Vestibular Neuritis
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Yep - 2-3 times. It's pretty frightening when it first happens but it (usually) soon clears up; well, it did in my case. My doc didn't prescribe anything and although I had a couple of days off work my AME wasn't concerned. I believe the symptoms can vary. Mine were the same each time - room spinning when laying in bed. Standing up I was OK. A colleague had it and his symptoms were worse when upright; he couldn't drive as each time he turned his head everything went bananas and he suffered bad "seasickness". Again, it cleared up fairly rapidly.
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My GF currently has it, she has some other long term conditions which make it even worse. It actually affected her eyesight at it's worst last week, pupils constantly moving making it near impossible to focus. Dr has told her 4 - 6 weeks to clear completely, improvement expected within 2 weeks.
Apparently the test which makes it obvious is have the patient follow the movement of a pen in front of the eye whilst observing and jerkiness of pupil motion.
If you have it you have my sympathy!
Apparently the test which makes it obvious is have the patient follow the movement of a pen in front of the eye whilst observing and jerkiness of pupil motion.
If you have it you have my sympathy!
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A friend of mine has it at the moment.....he's been given sea-sickness pills for medication!
I had it last year. I spent two weeks in bed, not a barrel of laughs. Cleared up in about a month.
I had it last year. I spent two weeks in bed, not a barrel of laughs. Cleared up in about a month.
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Sat reading a magazine at teatime. (about 8 years ago) Suddenly felt as if I was going to faint. Had to close my eyes to stop the room spinning fast, then started reaching, but not being sick and went almost to unconsciousness and rolled sideways onto settee.
Wife phoned emergency doctor who said "Bring him to surgery". 'Er indoors told him that it was impossible to move me. He arrived within ten minutes and immediately suggested Labyrinthitis.
Gave me an injection and tablets to take and within about 8 hours I was fine again. Took further tablets for a couple of days. I felt that I was dying and that it wasn't too bad as I'd had a good life.
Wife phoned emergency doctor who said "Bring him to surgery". 'Er indoors told him that it was impossible to move me. He arrived within ten minutes and immediately suggested Labyrinthitis.
Gave me an injection and tablets to take and within about 8 hours I was fine again. Took further tablets for a couple of days. I felt that I was dying and that it wasn't too bad as I'd had a good life.
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Coincidence! I have just finished a bout of it for the third time. Not so bad this time but getting out of bed last Friday, I fell A over T and that was it. Back to bed with horrific roomspin.
just like being pissed without the alchohol!!
just like being pissed without the alchohol!!
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It would almost certainly have been Cyclazine (not sure about spelling) in the injection and probably in the tabs. The injection would have stung like a b*stard if so!
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Originally Posted by stilton
Any idea what was in the injection and tablets ?
NOT safe, however, in anyone proposing to drive or fly, due to the likely sedative side effects (actually, a good effect if you are suffering the misery of labyrinthitis ! ).
Psychophysiological entity
One day, when I'm too old to be prosecuted, I'll post the funny? e-mail I sent a pal about passing a Class I at LGW while suffering raging vertigo.
I was in the second day, and had observed a 27 second swirling period after sitting up -- or lying down -- before everything stabalized. I used this period to save the day. How I got through this medical was the suff of a Brian Rix farce, and at one point I almost hung on the head-honcho's lapels to stop falling over, but I wobbled out with that magic piece of paper with a week off and 3 weeks of refrshers before Tech school. I was better in three days, and would have lost the job because medicals were being booked weeks ahead in that CAA to JAA transition.
No, I didn't drive there, and had to be helped out of the car.
I was in the second day, and had observed a 27 second swirling period after sitting up -- or lying down -- before everything stabalized. I used this period to save the day. How I got through this medical was the suff of a Brian Rix farce, and at one point I almost hung on the head-honcho's lapels to stop falling over, but I wobbled out with that magic piece of paper with a week off and 3 weeks of refrshers before Tech school. I was better in three days, and would have lost the job because medicals were being booked weeks ahead in that CAA to JAA transition.
No, I didn't drive there, and had to be helped out of the car.
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labyrinthitis vs BPV
Chaps & Chapesses
Diagnosis of vertiginous disorders is an area poorly understood and poorly performed by most general practitioners. AMEs might be a bit better but I wouldn't bet on it.
The commonest misdiagnosis is confusion between labyrinthitis (which overlaps with a closely related condition called vestibular neuritis) and benign positioning vertigo (BPV). There's a lot of small print but basically BPV is vertigo only precipitated by change in head position, most commonly lying down, lasts for <60sec total vertigo even if you feel sick for longer, and after a while at rest you feel perfectly fine. Labyrinthitis is vertigo lasting for days, worse with any head movement but not completely resolving at rest, with a slow recovery over weeks to a month or three depending on severity and vestibular demands (ie you might be fine walking but in bumpy IMC with a partial panel you might as well get out and walk).
