Dizziness & Vertigo Support Group
Dizziness is the sensation of instability. Vertigo refers to dizziness with a sensation of motion. Vertigo is more likely than other types of dizziness to be associated with nausea, vomiting, or double vision, to occur even when lying down, and to feel better with the eyes closed. If you are a frequent sufferer of dizziness or vertigo, join the group and find support.
Hello, I was rushed to the ER friday and found out I had vertigo. THe doc said it could be an underlying virus as well. Of course I was told to follow up with my medical provider, which I don't have one. My long-term provider passed away and the quality of care from the others I've seen have been subpar. I've been healthy for the past six years, with the exception to a few trips to the urgent care for minor illnesses: cold, cough, allergies, etc.
I was given a script for ativert,w hich I've been taking 3 times a day. I've also been given amoxcilian, which the doc jsut gave me out of precaution. I haven't taken the valium, because Im extremely concerned about addiction, as I know several of people who become addicted, not to mention I prefer to figure out what's causing this. I'm getting anxiety attacks and can't be seen by an ENT until another few weeks. I have an extremely busy schedule as a single parent and just dont' know what to do. We live in a nation of "pill writing" and I want to have this fixed. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Anxiety attacks are kind of "normal" for vertigo, because you feel like you've lost a whole part of your sensory experience and are in danger at random intervals. Also, if it continues, then you could become worried about what the future holds, and how are you going to cope with such a horrible situation.
Well, your world hasn't ended yet, and you have time to recover and/or time to learn how to cope. Nobody can or should insinuate that what you feel isn't significant, or that it's not cause for alarm, because to people like us it most certainly is. Vertigo itself is a condition and is not deadly, just dreadful.
I won't advise you on the pills, but the Antivert is Meclizine, which is the same thing in a brand of over-the-counter Dramamine. I couldn't handle any pills myself. I got antibiotics, too, from a doctor who was equally clueless; and I took them "just because... maybe." But really antibiotics only treat bacterial infections which is really unlikely with vertigo, and it just messes up your gut for a long time.
Now, there's 300-some causes of vertigo. The most common being BPPV, which is loose crystals in one of your ear canals. This can happen for a number of reasons. You could also have a viral infection, or you could have fluid/sinus problems from allergies for example. Are you on any other meds that might induce vertigo? Some people, myself included, suffer from bruxism, which is grinding of the teeth at night, and have found a little relief from wearing a bite guard.
Also, some people who have undiagnosed diabetes develop vertigo, too. Have you had an A1C test to get an average of your glucose over the past 3 months? It is very important for you and everyone to do this, as diabetes can occur in pretty much anyone at any point. If they took a single glucose reading, that might not show much because you could be waiting in the ER and not have eaten anything for a while and your glucose could drop down to normal by the time they take the test. So, an A1C is a better indicator.
There's other more serious possible issues listed on the internet, but you shouldn't concentrate on them at this early point. Your vertigo might clear up in a couple of days or weeks -- let's hope! But try to relax. If you have to slow down from being the go-go mom, then you have to slow down. Meanwhile, you should go to the ENT, and tey might find something, or might not. There's a lot of possibilities to start eliminating. Patience is in order, as well as persistence. Just keep a log of your doctors visits, and your experience overall because a pattern might emerge to reveal what's happening. Doctors often just do basic ear checks looking for fluid or infection, and nerve-coordination checks looking for signs of a stroke, but beyond that they end up guessing a lot. Then they hand out pills, tell you to go to physical therapy, tell you to seek mental help, and then hope it goes away on its own. Sometimes there's no known explanation, but you've got a lot of time to figure it out. Hopefully, you're otherwise healthy, but something is going on and you should be prepared for learning more about the healthcare system and anatomy than you probably cared to.
[hugs and hope]