I was just diagnosed with MAV in December of 2008. I have been suffering with the symptoms since last June. I went to a handful of local doctors, had a zillion tests done, and no one knew what was wrong with me. This is a terrible disorder! I finally contacted Dr. Hain in Chicago and he diagnosed me. I am currently taking Verapamil, only 1/2 of a dose every night. I am very sensitive to meds and already have blood pressure that runs on the low side. I don’t think the medicine is working. I’ve been on it sine December 18th. Does anyone know if this condition can just “go away” as fast as it came? Has anyone had good luck with Verapamil? I don’t have migraines, just the dizziness, fullness, vertigo, etc. I only get a cluster of migraines in the spring.
Hi Nance,
Welcome to the board. I’m sorry you have a reason to be here.
You’ll need to give the Verapamil a chance to work. The general guidance is to give a preventative at least three months to work, assuming you can tolerate the side effects. Verapamil is often the first preventative prescribed because it generally has the fewest side effects. It has helped at least a few members of this board with getting the vertigo under control. I was on it for several months last year. It did seem to help with the vertigo, but I can’t say that with 100% certainty because I started the migraine diet at the same time. As far as this condition just going away, I imagine it can but I personally don’t know of anyone who has had that happen. It seems to be a more gradual process to an improved state of well being through diet, lifestyle changes, and medication.
Good luck, I hope you find relief soon!
Marci
I had good success with Verapamil. I went from 120 mg to 180 mg to 240 mg. I take that in conjunction with Zoloft and Klonopin. I was 80% on the Zoloft and the Verapamil brought me to 95% . I recently came off as it could effect fertility and my wife and I are trying for another child. They swtched me to Nadanol a beta blocker which took a while but I got to almost 95%. Last couple of months I am in a blip due to a nasty sinus infection. I have been on 2 different antiobiotics and prednisone. I think the prednisone aggravated my anxiety which then aggravated my MAV.
To answer your question Verapamil is a good and widely used drug with a low side effect profile. They may need to adjust your dosage and maybe combo other drugs. You do need to give it a few months as Marci said.
Howie
Hey Howie,
They switched me to Nadanol a beta blocker …
Have you had any side effects on this stuff? What dose are you on and did you titrate it up over a few weeks?
Scott 8)
Hey Howie -
“I had good success with Verapamil. I went from 120 mg to 180 mg to 240 mg. I take that in conjunction with Zoloft and Klonopin. I was 80% on the Zoloft and the Verapamil brought me to 95% .”
Could you tell me more about this? I am curious as have recently come off of Prozac and have found that I had a moderate amount of prophylactic benefit from it in regards to my MAV symptoms. I also have taken Klonopin and tolerated it well. I didn’t know that I could have just added Verapamil. Did you have any side effects with Verapamil?
Thanks for your help.
Molly
Hey Molly -
I haven’t seen you on in awhile, how are you? How are you coming along on The Migraine Program? Did you go through with it? What kind of results are you having? I think the last I heard you were just beginning.
Hope you’re feeling well -
Kim
Molly:
In my situation I think Anxiety is a key component. To be Zoloft is the key medication. But once on verapamil the symptoms little by little started to dissapear till I felt pretty normal
Scott: Only side effect is some congestion but I am also in a sinus infection nightmare so hard to tell
I was on 40 mg’s for 2 months 60 for 1 month and then 80…Only real symptom left before the sinus infection was some visuals
— Begin quote from “nance”
…Does anyone know if this condition can just “go away” as fast as it came? … I don’t have migraines, just the dizziness, fullness, vertigo, etc. I only get a cluster of migraines in the spring.
— End quote
Since MAV is a migraine variant, it should follow typical migraine patterns. I need to stress, from what I understand, migraines can be cyclic in nature, meaning that there can be periods in your life where you have them, and then go for years without. For some people, they might experience them for several years only. I know with women, this can be even more so, coming or going with changes in your body, ie menapause or pregnancy.
This is a fairly new diagnoses of migraines, so it is “assumed” that with time, the condition will fade.
Brian
Nance:
From the literature on this subject and postings I have read from other vertigo/migraines sufferers, it does not seem likely that either will go away as suddenly as it appeared unless: 1. the vertigo is caused by BPPV and has been treated by a physical therapist with the Epley manuever, which involves repositioning the crystals in the inner ear or 2. if it only happened once as a result of a viral infection. Otherwise, if you have had several spins they tend to repeat themselves and often develop a pattern. In the beginning for me, they came many months apart, so I was not terribly concerned during the first two years. It was not until they came more and more frequently that I started to realize that I needed serious help. Vertigo is a condition that usually requires the aid of an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist. Since you are describing other symptoms too that seem to be related to the ear, that appears to be the best place to go for help. But, I thought I read that one could have vertigo and MAV without the actual headache. I do not remember where I read that, possibly Dr. Hain’s site. If I were you I would have testing done with an ENT and see a neurologist.
Good luck!
Karen
— Begin quote from “KarenS”
Vertigo is a condition that usually requires the aid of an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist. Since you are describing other symptoms too that seem to be related to the ear, that appears to be the best place to go for help.
— End quote
I’m sorry Karen, but I would have to disagree. Vertigo is the MAIN symptom of people suffering from MAV. Most ENTs don’t even know what MAV is. MAV is ***LOADED ***with hearing and balance symptoms. It’s a neurological disorder, which is why many ENTs don’t understand it, or even recognize that there is such a thing.
Nance - If you’ve been diagnosed by Dr. Hain, you can feel confident in his diagnosis. He is top in his field. I think you will find plenty of information on this Board regarding people’s experiences with ENTs, as well as Neurologists.
There are many, ***many ***of us with MAV that do not suffer with headaches. Google MAV and you will see it all over the place. You do not need to suffer with headaches to suffer with MIGRAINE.
Nance, like the others said, don’t give up on the Verapamil yet. It hasn’t been long enough. As long as you are able to tolerate any side effects, stick it out and give it a chance to work.
Unfortunately, MAV doesn’t “just disappear as fast as it came”, but the key is - don’t give up on looking for what works for you. Unfortunately there is “no one thing or no one cure” but there are plenty of options as long as you don’t give up.
Kim