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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 13:25:19
This morning I scared myself silly. I was lying in bed, and felt fine. I said goodbye to my son as my husband was getting ready to bring him to school. Then I suddenly started feeling a bit sick and dizzy. I started to sit up a bit, without being much worried. But when I tried to sit up, my body didn't do what I told it to. My head moved a few inches, but not in the right direction then flopped back. None of my signals to various body parts worked as they were supposed to. I couldn't reach for the phone or hold my head up. I felt like a landed fish.
Then the room started swinging violently, not spinning but swinging, from side to side. I still couldn't control my movements well enough to sit up. But fortunately my mouth was working fine and I yelled for my husband, catching him before he left. He helped me sit up, and take my blood sugar which was no higher than normal. I felt really really sick.
After sitting up for a while, I felt a lot better, and now I'm ok unless I bend forward or lean back. As long as I'm vertical I'm ok. And when I'm not vertical, I just get dizzy. The room doesn't swing, and I can move of my own volition.
The doctor says it's something that just happens sometimes. People wake up with vertigo one day. He put me on Antivert for a week or so and says that should handle it.
My body is just full of little tricks lately. :(
Since I've been feeling unwell for a little over a week, particularly in the mornings, I made an appointment to see him next week. It may not be related, but I think it'll make me feel better to have him see me in person anyway.
I wonder if it's less scary the second time it happens.
Posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 13:52:26
In reply to Vertigo is scary, posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 13:25:19
Drat it. The medicine is making me sleepy. But I can't lie down without feeling sick and dizzy. :(
Posted by Midnightblue on May 27, 2008, at 15:04:22
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary, posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 13:52:26
So sorry Dinah! How about a wing chair where you can carefully lean your head back?
MB
Posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 19:08:35
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Midnightblue on May 27, 2008, at 15:04:22
After I took the medication I was able to lie down as long as I was careful. It's time for the next dose now and I can tell.
I hadn't realized how much I do involves bending over. But I *am* learning to bend from the knees, which is something I probably should have done all along.
As long as I'm reasonably upright from the shoulders up, I'm just dandy.
I'm still a wee bit anxious though. If he'd have looked at me and said the same thing, I'd feel ok. But over the phone I'm not as confident. :)
Posted by llurpsienoodle on May 27, 2008, at 21:37:38
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Midnightblue, posted by Dinah on May 27, 2008, at 19:08:35
hey dinah,
I had an episode of vertigo following a particularly raucous amusement park ride. Unlike your benign positional vertigo, I had knocked my otolith (an inner ear crystal) out of it's place and the fluid was sloshing through my semicircular canals all willy-nilly.I looked up the Epley maneuver online and had a friend (she had recently fallen off a horse) coach me through it. After a few head manipulations, I felt about 80 % better. It took about a month, but it went away.
I felt SO sick for a while. Had to sleep sitting up. well didn't really sleep very well at all.
Well, yeah, it is scary. Didn't have great health insurance either, so I used dramamine and benedryl and peptobismol
(((((((dinah)))))))))
-Ll
Posted by Dinah on May 29, 2008, at 11:26:18
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by llurpsienoodle on May 27, 2008, at 21:37:38
Whoa, that Epley maneuver looks scary! I've been trying to move slowly and keep my head upright as much as possible. It really helps to do things that cause the vertigo?
I'm feeling a lot better. The Antivert helps. And it's even getting better between dosing, so it must be resolving itself. I've also learned what not to do when the world tilts. It might be natural to try to put my head upright to orient myself, but that doesn't work. Staying still for a few seconds works much better.
But the antihistamine is making me really groggy. Antihistamines always do that.
And now I have a fever. Just a mild one. And my ear may hurt. I have a hard time telling sometimes. Since I felt sick all last week in a mostly queasy way without distinctive features, I'm wondering if this may all be related to an ear infection or something. Which is why I wonder that he didn't want to see me, just for a minute.
I'm not sure I like this doctor. He also didn't need me to come in after my last diabetes bloodwork, even though it was high, because I had been stressed at work. He wanted to give it another three months. It might be a good doctor decision, but it does nothing for making the patient confident. Sigh.
Thanks for the information, llurpsie. It seems vertigo is another of those things like perimenopause. People have experienced it, but it doesn't get talked about much.
