I woke up this morning and as i was walking to the bathroom i felt really off balance like i was drunk. im still feeling it even tho im sitting, i feel like im swaying back and forth. when i stand in one place i feel like im going to fall over. im scared! does anyone know whats wrong with me? i just started my period 3 days ago after missing a month. i dont have a car to go to the ER , my kids are home sick and im starting to have a panic attack.....

Please don't panic. (((((((hugs)))))))
You'd be surprised at how many people experience vertigo in their lifetime.
Let me ask you, if you sit perfectly still and don't move your head or your eyes, do you still feel the dizziness?

Sorry your kids are sick, that doesn't help having to tend to them. Do you have a GP that you can call and ask what to do for veritgo?

It's no fun to deal with, but you're not alone...a lot of us have had this.

Sudio -

I have Meniere's Disease..it's an inner ear disorder thing.. I can tell that I have had that on/off for many years. I actually have been having the "swaying" this week, it is horrible. The weather changes can bring it on if your balance system is sensitive like mine or you might have a virus in your ears..that's how mine started.

If you have an antihistamine that will help or Dramamine is wonderful, really helps with dizziness and that swaying feeling. You can get Dramamine at any grocery/drug store.

I hope you are feeling better and don't panic it is nothing horrible

Just try and lay down and relax if you can.

Sending you a ((hug))

jess, it feels like its getting better at the moment. i just got up and walked around a little and it isnt as bad. ( of course i took 2 whole ativan pills this morning to keep the panic level down lol )its still there not gone but better. my naturalpath told me to get something called cochulas? at the healthfood store/vitamin shop, its homeopathic and she said it will work. my husband is at the ER with our son right now for an ear infection plus sinus infection and then he will bring home the stuff for me after.

sunny, my naturalpath says its probably a virus thats causing it. thanks for the reassurance about the panic and worry. this is the first time ive hacd this happen and it is not fun! thanks to both of you for posting!

I have had it several times, it's hormonal, at least for me. It comes and sometimes it stays, but eventually it always goes. There are viruses that can cause it. I don't panic anymore about it (one down I don't freak out about, lol). You could be dehydrated. If the ativan helped it then it is probably hormonal/anxiety or something of that nature. Of course, if it get's worse or you start throwing up then off to the Dr. you must go. But, most likely it's just a hormonal fluctuation. Mich

Glad to hear its easing up some.
I'm so used to flare ups, I guess I forgot how horrible it was the very first time. Glad you been recommended something that will help you!!
It can go away as fast as it came, so I hope you feel much better soon!

I had severe vertigo once in my life - this past year. OMG! I was getting out of bed when the room spun completely around about 5 or 6 times in the space of a few seconds! This caused an immediate throw up response and it's a good thing I have a waste basket right next to my bed! There's a reason I hate and avoid "spinny" rides and I didn't need my body making them for me. I had to lay completely in the same position for a day or so - any slight movement could set off the spinny ride of five or six rotations followed by throwing up - I couldn't even get to the doctor, couldn't imagine even being driven - I think the movement of the car would have set off spinny rides all the way there. After that day it was "quieter" and I made it to the doctor - they decided it was a virus I was getting over, I had fluid in my ears that was probably causing it. Decongestant and some prescription in case I had severe spinny rides again, it went away after a few days.

I am SO sympathetic to anyone who has this nasty thing chronically - I can't even imagine...

Your description of this horrible thing is spot on!!! It is always with me and I never know when I'm going to be hit with symptoms, but as I've said, at least I've learn to recognize things that will trigger it!
When I was hit with my severe bout of it, it took most of the day to be able to 'try' to move to get to the doctor. Our bedroom is upstairs and I had to get downstairs by myself, the house was locked up and no one could get in to help me if they tried. I have no idea how I managed 14 steps without falling down them.
My mom was here finally, but she couldn't do anything but see how miserable I was.
I don't wish this on my worse enemy, a severe attack of it is THAT BAD!!!

omg, i have severe (white noise) in my ears lately, and today at the grocery store, i felt completely off balance, also my vision was near doubled (this vision thing seems to be from lack of sleep), yet, this has to be what is happening to me at the moment.
Also, i had panicked in my car all of the way home, darn, i hate all of this!
Hang in there stitchnanny-i doubt anything much wrong, we're just getting a lil older and not ready for all of these weird things going on!
luv ya sisters!
boo

I feel so bad for you, having this thing with no real reason and knowing it could happen any time. If someone has it frequently, it would be completely debilitating. One of my biggest fears, before I went to the doctor, was that it would fall into the "no reason" category, which is apparently pretty common. With no real reason, there's no way to predict it or cure it. Yikes! My sympathies are with you!

