I’ve been dizzy and confused, had cognitive problems and tinnitus almost every day for 4 months now.
I was diagnosed with Vestibular Migraine after seeing a number of specialists.
I’m watching my diet very carefully and I have nortriptyline although I haven’t begun taking them.
I LOVED to go to the gym and workout at least 4 times a week before and now I simply can’t.
I know no one can help me but myself though I need some hope right now to keep going.
Can anyone tell me if they cured similar symptoms to mine?
Anyone cured left the forum ages ago :).
I am 13 months in and I can genuinely say I feel like I’ve improved from 6 months ago.
I spent at least the first 7 months getting worse rather than better but somehow I feel I’ve recently turned another corner.
The medication helps you get your life back whilst the healing process, which I fully expect to be very long, continues.
If you look at post history some people seem to consider themselves better after 2 to 3 years. Admittedly some people are less lucky.
Amitriptyline is a miracle drug for this btw. My life would be over without it. Good luck with the Nori, it’s a similar drug and many find significant relief from symptoms with it.
As far as gym goes it’s often cited that an exercise regime is the way back to fitness. I run 5km three times a week and have kept that up for most of the journey so far. I am actually less dizzy when running.
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I have had good luck with Nortriptyline. I have needed a short course every 10 to 15 months over the last 4 years. I am strict about no coffee, alcohol, fermented products and really limit the other restricted foods listed in the migraine diet. For me, the whole program works to keep symptoms at bay. I am no longer carefree or 100% symptom free, but I am in control.
My doctor worked with me on my exercise problems. I was doing a fast paced walk with a friend several days a week, in the morning. It was too stimulating from all the talking and too much head movement and in the sun (too much light and heat). Now I walk alone 5 days a week after 4:00pm, wear a sombrero hat, listen to an audiobook and keep my head as straight as possible. I drink water as soon as I return and sit for 15 minutes. If I have done too many activities in a day (too much talking, too many errands, too much computer, lots of cooking/baking, a movie at the theater, etc.) the walk can be too much for me. I really have to pace myself now. The doctor recommended the stationery bike for reducing head motion. For me, 40 minutes on the bike works. I wear a cap to avoid the fluorescent lights at the gym.
Maybe you can still exercise when your symptoms have calmed down. The Nortriptyline really helps with that. So does the diet. You may need to start in small increments and see what does not raise your threshold. I am not a hard worker at the gym but I know it would be a problem if I was more aggressive there. For me, heat is a major trigger. I have always had my ER experiences in the hot months of summer. Good luck to you. You will probably need the whole program, if not now, later. It takes people, on average, about 3 years to wrap their head around the whole solution. (vertigotalesandtastes.blogspot.com
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I would recommend that you start taking the nortriptyline in a very small dose to start with, I cut the tablet in half and so take 5mg early evening. It has helped me enormously. I am still very careful not to overdo activities because too much , or too strenuous exercise is a major trigger for me as is happy or bad stress, combine those things and I am floored even with nortriptyline. Learning what your brain can cope with is a major step in the right direction as is accepting that there are no quick fixes. Once you have got your head round that you will begin to feel a whole lot better.
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I might add that the episodic migraine for me has gone but I have not entirely eliminated vertigo attacks. I made an interesting observation a month or so ago when I had a vertigo attack which lacked the migraine/headache element. I did have huge amounts of motion intolerance though. I had only mild spinning at the start of the attack and at no point any change in tinnitus or hearing that was observable. I concluded this was a BPPV like attack and it took me several days to recover. The frequency of these things has definitely dropped though.
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I started having issues on October 28, 2016 and originally was diagnosed with vertigo. Started going to balance therapy and that didnt help. I was put on meclazine and that did not help at all. I work in a call center on a computer under flourescent lights. The lights seem to be my triggers. Now I have been diagnosed with Vestibular Migraines and have been put on 5 different medications. The dizziness has seemed to really go away unless I make too many movements to the right. i am seeing a neurologist who is terrible, so now i am going for a second opinion, but that isnt until February 20th. She just put me on protriptyline but my pharmacist said he was surprised because they dont fill that anymore. Doss anyone have experience with that drug? I am still off work and on bed rest until i go back to see the doctor. Before this started in October I was perfectly healthy. Now I am depressed all the time, have zero energy and just dont feel right. How do you deal with this without going crazy?
The beginning of this disease is the worst time because all of a sudden you go from normal to anything but with a whole host of symptoms. Your brain has to relearn to do normal things and it takes time and the effect on all of us is very difficult to come to terms with. However, your brain will learn to compensate and the right medication will quieten it down so that it is less excitable and, therefore, in a better place to do so. I haven’t heard of your medication but from the name it may be similar to either nortriptyline or amytriptoline which are life changers. Yes they are antidepressants but they are taken in very small doses which is just enough to calm our excitable brains. I wish you all the very best on this difficult journey. You will feel better and if you like reading about your condition I would recommend you buy The Migraine Brain available from Amazon because it describes in detail what is going on and the help you need to put it right. I hope this helps you.
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