Posted by Phillipa on June 2, 2008, at 12:33:15
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » llurpsienoodle, posted by Dinah on May 29, 2008, at 11:26:18
Dinah I missed this one. One day very early morning woke and couldn't move my head without the mose horrible dizzyness. Had to crawl on hands and knees to bathroom. Then got in bed lay still. When husband woke he took me to the ER they shown some light in my eyes and evidently true vertigo makes the eyes move wierdly. No vomiting thank heavens. They gave me a shot of ativan two mg and antivert. I lay on the couch for over a week and that was when I went downhill and slid into what the doc said was depression. Could hardly move just slept. That was when given my first ad with the benzos. Vertigo is horrible. Phillipa and no idea what caused it but it was three months after the thyroid went???? And when they found the chronic lymes disease active. Horrible experience.
Posted by Dinah on June 2, 2008, at 17:25:36
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on June 2, 2008, at 12:33:15
I've been reading up on it, as I have a electronystagmography test scheduled in a few weeks. Yuck. I think there can be a connection to thyroid problems, as one of the causes.
I put keywords from the questions he asked into google, and it seems like he may be thinking Meniere's syndrome. Or at least trying to rule it out. It does seem to fit pretty well.
I didn't have an ear infection, although it's possible I have a mild sinus infection. But he saw signs of pressure in the inner ear. Or something like that.
I've got my fingers crossed. I already have one chronic condition with dietary restrictions. I don't need another. If I have to restrict carbs AND I have to restrict salt, that doesn't leave me much of anything at all for me to eat.
My blood sugars have been running high for while too, so I imagine I have some unpleasant changes coming there too.
I don't know if this is the reason, but I'm sliding rapidly to really depressed in the sitting for hours with my mouth hanging open sort of way. Although I suppose that could be physical too.
Posted by Phillipa on June 2, 2008, at 19:35:17
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Phillipa, posted by Dinah on June 2, 2008, at 17:25:36
Dinah would like to google it two. Mind sharing the words you used that tie into thyroid? You know that Diabetes is an autoimmune disease right and the most common for of thyroid disease is hasimotos which is also autoimmune. My neice has hasimotos and now glucose tolerance and put on metforim.sp? Love Phillipa
Posted by Dinah on June 2, 2008, at 20:45:49
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on June 2, 2008, at 19:35:17
I think you'd have to google the link closer than I did. I just ran across something saying that people with Grave's Disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis have a higher risk of developing it. It didn't go into more detail than that.
I doubt it has anything to do with my diabetes. I didn't see any mention in my search, and none of the diabetics I know have mentioned it. Diabetes runs in my family. But my particular diabetes isn't the autoimmune type either. Both types run in my family.
My husband wants me to keep a positive outlook. It still might be related to whatever infection I have. Or they say it can be linked to hormonal imbalances and goodness knows I'm hormonally imbalanced.
I'm not feeling in a particularly optimistic mood, but I'll try to consider the possibility.
Posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 0:13:57
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Phillipa, posted by Dinah on June 2, 2008, at 20:45:49
Dinah thought all diabetes was autoimmune? Well hope it isn't. Love Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 0:26:43
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 0:13:57
Googled list of autoimmune diseases heres wiki's list. Phillipa never knew some were and the list is so long.
Gender influence
Women tend to be affected more often by autoimmune disorders; nearly 79% of autoimmune disease patients in the USA are women. Also they tend to appear during or shortly after puberty. It is not known why this is the case, although hormone levels have been shown to affect the severity of some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.[1] Other causes may include the presence of fetal cells in the maternal bloodstream. [2]
[edit] Autoimmune diseases
It is possible to classify autoimmune diseases by corresponding type of hypersensitivity: type II, type III, or type IV. (No type of autoimmune disease mimics type I hypersensitivity.)[3]Name Accepted/
suspected Hypersensitivity
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) Accepted[4]
Addison's disease Accepted[4]
Ankylosing spondylitis Accepted[4]
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) Accepted[4]
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia Accepted[5] II
Autoimmune hepatitis Accepted[4]
Bullous pemphigoid Accepted[5]
Celiac disease Accepted[6][7][8] IV
Chagas' disease Suspected[9]
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Suspected[10] [11]
Dermatomyositis Accepted[12]
Diabetes mellitus type 1 Accepted[4] IV
Endometriosis Suspected[13]
Goodpasture's syndrome Accepted[4] II
Graves' disease Accepted[4] II
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) Accepted[4]
Hashimoto's disease Accepted[4]
Hidradenitis suppurativa Suspected[14]
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura Accepted[4]
Interstitial cystitis Suspected[15]
Lupus erythematosus Accepted[4] III
Morphea Suspected[16]
Multiple sclerosis Accepted[4] IV
Myasthenia gravis Accepted[4] II
Narcolepsy Suspected[17]
Neuromyotonia Suspected[18]
Pemphigus Accepted[4] II
Pernicious anaemia Accepted[19]
Polymyositis Accepted[12]
Primary biliary cirrhosis Accepted[20]
Rheumatoid arthritis Accepted[4] IV
Schizophrenia. Suspected[21][22][23]
Sjögren's syndrome Accepted[4]
Temporal arteritis (also known as "giant cell arteritis") Accepted[4]
Vasculitis Accepted[5]
Vitiligo Suspected[24][25]
Wegener's granulomatosis Accepted[26]
[edit] References
Posted by Dinah on June 3, 2008, at 8:16:00
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 0:13:57
Type 1 is, Type 2 isn't. I've got Type 2.
