A lot of you post about MAV crashes, or MAV kicking up it’s ugly head. I’m curious what every one means when they say something like this. I’m looking for discriptions of this because I am curious if what I experience multiple times a week other experience only once every few months?
Hey Brian,
Off the subject of your question, what meds are you currently on? Did you ever try Lamictal?
Kelley
The only med that I am currently taking is betahistine. It isn’t doing squat for the dizziness, but it has put a halt on the frequent daily headaches.
Hi Brian,
Here’s my MAV crash: usually go to bed the night before an attack feeling a little off, maybe more tired than usual or foggy headed.
If I wake during the night it’s a little difficult to lift my head off the pillow. Heavy headed. Don’t have any trouble going back to sleep.
Next morning: rise and don’t shine. I know immediately when I open my eyes that a vertigo attack is imminent, meaning I’ll start getting sick within a couple of hours. This is such a pattern that I can plan to get a few things done before I fall apart. I feel somewhat dizzy, my neck hurts, and a little nauseous. Then, BOOM, about 2 or 3 hours later I am down for the count. Cannot move my head, cannot bear light, literally crawl on the floor to go throw up. Cannot talk, cannot move. This lasts about 48 hours. (I don’t know what I would do if I lived alone…my cats would starve 
)As it dies down about 2 days later, the headache begins to develop and hits me really hard, lately. I am still vertiginous, but it is ebbing as the headache becomes stronger.
I would say the entire episode lasts about 5 to 7 days now, with it taking about 2 weeks to feel normal again. I take Ativan to sleep through as much of the first 2 days as possible, but am not interested in taking ongoing medication. Thankfully, my MAV attacks only come about 3 or 4 times a year.
Sarah
OK, I am working off of one response here, but it does look like what people are calling MAV crashes are what I call dizzyspells. I would probably call them a crash as well if I got them only a few times a year, and it would probably be harder to deal with if I only got them a few times a year.
From all of the reading on various forums over the years, one thing I have learned is that people will use terms differently. Vertigo is a good example of this. When you say the word vertigo to a doc she/he will usually assume spinning. Most of us on this forum use vertigo to mean ANY and all false motion, not just rotational.
Hey Brian,
A MAV crash for me usually means my vision goes all to hell and computer use is near impossible. I feel anxious, IBS is non-stop, dysequilibrium and I just feel really ill overall like I can’t be bothered to do anything, Vision often becomes heavily blurred and sleep is all screwed up waking 2-3 times in the night. If it’s triggered by long distance driving then I can feel as though I’ve had my fingers plugged into a socket. I literally buzz all over.
Scott