I Now Know the Cause of my Dizziness!

Hear Again

Hear Again

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Hi everyone,

I received the following e-mail from my CI surgeon this morning. My e-mail is posted first followed by his.

Dr.,

I have an appointment with Lexi on May 20th. I plan to see her, but I have a
question. Are there any meds I can take for dizziness and nausea? I never
mentioned this, but I'm also dizzy and nauseous whenever I turn from one side to the other in bed, get up out of bed or move from a lying position to an upright position. If there are any meds you think could help, would you mind if I tried one of them?

Lisa

CI surgeon's e-mail:

It sounds like you do have benign positional vertigo (I did see your other
email). This can often be treated very successfully by a vestibular therapist
(Lexi) and doesn't need any medications. Let's see how you do with her first
before we consider medication. I've cc'ed her on this email so she can move you up and treat you earlier if you wish.

Hear Again: I plan to request an earlier appointment with Lexi and will keep all of you updated as to how everything goes.
 
I just read some information on the Internet which said that BPPV can be caused by surgery (due to the body being in a supine position for a long period of time) as well as trauma to the inner ear during ear surgery. This makes perfect sense since my symptoms began after my first CI surgery.
 
That's good news. I think a lot of time it helps if you know why something is happening.

Hope they have a good method to fix it.
 
Bottesini said:
That's good news. I think a lot of time it helps if you know why something is happening.

Hope they have a good method to fix it.
Click to expand...

I read that one of the treatments for BPPV is something called the Epley Maneuver. It is supposed to have an 80% success rate.
 
Ear InfoSite - "The Epley Maneuvers"

The Epley Maneuvers, also known as the Canalith Repositioning Procedure (CRP), are designed to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) through induced out-migration of free-moving pathological densities in the endolymph of a semicircular canal, using timed head maneuvers and applied vibration. In simpler terms, canaliths (calcium carbonate crystals) are normally attached atop a membrane in the otolith organ (or gravity center) of the inner ear. These crystals can break off for various reasons, most commonly, injury or disease, and migrate into a semicircular canal. Then, when the head position is changed, the canaliths shift, abnormally stimulating the nerve sensor (cupula) of the affected semicircular canal and creating a sensation of movement (vertigo). In treatment, the head is maneuvered so as to guide the canaliths (also referred to as otoliths or cupuloliths, depending on their placement) back though the labyrinth to where they originated. To facilitate this process, the canaliths can be tracked by observing the eye movements they cause, and by applying an oscillator to the skull. In most medical facilities, this maneuvering is done by hand with the patient lying on a table. The Portland Otologic Clinic uses special automated equipment (the OMNIAX Positioning System), which positions the patient and allows observation of eye movement via miniature video cameras. This provides an advantage in diagnosing and treating difficult or complicated cases, including variations of BPPV.

I hope Lexi will be able to help you with that! It's good news though to know what is actually starting off your nausea and dizziness. It also makes sense to me!

<smile> Jamie

PS. Thanks for keeping us posted! <hug>
 
Jamie,

Here's a quote from your post: "The Portland Otologic Clinic uses special automated equipment (the OMNIAX Positioning System), which positions the patient and allows observation of eye movement via miniature video cameras. This provides an advantage in diagnosing and treating difficult or complicated cases, including variations of BPPV."

Hear Again: This is exactly what kind of testing I was supposed to have yesterday. My CI surgeon said that if the nystagmus I had followed a certain pattern, it would help determine whether my dizziness and nausea had a central cause or were due to inner ear problems. I was born with congenital vertical and horizontal nystagmus, so I asked my CI surgeon if this would negate the results. He said he hoped it wouldn't and that he'd give it a try. Now that we both know the cause of my dizziness and nausea, this test is no longer necessary.
 
I guess she's going to make you lay down on the table and then turn your head... isn't it all about some fluid inside of your ear canals or did I misunderstand something <shrug>

Jamie
 
JamieLynn said:
I guess she's going to make you lay down on the table and then turn your head... isn't it all about some fluid inside of your ear canals or did I misunderstand something <shrug>

Jamie
Click to expand...

I'm really not sure. I don't know alot about BPPV except for what I read today.
From what I understand, BPPV is caused by crystals in the ear being thrown out of place. Repositioning maneuvers like Epley are designed to redistribute these crystals so that they no longer cause dizziness and nausea.
 
The Epley Maneuver: A Possible Cure for Vertigo? (Figure), THE MERCK MANUAL OF HEALTH & AGING

It's a link to a picture explaining Epley Manoeuvre.

There's several small graphics that read as follow:

Some people experience vertigo when they change the position of their head rapidly. This type of vertigo is usually benign positional vertigo. It develops when particles that are normally distributed evenly in the fluid-filled canals of the inner ear clumps together. Often, the disorder can be cured by the Epley manoeuvre. This manoeuvre may redistribute the clumps of particles in the inner ear.

Picture one: The head may be rapidly turned even further (so that the person nearly faced the floor). The person is returned to a seated position and should remain at least semi upright for the next 24 hours.

Second picture: The doctor rapidly lays the person down with the person’s head hanging over the table edge. The head is turned to the same side as the affected ear.

Picture 3: The head is rapidly turned further (so that the ear is parallel to the floor).

Picture 4: The head is rapidly turned to the other side.


Jamie who typed everything over just for you :D (and you're welcome!)
 
:ty: for the descriptions, Jamie!

I don't know if I like the sound of that. I don't want to experience any more dizziness. One of my fears is getting sick during my appointment with Lexi. :(
 
Hear Again said:
:ty: for the descriptions, Jamie!

I don't know if I like the sound of that. I don't want to experience any more dizziness. One of my fears is getting sick during my appointment with Lexi. :(
Click to expand...

Couldn't you just call up Lexi and ask her what kind of procedure she will apply on you. Though if this is the Epley Manoeuvre she is going to use on you, the chances are you will feel nauseous :(

Not sure if this procedure is meant to help you or just figuring out what else to do... <shrug>

If I were you I'd give her a call (or email if you prefer)!

Jamie
 
Jamie,

Sending her an e-mail is a good idea. I'm going to do that right now and will let you know what she says. Thanks! :)
 
Here is an e-mail I received from Lexi:

Lisa,

What I'll be doing is having you perform different head movements and position changes and rate your dizziness. To check for the benign positional vertigo I have you sitting on an exam table, turn your head 45 degrees to one side and lie quickly onto your back. If the test is positive, I lead you through a series of rolls and head turns to treat the vertigo. I'll also have you do different balance tests. Most people tolerate the movements pretty well. Some get a little nauseous. I've only had 2-3 people actually get sick.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

-Lexi

Hear Again: I feel a little better now. :)
 
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