good day,
yes I too used to have that drunk feeling when I was in peri. I developed a fear of heights because of this feeling.... I used to feel
like I had a major hangover every morning for about 9yrs even though I had not touched a drop of liquor. I can barely handle a glass
of wine to this day...The vertigo used to get really bad when I had PMS...like I would fall flat on my face or was walking sideways or something...
very very unbalanced feeling. During PMS I was also not only getting hot flashes but cold chills as well...hot one minute frozen the next..
it drove me nuts....the good news is that once I reached postmeno the PMS went away along with the vertigo and chills..I still have all
kinds of issues like hot flashes, but things seem to be more emotional now then physical and I find that harder to deal with..

be well, get well

I think it could be hormonal or a sinus thing. If your kids are sick and one has a sinus infection, you could be getting one too. Those make me off balance too. A decongestant helps and yes, something to relax you does wonders too. I have used xanax when needed and it gets me through the rough patches. I hope you and your children feel better today.

My first episode of vertigo was about 4 years ago. After almost a month of medication (I can't remember what I took) which didn't help, I finally had an apley maneuver performed by an ENT. The vertigo went off after that. In May this year, I had another round of vertigo attacks. This time, it lasted for almost 2 months. After lots of anxiety/depressive moods, 4 apley maneuvers and 2 sessions of myofascial therapy on my SCM (neck muscles). the vertigoes finally went off. All these while, and in between the vertigo episodes, I had my "usual" dizziness on and off and unsteady gait.

Then last wed morning, the vertigoes came to visit me again. I took stemetil once or twice per day, hoping that they would help. After the 2nd day, I started to feel daze/dizzy and loss of balance especially when walking. Unable to contact my regular ENT (he was overseas for conference), I went to visit a neurologist as I also wanted to know the possibiity of me having some tumors in the brain etc (the usual panic reaction). He confirmed that there is nothing wrong with my brain after some physical examination, and concluded that it is probably due to vestibular weakness (and he said it may not even be a case of BPPV, which the ENT had earlier said I might have). He prescribed Duxaril and Tebonnin (Ginko Extract) which he said would help strength the vestibular organs. Also, advised me to do a simplified version of the Brandt Daroff exercise.
He told me that my grogginess/unsteadiness could be due to side effect of Stemetil.

I started taking the Duxaril and Tebonnin, but still feel very daze and unsteady today. When I google Duxaril, it was stated that some adverse effects of Duxaril are insomnia, anxiety and DIZZINESS. I am very shocked that the neuro had prescribed a medicine that can cause dizziness, when my reason for visiting him is dizziness/vertigo. I wonder whether I should continue with the medicine.

Does anyone have any adverse experience of loss of balance/daze/grogginess/heavy ears with consumption of duxaril and/or stemetil ?

I am still wondering whether my symptoms of loss of balance etc, are due to the vertigo attacks, or from the medications.
Very confusing.

I am going 51 soon, and am almost certain that I am in peri (because I have many other peri symptoms).
I asked the neuro whether my vertigoes are related to peri, and he gave me a firm "NO".
I was quite disappointed, as I was hoping that if it is a peri symptom, the vertigoes will go off after post meno.
Now I am really very very worried that the vertigoes are here to stay.

Appreciate any advice on managing vertigoes/dizziness.

I forgot to add that my recent 2 episodes of vertigo seemed to start during or just after menstrual cycle -- hence I thought they are related to hormonal changes. But I am not too sure now, after what the neuro had said.

Could my loss of balance/daze feeling be an after effect of the vertigo attacks which usually come on when I am lying down or turned my head to either left/right. If any one have such similar experiences, how long do such sensations last after the vertigo come on. For me, it has already been one full week. I have been on sick leave, and I want to go back to work asap.

The therapist I went to for myofascial told me that the vertigoes are due to weak/dysfunctional SCM muscles. Deep massage of the muscles should help. I am not too sure about that, because I am not sure whether the last time when the vertigo went off after 2 sessions of myofascial, was it a coincidence or real effect.

Appreciate any response.

Thanks.

I had vertigo for a couple of months due to BCP. Nobody linked the vertigo to the BCP until I went to see a neuro that specialized in dizziness. He said that I was experiencing migraines, that in turn caused the vertigo. You can have migraines without the headache. I had vertigo, heightened sense of smell, nausea, etc., that can come with a migraine. When I stopped the BCP, the vertigo stopped. The neuro told me I am very sensitive to hormones. I thnk this is why I'm having a hard time with the fluctuating hormones during peri.

