Ever had vertigo due to inner ear infection?

[Jersey Girl]

Dear Friends,

I have been to the doctor because the room was spinning and the floor more than once came up to meet me. Additionally, I was very nautious from all the dizziness and had a full fledged panic attack after all night dizziness. I couldn't even where my cpap last night - just sat up in a high sitting position on the sofa with pillows all around me because I felt as though I was falling. (Also threw up this morning). I Can't lay down or turn my head without going through rapid dizziness. Dr. said it can take a few days or a few weeks for the dizziness and imbalance issues to go away. Said it was a virus in the inner ear. Labrynthitus. Gave me meclazine, which makes me very, very groggy. Am wondering how I can go back to work on Monday with being so groggy - have to drive 32 miles each way - so I can't be dizzy either.

Question: Have you ever had this and how long did it take before it went away. Did you take anything besides meclazine (anti-vert) that helped?

I thank you for reading this and do hope that someone posts back, as I feel as though I am on a ride that I would like to get off of!

Your friend,

Jersey Girl

[silver123]

I had something like this. It's nasty. If I moved the room spun and I had instant nausea. I found lying as still as I could helped with no sudden movements. It cleared quickly with meds, within 48 hours.

Do not attempt to drive until this is completely gone....or do anything that is balance dependent, which is about everything. Better groggy and safe.

[elena88]

IM SO sorry you are going through this!

If you can get your hands on one of those soft foam neck braces, that will keep your head still and you wont tilt it forward and be less likely
to turn it to the side..

I hope this resolves itself soon!

elena

[Country4ever]

Dizziness is awful!
I had alot of dizziness when I had sinus problems.
Have you hit your head recently? Sometimes the otoliths inside your ear get moved and can cause dizziness.
then there's Meniere's disease, but hopefully your's is something simpler.
Are you having any ear pain?
What kind of doctor did you see? Be sure its an ENT.
I've never heard of an inner ear "virus."
You might try mucinex combined with sudafed.
If it continues to be really bad this weekend, have someone take you to the ER.

I'm really sorry this is happening to you!

[howkim]

I sympathize. I had vertigo in January. I couldn't get out of bed for 4 days. My doc sent me to a neurologist who, after a simple test, said that the little stones in my ear canals had gotten out of place. She prescribed the Epley Manouver for me, to move them back. Was supposed to do it 4 times a day for 10 days. The first time I did it, I almost lost my lunch. After that, I got progressively better.

Try this. Sit on your bed. Turn your head to one side and lie back. Did the room spin? Lie there for a minute, if so. Now, sit up, turn your head to the other side and lie back. Did the room spin? If only one side spun, that's your affected side. Google the Epley Manouver, and do it for a couple of days (I'd suggest the 10 my doc prescribed). Then see how you are.

DO NOT DRIVE UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED OR WHILE THE MECLIZINE IS MAKING YOU GROGGY. That's considered driving while impaired. Do you have any co-workers near you who can give you a ride? I was lucky enough to have two of them.

When I got back to work when this was getting better, one of my co-workers kidded me about walking like a nun - not moving my head around without moving my entire body with it.

[Eureka]

I had a bout with this in December 06-- supposed to take my son to the airport 80 miles away -- started to get up and wow .. some feeling. I got another ride for him and I went to the Dr. -- got meclizine -- and recovered quickly. And haven't had any other episodes. Is meclizine the drug of choice for this? Seems to be. Hope this clears up quickly for you -- and that you have no repeats.

[Jersey Girl]

Dear Howkim,

I just did my first series of Eply meneuvers. Very dizzy! Will do more later. I am really hoping that this will help.

Unfortunately, I live 32 miles away from work and all other workers are 3 minutes away. Other than a custodian who doesn't work the same hours that I do. I could get there but not get home. My husband and I don't work the same shifts either. So, I have to pray that this subsides by Monday. I worked from home on thursday but was was very naucious on Friday, so I did not work, but stayed home on a vacation day. (what a vacation!) I have to be able to drive to work somehow on Monday.

Thanks for your recommendation - will keep working on the Eply.

Jersey Girl

[newhosehead]

IM SO sorry you are going through this!

If you can get your hands on one of those soft foam neck braces, that will keep your head still and you wont tilt it forward and be less likely
to turn it to the side..

I hope this resolves itself soon!

elena

Jersey Girl, I too am sorry you are going through this. I have had it also and it took a few days to resolve. I just really wanted to echo Elena's suggestion. I did this (already had the neck brace for other reasons) and I don't remember what prompted me to try it but it really really helped. I hope this resolves soon.

Jeanette

[Janknitz]

Ugh, I had this. It came on all of the sudden and hit me like a ton of bricks. One minute I was walking from my office to the conference room and the next I was falling all over like some drunk. I was terrified that I was having a stroke, and the first words out of my doctor's mouth when he walked into the examining room was "you're not having a stroke". I could have kissed him!