The two conditions require completely different treatments. BPV, which is really common, doesn't need drugs.
There are a number of other vestibular disorders that are less common, not detailed here. This obviously includes barotrauma which should be obvious (onset with change in pressure).
Coming back to my original point, skill in this area is really sparse and confined to a proportion only of ENTs and neurologists, few GPs and virtually no-one else. So if it matters to your professional career get a serious opinion. Often it doesn't matter - all gone long away - in which case fine. Sorry to sound discouraging and I don't usually bother interfering in this forum, but there seems to be some problems here.
For your reference I often suggest people go to emedicine for their well written reviews, and would include these:
http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic411.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC637.HTM
Diagnosis of vertiginous disorders is an area poorly understood and poorly performed by most general practitioners. AMEs might be a bit better but I wouldn't bet on it.
The commonest misdiagnosis is confusion between labyrinthitis (which overlaps with a closely related condition called vestibular neuritis) and benign positioning vertigo (BPV). There's a lot of small print but basically BPV is vertigo only precipitated by change in head position, most commonly lying down, lasts for <60sec total vertigo even if you feel sick for longer, and after a while at rest you feel perfectly fine. Labyrinthitis is vertigo lasting for days, worse with any head movement but not completely resolving at rest, with a slow recovery over weeks to a month or three depending on severity and vestibular demands (ie you might be fine walking but in bumpy IMC with a partial panel you might as well get out and walk).
The two conditions require completely different treatments. BPV, which is really common, doesn't need drugs.
There are a number of other vestibular disorders that are less common, not detailed here. This obviously includes barotrauma which should be obvious (onset with change in pressure).
Coming back to my original point, skill in this area is really sparse and confined to a proportion only of ENTs and neurologists, few GPs and virtually no-one else. So if it matters to your professional career get a serious opinion. Often it doesn't matter - all gone long away - in which case fine. Sorry to sound discouraging and I don't usually bother interfering in this forum, but there seems to be some problems here.
For your reference I often suggest people go to emedicine for their well written reviews, and would include these:
http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic411.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC637.HTM
Thread Starter
Thanks for that, Omniplasm.
After seeing my GP, two ENT'S and two Neurologists the most popular opinion is that I have Vestibular Neuritis, briefly, I have a feeling of falling, always to the right, sensation of fullness in my ears with clicking when swallowing, alternating from one ear to the other.
But, no Nausea, no hearing loss.
Have had a Sinus Cat scan, Mri of the brain, hearing tests etc.. all negative.
This all started after a very mild sinus infection and has been ongoing for 3 months.
Today I had a Mri taken of the inner ear, hoping that will show something as I have had some ear pain as well lately.
After reading your linked article, I am going to try to persuade my ENT tomorrow to try a 3 week course of Methylprednisolone starting at 100 mg, tapering down to 10mg.
They have ruled out BBPV, my next stop is a Neuro otologist.
As you said, the only constant is the lack of knowledge on this disorder.
Very frustrating and discouraging
Any other suggestions would be welcome. Thanks again.
After seeing my GP, two ENT'S and two Neurologists the most popular opinion is that I have Vestibular Neuritis, briefly, I have a feeling of falling, always to the right, sensation of fullness in my ears with clicking when swallowing, alternating from one ear to the other.
But, no Nausea, no hearing loss.
Have had a Sinus Cat scan, Mri of the brain, hearing tests etc.. all negative.
This all started after a very mild sinus infection and has been ongoing for 3 months.
Today I had a Mri taken of the inner ear, hoping that will show something as I have had some ear pain as well lately.
After reading your linked article, I am going to try to persuade my ENT tomorrow to try a 3 week course of Methylprednisolone starting at 100 mg, tapering down to 10mg.
They have ruled out BBPV, my next stop is a Neuro otologist.
As you said, the only constant is the lack of knowledge on this disorder.
Very frustrating and discouraging
Any other suggestions would be welcome. Thanks again.
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Labyrinthitus
Had a bad episode of Labyrinthitus about 7 years ago which sent me and the house into the worst spin imagineable. Wife, who used to be a nurse, called doc who injected Stematol ( I think ) to stop the sickness. When I did the eye test to follow his hand he called his colleague and said "Wow, Look at this " I think my eyeballs were going walkabout.
Couldn't see for a couple of days and had to be spoon fed for about a week.