Doodle,

You poor thing, I can relate as I went through all this especially during peri and whilst on HRT estrogen/norethisterone patches. It was diagnosed as Menieres Disease (an inner ear problem), but I also developed hearing loss in one ear as well. So if you notice a blocked feeling in either ear, or hearing loss, as well as the vertigo and balance problems, get it checked out, as this could be another possibility they should rule out. I do hope this is not the case, but I think it is important to be aware.

I do think it is interesting that vertigo problems seem to manifest during peri for some women, so it does make you question whether there is a link.

Often after you have a vertigo attack it can take a couple of weeks or sometimes longer to feel normal again. The messages between the brain and inner ear have to recalibrate, so it is not unusual to still feel off balance, groggy and dizzy.

I find that stemetil makes me feel very groggy also, so I only take a stemetil suppository when I am actually having a vertigo attack. I was advised not to take it continuously.

I am now post meno and the good news is my vertigo and dizziness have settled down considerably. I am back doing just about everything and anything.

I take magnesium supplements, evening primrose oil and a multi vit/B complex every day. The magnesium is supposed to help with the vertigo and dizziness, so maybe you could try that.

I do sympathise with you as I know how debilitating it can be, but just remember that it can and does improve. It has in my case.

Remy

Hi dear Remy,
I am so grateful to you for responding to my post so quickly, and for giving me hope.

During my vertigo episode in May, I also had tinnitus which was much worse that what I am having this time round. The ringing was quite loud and lasted for at least 2 to 3 weeks. The ENT doc conducted hearing test for me. It was normal. There was no hearing loss, and he ruled out Meniere disease.

I also suspected MAV, as I do have headaches (on left side of head) after the first few days of almost every menstrual cycle (I still have the monthly cycle, sometimes with mid-cycle bleeding). However, the neurologist didn't think so, as he said that MAV is usually not accompanied by tinnitus.

I noticed that my body is very very sensitive to medication. After my D&C in Mar this year, I was given 2 antibiotics. One was metronidazole and the other was doxycline, and I had the off-balance/daze feeling for almost 2 weeks after I was off the medication. I suppose it is the same body reaction to stemetil. I agree that stemetil is effective for quick arrest of vertigo, but not good for repeated consumption.

One way that I found quite effective in stopping vertigo when it happens is to grab the SCM (neck muscles on the affected side) and to squeeze it really hard, and do deep breathing at the same time. I was told that if you massage the SCM in this manner frequently, it can prevent vertigo. But I have not reach that stage yet. Still trying, and hopeful.

I am taking some multi-vit (but not regular), but I need to check whether it it has B complex and magnesium in it.

Thank you so much for your advice.

Doodle.

I find that sometimes my vertigo shows itself if I get really tired and exhausted feeling!
And strangely the last time I had a round of it, it seemed that there were a lot of people I know that were also dealing with it at the same time...just coincidental I guess, but strange.

jes

I'm dizzy or feel light-headed most days, and I do have episodes of vertigo occasionally. Once I was in bed for 21 days straight with vertigo...thought I'd die! For me it is definitely hormone-related. It's awful and I feel for anyone going through it.

I also find that when I'm tired it gets worse, or when I'm having a hormonal hot flash; before a bad hot flash I will get a rush of vertigo that sometimes lasts awhile.

Oh yeah, good old vertigo. I had my first bout with it 3 yrs ago this Jan. Got up for work, got out of bed and bam, his the floor.
It lasted 4 days. Then the next bout was one year to the day later and again, 3-4 days I had it. Then lots of dizziness and horrible tinnitus followed.

Every well educated doctor with a nice while lab coat could not tell me what the heck was wrong. I saw 3 different ENT's, Neuro's, had MRI's, etc

Then it happened again last Jan, Feb and March.

each time the bouts hit, I was one day before my period or the first day on my period.

It was the nurse practitioner who didn't have a fancy white coat or fancy education, but did have a lot of experience with bio identicals who told me "Sounds like silent migraines which can be triggered by hormones"

I went to see another fancy doctor in a fancy coat but this doc was the well respected and a very famous canadian migraine doc who confirmed what the nurse practitioner told me, I have silent migraines that cause vertigo.

But what still baffles me is why do I only get this in Jan, Feb or March? Now what I do is take a low dose of Advil 2 days before my period and I've not got the vertigo again. I'll keep you posted about this January :-)

But the tinnitus never went away. It's worse than ever. May be permanent, but I'm stubborn and will figure this out :-)