I'm feeling pretty good this morning. Something the doctor did yesterday must have helped, which may mean that this is more a sinus infection than a chronic problem.
Fingers crossed.
Posted by llurpsienoodle on June 3, 2008, at 9:16:33
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary, posted by Dinah on June 3, 2008, at 8:16:00
(((dinah)))
I'm crossing fingers for you too.One of my best friends is an ear doctor. It's a very sensitive and delicate system, so it's easy to get out of whack.
in the meanwhile, gentle rest. Hope you're not too bored by gentle rest?
hugs,
-Ll
Posted by Dinah on June 3, 2008, at 9:32:22
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by llurpsienoodle on June 3, 2008, at 9:16:33
Gentle rest is my very favorite.
Unfortunately work is piling up because I've been unable to work for close to three weeks now, even before the vertigo attack.
Still, I feel so lighthearted today. I had forgotten what it feels like to feel not sick. It's quite the antidepressant.
Thanks, llurpsie.
Posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 13:04:39
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary, posted by Dinah on June 3, 2008, at 8:16:00
I was hoping you'd say type two great!!!! Phillipa
Posted by Dinah on June 10, 2008, at 11:53:59
In reply to Re: Vertigo is scary » Dinah, posted by Phillipa on June 3, 2008, at 13:04:39
I rolled over several times last night and didn't feel a thing.
Fingers crossed.
I'll wait a few days before calling to see if I should cancel the test.
Posted by Midnightblue on June 10, 2008, at 20:07:49
In reply to I think it's gone!!!, posted by Dinah on June 10, 2008, at 11:53:59
Don't cancel the test until the day before.
MB
Posted by Dinah on June 11, 2008, at 7:55:30
In reply to Re: I think it's gone!!! » Dinah, posted by Midnightblue on June 10, 2008, at 20:07:49
I do believe you're right. And I'll check to make sure I really should cancel too.
Posted by Dinah on June 20, 2008, at 17:24:44
In reply to Re: I think it's gone!!!, posted by Dinah on June 11, 2008, at 7:55:30
I'm glad I kept the appointment, even tho I was feeling a lot better. There are several parts to this test, and depending on which parts you show abnormal results on, they can do a decent job of deciding what's wrong.
So for me, it seems I got some sort of viral infection, which was probably why I felt crummy for a while before the vertigo. Then the virus went to my inner ear and as a result, the right inner ear is weaker than the left. The imbalance causes the problem. But over time the brain compensates for the change. Like a recalibration based on the new sensory inputs. He gave me a bunch of exercises to speed up the compensation process.
The nice thing is that if I happen to bend over and feel dizzy, I don't feel scared. I don't think "oh no, i'm dizzy". I think "Oh good, another chance to calibrate my brain."
There's no way to put a cheerful spin on the headaches. After driving, or after a lot of work requiring reading, I get a headache from the strain of focusing because the inner ear has something to do with vision too. But he says that should go away over the next month or two.
Posted by Midnightblue on June 20, 2008, at 22:37:11
In reply to The power of a name, posted by Dinah on June 20, 2008, at 17:24:44
Yeah! Dinah is rebuilding her brain!
MidnightBlue :-)
Posted by Dinah on June 21, 2008, at 13:05:06
In reply to Re: The power of a name » Dinah, posted by Midnightblue on June 20, 2008, at 22:37:11
It definitely could use some restructuring!!
This is the end of the thread.
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