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Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Posted by Deb56 @deb56, May 18, 2012

I have been searching for anyone else on Earth with this condition and I guess I am the only one! 🙂 I just want someone to chat with about it, see what seems to bring on their episodes. Anyone out there who has it or knows someone who does?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Support Group.

Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Apr 9, 2021

Hi @merpreb, Here is a video from the Unversity of Michigan demonstrating the Epley

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Apr 10, 2021
In reply to @merpreb "Good morning. I am a mentor for Connect in the Lung Cancer and Lung Disease groups...." + (show)
@merpreb

Good morning. I am a mentor for Connect in the Lung Cancer and Lung Disease groups. I am a long-term lung cancer survivor of 23 years! Along the way to my current age of 74, I have picked up several exasperating and tiresome traveling companions, like a snowball picking up unwanted rocks. I am now the proud owner of Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

I had the Epley maneuver performed and now have to do it myself, at home. Does anyone have any tricks of the trade or recommendations for me? Can I get rid of this forever?

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Merry - Yuk! BPPV is my awful companion too, but the Epley maneuver does help. As for getting rid of it forever - um, no - nobody in my family has been that lucky. At last count, 4 of 6 siblings have it, about 6 of our kids and so did my Dad and at least 2 of his brothers - along with other ear issues. At one point when my kid were young, 6 of us were under the care of one ENT, who called our family a "unique study of ear malfunctions."

I discovered this past year that for me an episode of BPPV is preceded a day or two beforehand by an extra feeling of fullness in my left ear, higher-pitched and much louder tinnitus in that ear, and sometimes a bit of dizziness when moving about. I immediately go to my bed and do the Epley maneuver (have been known to lie down on a park bench and do it once too.) If I repeat it twice or three times a day for 3 days, I can prevent a full-blown bout of BPPV.

If I miss the warning signs and get "hit" with the dizziness, I have learned to lie down and go to sleep. Then as soon as I wake, I start doing the maneuver 3 times a day - shortened the last bout to 1 1/2 days - sometimes it used to last for a week or more.

I find it interesting that you have migraines along with BPPV - so does my sister and 2 of her kids. I get a bad headache with it, but since I never had classic migraines, I don't know what to call it.

I hope the Epley maneuver works for you - can you tell yet which is your affected side? It took me a few years to figure it out.

Sue

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1 reply
Mentor
Merry, Volunteer Mentor | @merpreb | Apr 10, 2021
In reply to @sueinmn "Merry - Yuk! BPPV is my awful companion too, but the Epley maneuver does help. As..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Merry - Yuk! BPPV is my awful companion too, but the Epley maneuver does help. As for getting rid of it forever - um, no - nobody in my family has been that lucky. At last count, 4 of 6 siblings have it, about 6 of our kids and so did my Dad and at least 2 of his brothers - along with other ear issues. At one point when my kid were young, 6 of us were under the care of one ENT, who called our family a "unique study of ear malfunctions."

I discovered this past year that for me an episode of BPPV is preceded a day or two beforehand by an extra feeling of fullness in my left ear, higher-pitched and much louder tinnitus in that ear, and sometimes a bit of dizziness when moving about. I immediately go to my bed and do the Epley maneuver (have been known to lie down on a park bench and do it once too.) If I repeat it twice or three times a day for 3 days, I can prevent a full-blown bout of BPPV.

If I miss the warning signs and get "hit" with the dizziness, I have learned to lie down and go to sleep. Then as soon as I wake, I start doing the maneuver 3 times a day - shortened the last bout to 1 1/2 days - sometimes it used to last for a week or more.

I find it interesting that you have migraines along with BPPV - so does my sister and 2 of her kids. I get a bad headache with it, but since I never had classic migraines, I don't know what to call it.

I hope the Epley maneuver works for you - can you tell yet which is your affected side? It took me a few years to figure it out.

Sue

Jump to this post

Sue- Am having a problem with learning to relax and keep my head at a 45-degree angle. I need to gain some control. My second vaccination is tomorrow! Thank you for all your help here. I don't know of anyone else in my family who had it.

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1 reply
Mentor
Merry, Volunteer Mentor | @merpreb | Apr 10, 2021
In reply to @merpreb "Sue- Am having a problem with learning to relax and keep my head at a 45-degree..." + (show)
@merpreb

Sue- Am having a problem with learning to relax and keep my head at a 45-degree angle. I need to gain some control. My second vaccination is tomorrow! Thank you for all your help here. I don't know of anyone else in my family who had it.

Jump to this post

Sue- Do you do any of the eye movement exercises too?

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1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Apr 10, 2021
In reply to @merpreb "Sue- Do you do any of the eye movement exercises too?" + (show)
@merpreb

Sue- Do you do any of the eye movement exercises too?

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No, they didn't seem to make a difference for me.
Sue

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1 reply
Mentor
Merry, Volunteer Mentor | @merpreb | Apr 10, 2021
In reply to @sueinmn "No, they didn't seem to make a difference for me. Sue" + (show)
@sueinmn

No, they didn't seem to make a difference for me.
Sue

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I'm finding that if I do it 3x in a row I get better results. You split yours up?

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