I’ve had many different types of vertigo throughout the last couple months (rocking, swaying, falling, dropping, sinking…you name it), but I’m experiencing something new and awful, and I’m really hoping I’m not alone here. Not only am I having the back and forth swaying, but at the same time, I’m simultaneously experiencing a new vertigo; slow rotational spinning.
Has anyone ever experienced slow rotational spinning, or two types of vertigo at once?
Thanks.
Yes, and yes. I’m no expert, but it doesn’t sound that unusual to me. Hopefully others will chime in soon too.
I have random occasional attacks of the slow rotational spinning as well as the normal dizziness feelings. Is the spinning constant or in attacks for you? That is the most commonly understood form of vertigo by doctors. It’s the only one they seem to know about. It is what they expect if you have labyrinthitis or menieres etc. I thought it was BPPV when it first happened to me last year but then found out that it can actually be MAV! It’s very scary but I hope it passes quickly for you! x
Thank you for responding.
Unfortunately, the slow spinning comes in very long episodes. It would make more sense to say that it’s there all the time, but it breaks a few times during the day. The other strange thing is that it changes, too. I might feel a slow spinning to the right, and at other times I feel a slow spinning to the left. It started out last week, just when I closed my eyes. From there, it progressed to being there when I was laying down, and now it’s there when I’m sitting and standing too, but not quite detectable when walking. This is also the first form of vertigo that’s making it difficult to fall asleep.
At this point, I’m starting to think I don’t have MAV, and I’m just crazy.
You are definitely not crazy and MAV can do all this! Angela has the same thing of not being able to close her eyes and sleep without the spinning, see http://mvertigo.cloudapp.net/t/two-steps-forward-and-three-back-syndrome/7396
As far as the slow spinning goes, closing my eyes always made that worse and made me feel very unstable in bed. Fixating on a target of some sort helped make me feel more grounded. Typically I would find a TV program that is fairly stationary and focus on that until I fell asleep. On bad days I would take a rescue med to help calm the dizziness enough to fall asleep.
Hi GJB:
I experience the various types of vertigo you do. Sometimes I get all the different dizzies at once and have a difficult time standing or sitting. I also feel like my brain is flopping around during the many types of dizzies, it’s a very uncomfortable and scary feeling. I usually close my eyes for 5 minutes and that helps.
Katie
Thank you, everyone. I’m just at a loss right now. I’m following the diet, per the doctor’s instructions, but the rapid increase in symptoms—on a daily basis—is not only horrible feeling, but it’s really scaring me, and making me think that I’m either not suffering from MAV, or that my brain has made a permanent change for the worst. Today, I’m rocking, spinning, and with every step, I feel like I’m falling…or rather, being dropped. And as for the rotational vertigo: it doesn’t feel like the fast moving, give it time to pass, kind of spinning. It feels as though it’s another permanent component, just like the rocking. It’s beginning to accompany me all day, along with the rocking.
And here, last week, I thought things were bad because I was becoming continuously nauseated. Little did I know what this week had in store for me. Doesn’t this crap have to level out at some point. I mean…there is a limit to how much vertigo someone can experience, is there not?
Thank you, though. I appreciate all the feedback.
Hi GJB:
Unfortunately there is no limit in regards to how much vertigo someone can experience and It is a beast to deal with. I believe anxiety/stress play a big role. I would just like to tell you that i had a 4 year remission of vertigo without medication but it come back out of the blue and will not go away. Your vertigo may balance out at some point but in the meantime you may need medication. I am living proof that vertigo can balance out (go away) at some point but I have no idea why it would come back after 4 years. I have asked many doctors why my vertigo would went away for 4 years and came back but they can never give me an answer.
Katie
The rapid and* continuous* increase in symptoms does sound concerning to me too - I understand your fear and frustration. Is there another doc you can see for a second opinion? What tests have you had so far? Sorry if you have answered this already and if I have even asked already, my head has been really foggy lately and I can’t remember stuff :?
I’ve had a brain MRI, with and without contrast. I also had a CINE (flow) study done. I had blood work, ENG, caloric, neuro exam, and of course everything was normal. I also saw an opthamologist who said my eyes were healthy, as were my optic nerves. I have no other symptoms, aside from the vertigo, dizziness, balance issues, nausea, and odd visuals. My ticker seems to be fine; I assume it would be, as I’m only 31, and in very good shape. I’ve not had any numbness, confusion, migraines (other than the typical headaches I’m accustomed to), or any other neurologic symptoms. One more thing to note: I still feel fine when I’m in a moving car, and that’s the only time I feel well. Leading up to this, I took no flights, nor was I on a boat. I had just finished the third edit of my novel, and had spent ALL day, EVERY day staring at the computer; too much computer use has made me feel nauseated in the past, but it always went away once I got off the computer.
In saying that the manner of my symptoms is concerning, does that mean that it doesn’t seem to fit with MAV, in your opinion?
GJB, just wanted to chime in that when I was at my worst then moving was the only time I felt close to normal. I could drive, or be a passenger no problems. Stopping was the problem! IN fact on really bad days I used to just walk around / move around constantly, or go for long drives as this seemed to “cancel out” the worst of the symptoms.
For others it is the reverse
Lorcalon, thank you for your story. Did you improve with medication, on your own, or are you still doing badly?
Oh no I’m great now with meds - went from 30% to 75-80%, and lifestyle gives me another 5-10% depending on the day. Still have the occasional bad day, but just roll with them and move on.
lorcalon how long have u been on your meds for? if you were 30% before, what is the worst % you get on bad days? glad to hear things are still going well!!!
Sarah on a really bad day I’d say I would be 50%. i never get as bad as I was pre-meds, and the bad days are just that, days - maybe one or 2 at most, not weeks and weeks of 30% as I was before. Been on metoprolol for almost 3.5 years now