My MAV came on suddenly in 2008. Is this rare? Has anyone else had a sudden onset - meaning you are fine until one instant, after which you have MAV that persists for years thereafter?
My MAV came on suddenly after having a four day head cold that involved an intense headache, nausea, fatigue. I had the dry heaves often. I took time off of work and even though I did not feel right had to get back to work. I pulled out of my driveway and a half mile later had a severe attack of vertigo. Stumbled out of my car. Managed to call my wife and was not sure if I should go to emergency room. The vertigo passed but chronic dizziness ensued.
The neurontologist screen me for BPPV but believes I had a cold that inflammed into Vestibular Neuritis and settled in as a migraine condition.
I have had dizzy spells over the years that were triggered by sunlight, television, loud noise, driving and weightlifting but since those episodes were absent of headaches I had no idea that it could be migraine related, MAV. I secretly wondered if I had a brain tumor or MS. I once took L-tryosine 500mg as a supplement for anxiety. It triggered a silent migraine for 4 or 5 days. I had no idea. In my family we don’t run to the doctor. My mom was a nurse and she told me it might have been a virus.
Looking back, I remember so many incidents that I have had that were MAV. But I would always recover. Now, I haven’t had many good days in almost 2 years. Inactivity helps. Living life seems to trigger my symptoms from mild to bad or bad to worse. I also used to have a ton of allergy headaches that my neurologist thinks were migraines.
Stress brought on my severe attack. And most chronic attacks happen after age 40. I suffer from anxiety which has only been stimulated by MAV (feeling so sick) So the vicious cycle of anxiety triggering MAV and vice versa plagues me at the moment.
Reducing the stress may help.