The worst thing is that docs can do very little for the condition. My quack was worse than useless by not accepting that it can last more than the six weeks his textbbook said.
About nine months later, I got my licence back.
Installed MS Flight Sim ( sad, I know ) to get hand/eye co ordination back, and bought myself a mountain bike to explore the flight envelope, as it were.
Regards
Couldn't see for a couple of days and had to be spoon fed for about a week.
The worst thing is that docs can do very little for the condition. My quack was worse than useless by not accepting that it can last more than the six weeks his textbbook said.
About nine months later, I got my licence back.
Installed MS Flight Sim ( sad, I know ) to get hand/eye co ordination back, and bought myself a mountain bike to explore the flight envelope, as it were.
Regards
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<<Lancelot, Any idea what was in the injection and tablets ? >>
The tablets were Stematil, but no idea about the injection as I was "out of it". The injection may have been the same in liquid form as an immediate treatment into the blood stream.
The tablets were Stematil, but no idea about the injection as I was "out of it". The injection may have been the same in liquid form as an immediate treatment into the blood stream.
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Yep, other possibilities are MS or Meniere's disease.
Learn about all medical conditions on www.patient.co.uk
Billed as the same resource used by your GP. It is very useful.
Learn about all medical conditions on www.patient.co.uk
Billed as the same resource used by your GP. It is very useful.
Psychophysiological entity
Thanks Omni, very interesting. s'what this forum's all about.
Sounds like I was very lucky to only have BPV, but when I first sat up it was as though my bed had been trown round the room. As I mentioned, 27 seconds was almost perfectly timed every transition.
Sounds like I was very lucky to only have BPV, but when I first sat up it was as though my bed had been trown round the room. As I mentioned, 27 seconds was almost perfectly timed every transition.
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Stilton I've been suffering from vestibular neuronitis for nearly 5 months now. Conditions are slowly getting better but I now find I get really tired around 5pm.
I've been to see 2 ENT docs, a neurologist and an audiological scientist and it seems that the condition is not particularly well understood especially if symptoms persist for over 3 weeks.
Best advice I can give is try and relax as the symptoms are made worse with stress. Easier said than done I know.
I'm also trying to keep fairly active which helps retrain the brain (cycling etc).
Good luck
I've been to see 2 ENT docs, a neurologist and an audiological scientist and it seems that the condition is not particularly well understood especially if symptoms persist for over 3 weeks.
Best advice I can give is try and relax as the symptoms are made worse with stress. Easier said than done I know.
I'm also trying to keep fairly active which helps retrain the brain (cycling etc).
Good luck
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I'm also trying to keep fairly active which helps retrain the brain (cycling etc).
Good luck
Good luck
He explained the 'healing process' is similar to a child learning how to stand up for the first time. If you watch a toddler falling over while he learns to walk upright, all he is doing is educating his balance mechanism. If you have had a bad bout of labyrinthitus you have to re educate your brain to get your balance back. Do not be afraid of falling over ( a child isn't ) Don't be afraid of 'exploring the envelope'. You might feel nauseous but you must stretch your brain and balance mechanism deliberately. Similar to having a broken leg, you have to exercise it to get the strength back.
As No1Mutt says, get the bike out. Use exercise to get the strength back.
I have heard of other sufferers who have gone down the Alternative Therapy route. I tried Acupuncture as conventional medicine usually cannot help. I found that, while it was OK experience, it did NOTHING for the condition. One other who tried homeopathy looked a physical wreck. I am convinced that exercise is the best way.
Regards
Last edited by OyYou; 16th May 2008 at 11:25.
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I had a mild attack a few years ago. Ironically it started in a hotel in Chicago when I was returning to the UK after checking out flying schools for Ab Initio training and I had to postpone my appointment for the initial class 1 medical.
Fortunately it never really got beyond a slightly dizzy / nauseous phase. I also found that bright lights were just a bit "too bright" and this seemed to increase the feeling of nausea. My GP diagnosed a inner ear infection and prescribed Stemetil tablets. It cleared up in about 10 days so I guess it was BPV and not labrynthitus. Should have asked more questions.
When I finally made it to the AME he made me do a lot of balance stuff (on one leg / eyes closed / tip of finger to nose etc) got the medical ok.
Fortunately it never really got beyond a slightly dizzy / nauseous phase. I also found that bright lights were just a bit "too bright" and this seemed to increase the feeling of nausea. My GP diagnosed a inner ear infection and prescribed Stemetil tablets. It cleared up in about 10 days so I guess it was BPV and not labrynthitus. Should have asked more questions.
When I finally made it to the AME he made me do a lot of balance stuff (on one leg / eyes closed / tip of finger to nose etc) got the medical ok.