It took me a few days to be functional again. It's scary and annoying, but it does go away. The Antivert really helped, but as others have said you should not drive or try to do anything requiring balance (walking included) until you are feeling better.

Sleep off the drug, watch (or listen) to your favorite movies, and let it go away.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Jaylee]

Yes, I had this when I was a teenager. It lasted for a few days. I don't remember what they gave me for it though. I found that just lying on the floor was the best for me. It helped.

[pdean44]

I live upstate NY and my wife and I are from the north fork of long island. Last summer we towed our camper down to visit her family and happily parked it in the back yard and set about enjoying the summer and family. I had one good day. The next day my ear was acting up and my wife and i took a stroll down to the water and watched the sunset together and reminisced about time flying by and how the children have grown. We went back to the house as the sun fell and had a nice evening. I was tired from the trip and retired to the camper. In the middle of the night i woke and jumped out of bed to make a nature call. The minute i stood up I went from no problem to being violently ill with the room spinning in circles. I fell back in the bed as i could not even stand. that woke my wife up and i told her something is seriously wrong. I was so ill the next morning i could not open my eyes without the room spinning wildy. I was litterally half carried to a vehicle and driven to a doctors office. I told them to have a place for me to lay down when i got there as i cant stand and would lay in the floor there if i had to. I was hauled to a room when i got there and the doctor came in and took one look at me and didnt even bother to talk to me he asked my wife a lot of questions. He gave me a shot of something and said you will want to get him home as soon as possible. That was the last thing I remembered that day. I was put on heavy duty antibiotics and i never left the camper for the rest of the week only to use the facilities. I had to take an extra day off of work the following week i was supposed to go back. I was still very ill and had to drive my rig 10 hours to get back home. Needless to say it was the worst vacation I ever had and one of the worst illnesses i have ever had. The zithromax tore my stomach to shreds as i could barely hold down food abd the meds were harsh. So coupled with the myriad of harsh chemicals i was taking over the last year for arthritis issues and that illness i still am plauged with acid reflux and issues i think stemmed from that trip today. I think within a couple of days you will be past the worst if it. I cant imagine wearing my mask feeling like i did then. I guess if i put it on with my eyes closed i might be able to pull it off. I hope to god you dont feel that bad it was horrible. From the sounds of it you can expect 3 days of severe discomfort and it starts to get more manageable as the meds kick in. There is no set time frame. I feel terribly bad for you. That illness is the worst.

[pdean44]

Forget work if you feel that dizzy you cant drive like that.

[Jersey Girl]

The first night I could not wear my mask at all - had to sleep sitting up and was ready at any moment with a basket "just in case." Lost my cookies on Friday - completely. Too much dizziness. Now, I feel overly medicated on the meclazine. Am going to try 1/2 pill in the morning tomorrow and a whole in the evening. If I lay down or bend down, everything spins. Once the meclazine kicks in, I can at least turn my head to the side. So, either I'm groggy or dizzy, but in either condition it's difficult to work. I think I will try working from home tomorrow and go in on Tuesday (hopefully).

Last night I wore my mask, propped up my pillows, and then slowly, slowly, turned on my side - can't sleep at all on my left side right now - too dizzy - better on right. AHI was up to 2.9 - high for me, but at least I slept with my cpap and didn't have to have the waste basket at the ready.

Taking this one day at a time.

Regards,

Jersey Girl

[Linda3032]

I agree on the "Epley Maneuver" http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/di ... /bppv.html

I have vertigo very bad, with vomiting, for a couple of days. I finally googled vertigo and found the above site, and did the maneuver, with the help of my husband. It worked wonders. The next day I was fine.

Two or three times a year I get a little dizzy, so I do the maneuver (sometimes by myself across my bed). It works every time. Told my sister about it and it works for her too.

So, if the dizzyness is caused by "ear rocks", it should work for you too.

Hope you feel better soon.

[jennmary]

I never had ear infections as a child...never. In the 3 years since starting CPAP I have had no less than 15 seperate infections. Middle ear, inner ear...all of the above. I have had this kind of fun little infection. The vertigo sucks! After starting meds it usually takes 3 or 4 days before it goes away.

I have now lost a percentage of my hearing...scar tissue and permanant damage from all the infections. I am 29 years old...and CPAP is making me deaf. But it is also keeping me alive...so I guess its a fair trade. My dr is the one who linked the infections to CPAP btw. The pressure pushes mucus and saliva and all kinds of crap up into my ears. It also has caused a change in the flex of my eardrums and chronic eustacian tube disfunction. I love CPAP...but it does have its side effects. I only realized chronic ear infections could be a side effect after I started having a real problem with them. Now 2 doctors and a specialist are trying to figure out how to help the situation.