CPAP and vertigo?

jrc · Post by **jrc** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:05 pm

Hi everyone,

I have been on CPAP therapy for 3 months now. My AHI numbers are consistently below 5, so I feel like I am making progress.

However, a month ago I had an episode of severe vertigo that sent me to the emergency room. Everything checked out ok and the doctor attributed it to an inner ear problem.

I had my hearing throughly checked out and they can't find anything wrong.

I was wondering if the problems I am having with vertigo are somehow related to the pressure being pumped into my sinuses etc. via the CPAP (my pressure is .

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

thanks,

jrc

Maryb · Post by **Maryb** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:16 pm

I haven't had vertigo but have started having dizzy spells.
I thought it was because my blood pressure has been dropping due to successful CPAP therapy. But maybe it's due to air being blown into my inner ears as you suggest.

Maryb

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:57 pm

Hi, did you have the vertigo just on waking up, or later in the day? Because I might think there's a connection if it was first thing, but not later on. Last year I went to Emerg. feeling dizzy, but it was only after talking a while with the MD that I remembered having spray varnished something earlier on in the day without proper ventilation!

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:03 pm

if you are taking blood pressure medication then go on cpap it can result in hypotension or low blood pressure.

You might want to take your blood pressure more regularly and write down your results, one of those recording types are good give that info to your doctor in case you need your meds adjusted.

Vertigo may be more noticeable when you go from a sitting position to a standing position, it takes enormous amounts of blood to move the large leg muscles, if BP is low it can rob blood flow from the brain which causes the momentary vertigo.

I would also consider a B12 and Potassium supplement.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:19 pm

It's important (to explain to the MD) that you differentiate between 'vertigo', where the room seems to be spinning, and dizziness, where you are 'losing' it but the room isn't. With vertigo it can be labyrinthitis, an inner ear problem for which there's medication. Dizziness can be caused by many things from cardiac problems to low blood sugar or pressure, etc. and must be diagnosed and treated for the underlying cause.

DerekB · Post by **DerekB** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:12 pm

Hi jrc,

I've had vertigo before. First time it happened, I was sleeping then I woke up, turned from one side to the other and BAM the room was spinning in circles and my vision was shaking. Scared the sh** out of me. It went away after a half minute. After checking with my ear doctor he said is was BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO or BPPV for short. Basically rocks in my head. Yep, small crystals of calcium carbonate called "otoconia" in the inner ear that dislodge and float around in there touching nerves and structures of the balance mechanism in your inner ear. It can happen when you turn your head in different positions like lying down and moving side to side or even when standing and looking straight up. BPPV is not usually serious. There are manuvers that will postion the otoconia in an area that won't cause the verigo. Usually they will disolve over time. Mine has gone away and I haven't had an attack for quite a while.

Here is a link that will tell you everything you want to know about BPPV.
http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/diso ... /bppv.html

Sign me - Rocks in my head (literally)

DB

Bonnie · Post by **Bonnie** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:41 pm

The day before Thanksgiving I woke up with such severe dizziness, sweating and nausia that I thought I was having a stroke, heart attack or checking out. Living alone, I thought it best to call 911. The arriving medical personnel took my blood pressure which was very high. My blood pressure is always around 117/75. I was taken to the hospital where a cat scan EKG & blood work were done. All were normal, thank goodness. I was told that it was Vertigo. Up until that point Vertigo to me was an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was told it could last for a day, a week or longer. It usually happens after an ear infection which I didn't have, no sickness of any kind prior to this episode. I was told it could come at any time. Or I might not experience it again. I've never had a dizzy spell and this one scared the bejeebies out of me. I was given medication and sent home. I could not move my head with out having that awful spinning, out of control feeling. My daughter picked me up, took me home and took my playful young dog home and I slept for 22 hours. When I did wake up I felt fine, no dizziness, no drug hangover and set out to enjoy the rest of my 4 day weekend. I did do a lot of reading on the subject to learn about it and hope that I never experience anything like that again. I've been dizzy free since then, but if you ask my friends they might not agree.

DerekB · Post by **DerekB** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:24 am

Bump

jrc where are you?

cillakat · Post by **cillakat** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:44 am

i've had one episode of really frightening vertigo that was intermittent over about a week. it started in the middle of the night. i was awoken by the bed/room spinning.

i was concurrently having a lot of neck/shoulder pain. i didn't know what to do for the vertigo, but for the neck/shoulder pain i went to the chiro and the massage therapist. the massage therapist spent 80 minutes working on just my head, ears, face, jaw, neck and shoulders....most of it with me face up.

when i left her office i was dizzier than ever and felt like i had the flu. it got worse for about three hours, during which point i mostly tried to sleep, very nauseated.

then i woke up, it was gone and it hasn't returned once. That was the beginning of august.

k