment, betahistine works well for me.
also, I hope your vertigo will go away after some time, instead of like me. *sob*
the epley doesn't work for me too. I've been assessed by a physiotherapist before. only medicine works for me. sigh.
Accck. do you have some hints that your vertigo is coming? The GP I saw was like, 'oh it happens more to older people.' I was like...you young punk!
i haven't toddled off to an ENT yet. I will soon. Ugh. I've never had a short episode of a few hours. It's always 3 days down. So I also feel you. UGH> may yours be mild and don't pop in so often this year.
sometimes, I'll feel very very mildly dizzy before a real attack. it is so mild that I can go about doing whatever I want, even strenuous exercise. this mild dizziness can be on/off for a few days before a real attack. eg I can feel it for a few mins before it's gone, but comes back again a few hours later or the next day for a few mins and so on. sometimes, this will also just go away completely after a few days without a real attack at all. I'd say 50/50 chance of a possible real attack usually. so if I know I have something important in a couple of days or on the day of this mild dizziness, I'll just quickly pop betahistine. so far, if I take betahistine (sometimes once, twice or up to 3 times before it goes away completely) when I have this very mild dizziness, it won't progress to an acute attack. however, if I have nothing important, I don't take medicine for such mild dizziness as long as I can still go about doing what I have to do.
for you, if you get some warning signs before an acute attack, maybe you can take the medicine early. for me, taking the medicine when I had my warning sign has been 100% effective in preventing an acute attack.
but, the scariest ones are the ones that come without warning. my sudden ones mostly come first thing in the morning when I wake up. not just when I physically get out of bed, but could also be when I turn my body on the bed when I awoken in the morning, or even when I just open my eyes and the whole room's spinning! I rarely get sudden ones in the middle of the day, although it does happen once in a blue moon, like during my mj session last year.
I do get episodes that last for a few days too! more when I was younger. as I age, I get vertigo attacks more frequently, but shorter in duration if I take medication quickly enough. In terms of severity of each attack, no difference. Can be as torturous during an acute attack be it last time or now.
I guess it'll be good for you to see an ENT and they'll likely refer you to be examined by a physiotherapist too to assess if any form of maneuvers will help you. Sadly, none for me. Only medicine works for me.
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing your experiences and what you felt before an episode. I totally know what you mean when you said you're dizzy even when lying in bed when you wake in the mornings Accck.
Gyrotonic seems to help a little towards the end of an episode, once the meds come in. The spiraling motions somehow jiggle the ear crystals back into balance. so i shall continue with those. Ahhhh well, let's see how it goes. May you and i not be too dizzy this year!!!!!
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