Hello,
I wanted to ask what you guys do when you are experiencing a heavy vertigo attack. I always geht heavy panic attacks, which worsen the vertigo… 
A second question: How long do you experience heavy vertigo attacks? I’m afraid that they could last days. I mean the real vertigo attacks, where everything is spinning heavily, not the dizziness.
I hope that some of you are feeling good,
It’s tough.
Looking back to when I had vertigo attacks that meant I couldn’t walk without holding on, I had a few weapons. One, I had people who love me. Big one. Meant I wasn’t going totally down the tubes, helpless, . . . Another, helpess is helpless. I lay there, waiting: am I gonna die now? Am I gonna fall out of bed if I just lie here? (No, even though it felt like it.) So lay it on me. Do whatever you’re gonna do. I’m waiting. I feel like shit? Okay, yeah, what else is coming? Lying there, nothing else did come.
I remember one time I had to pee, got out of bed, couldn’t quite maneuver myself to the bathroom. Yecch. Okay, so I got there and finished peeing, then cleaned myself and the floor of the little bit of mess. This wasn’t about migraine but about recovering from hip surgery, but same deal; unpleasant but handle-able.
(My sweetie points out that this was unnecessary drama: she could have helped me to the toilet. Thing is, I didn’t realize I would need the help.)
Any way, all of these things help keep down my inclinations to panic.
The big one, though, might be when you’ve been on this board a while, you see that people get over the worst experiences, and even when there’s a relapse, it can be real disheartening but it’s not the same zap as after it hit the first time.
Hello David,
Thank you so much for your reply. I wonder why you are the only one replying.
My biggest fear at the moment is that I will never be symptom-free again or that a vertigo spell could last hours nonstop. Right now I have this BPPV vertigo, I hope it sticks to it. I know that it’s terribly wrong to think like that, I haven’t even yet got a clear diagnosis or medication. The last week I spent hours here and read terrible stories. My lovely boyfriend supports me and says that I should stop reading the stories here, because they make me feel worse. I try to focus on the success stories.
My first vertigo attack was last month, it happened while I was leaning forward at the toilet. I fell to the floor, but the vertigo lasted only 5 seconds. When I got out of the bath it happened over and over again when tilting my head. A few days later it disappeared, but returned again last week, fortunately not that heavy like before. This fits into what you said: “(…)you see that people get over the worst experiences, and even when there’s a relapse, it can be real disheartening but it’s not the same zap as after it hit the first time.” The symptoms are just like BPPV, though my ENT examined me and said it couldn’t be. He was the first who suspected Vestibular Migraibe. I think I am lucky that the first Doc I went to because of my vertigo, almost diagnosed my problem. I’m pretty sure that it’s VM. The vertigo always happened once in a month, while having my lady-strawberry-week (always had normal migraine then, seems to be hormone-related). I REALLY hope that my VM only occurs in this time of the month, and not on other days too. By the way, sorry for writing so much again, I need a place to talk about my feelings.
Thank you so much for telling me your way to cope with anxiety. When I feel this way again, I will take your advices to heart. Oh, and sorry about my poor english, hope you understand me nonetheless.
Yep I think vertigo and anxiety go hand in hand. My specialist, the wonderful Dr Surenthiran, said that the brain stem is irritable and when balance is affected it triggers the brain’s fight or flight response. Adrenalin is released and our brains start freaking out in the same way they would if we came face to face with a lion!
I have had MAV 4.5 years now but only started having attacks of spinning vertigo a year ago. At first I thought it might be BPPV but I cannot create the vertigo by moving my head in certain positions, it can just occur randomly and unexpectedly, therefore I assume it is another variant of MAV. The severe spells of vertigo can definitely cause anxiety and panic attacks and, when I first started with MAV, I spent the first few months in a permanent state of severe anxiety and panic attacks, which was horrendous. The best way I find is to try to ride out the panic and not let it scare you, then it seems to subside quicker. It is very hard to deal with but hopefully it will get easier over time for you. Aussiegirl, who posts here quite often, suffered from vertigo at that ‘time of the month’ like you describe but I think she was seeing some improvement once she started on Topamax. Do you take any meds? x