I have finally weaned myself off the nortriptiline which didn’t work. So now I am restarting the VRT. I’m up to 3 rotations 3 times a day. I should be doing 10times 3 but the jump is too big. My physio has suggested I work the VRT into my routine e.g staring at an object and moving my head form side to side. Added to this she has me walking for a few minutes looking form side to side. These seem so inocuous but a couple of days in and my balance is worse and the dizziness and vision has worsened also. I have a second opinion with Professor Luxon in August and am inclined to have a rest until then, since I am simply not improving after 3 years. Does VRT actually work for MAV suffers especially those who can’t find a drug to arrest the migraine? Last year I worked through the discomfort of the VRT and it did work until I over did my activity and it crashed. I am just too weary to go through it again. Cowardly I know.
Cowardly shmowardly, Fiona, when you’re just feeling beat down you don’t want to push yourself. That’s not a terrible thing. We need to cut ourselves slack sometimes. I know that I’ve done myself more harm by pushing myself way to hell beyond my limits than by backing off and sucking my wounds, at least in my adult life. And calling myself names doesn’t do squat for me.
Maybe if you give yourself a breather, and take on a bit of it, gently, when you’re not so wiped out, you’ll find it useful. I do. And no, I don’t go through the whole routine three times a day. I just use a bit of it, sometimes, when I feel the need to center myself.
Fiona,
According to Dr Steve Rauch VRT is not useful for people with MAV and almost always makes them feel worse. He says it is practically diagnostic for MAV when symptoms get worse and stay that way. On the other hand, I did come across a paper in the science literature that showed VRT being somewhat effective for a small percentage of one group of people with MAV. Maybe they had other vestibular damage that needed sorting on top of the MAV.
Best … Scott 8)
I’d have to agree with Scott on this one…I’ve been doing VRT since December, I tried to explain to the doc and my VRT physio that the exercises dont really replicate what was happening in my head and that I could do them all with ease but they dont seem to take any notice of me. These are the ones who diagnosed me with VN but my other doc who I’ve recent seen for a second opinion (he diagnosed me with an a-typical migraine) said I have no balance issues at all and they were a waste of time/money
I’m not sure they’ll make anything worse, I just dont think they help…of course, maybe somebody else has had a better experience?
Hi Fiona,
When My physio found out it was mav, and that my 6 month trial of physio only made me worse,
she said we’l give it a miss untill you have stopped migraining.
She said that the physio was a waste of time until my migraine was under control.
as the re- adation will not FIX
I do use these exersises, on occasions .
it helps with a comorbid condition called BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO
http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/bppv/bppv.html
cheers
jen
xx
I did VRT for 12 weeks. It did nothing either way. At times it made me feel worse. Other times I was able to improve my duration/frequency of exercises and thought I was making tremendous progress! Turns out I was just doing a REALLY good job of avoiding major triggers those days. At the time, I was wrongly diagnosed with vestibular neuritis. Either way, for me it was a waste of time!
If your going to stick it out, do what you can with out making yourself feel worse. That’s all anyone can really ask!
Good luck
Sarah
I think if your dizziness is episodic then NO it wont work . But if it is constant I think it does work because your brain is locked in to the dizziness it is accustomed to it so you have to re-learn your brain to stop being dizzy . VRT is meant to make you feel worse at first its par for the course , I think you have to be dedicated and religous with the exercise to see improvement. But I do understand not wanting to make yourself feel worse but I think with VRT its no pain no gain.
I am doing VRT myself alongside my migraine medication but I do think mine started as VN because I can tell the difference from my MAV dizziness and my VN dizziness . My MAV dizziness are shrot bursts of intense dizzy spells and I only tend to get them at certain times of the month whereas my VN dizziness is a more off kilter feeling . Like Ive spun around and im in the in-bettween just before your head fully stops spinning like near normal but its not.
So all in all VRT does work even in people with MAV but I would see what Professor Luxon suggests .
Good luck
Thank you for all your kind replies. I think you may Be right Blondie. My MAV is constant so maybe I need to challenge it. As a current patient of Dr Surenthiran he seems to believe in the VRT. I am seeing Proff Luxon as a second opinion in August so it will be good to get her input.
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Thank you for all your kind replies. I think you may Be right Blondie. My MAV is constant so maybe I need to challenge it. As a current patient of Dr Surenthiran he seems to believe in the VRT. I am seeing Proff Luxon as a second opinion in August so it will be good to get her input.
— End quote
Interesting Fiona, I saw Pro Luxon 1st, then went to Dr Surenthiran for a 2nd opinion…Be interesting to see what response you get.
Pro Luxon sent me off for VRT and said she expected me to be much better after 4 weeks of VRT…After 6 months there was no improvement so I went to see Dr S (Privately) and he gave me a diagnosis of A-typical migraine and said he didnt think VRT would help me…I think everybody is different, I dont have any balance issues though
Chris