Last year in one of my earliest post I wrote about drop attacks. At that time I was fortunate not to have ever experienced one. I had plenty of bad attacks with throwing up and my head swirling for hours but nothing ever knocked me off my feet. But that changed last Thursday when I had the swiftest attack that I ever had.
For the past few months while I have been on disability I have experienced balance problems along with meniere’s attacks. The attacks weren’t as terrible as in the past but they still incapacitated me for a while. The balance issues are a result of the 2 gent injections that I received this summer. It usually takes a while for the body to adjust to the balance coming from one ear. I don’t think that I am quite there yet.
This past Thursday morning I stayed in bed a little longer than I usually do. I slowly got out of bed and took one step and my head spun so hard that I hit the corner of the bed. I was able to put myself back in bed where I remained (because I couldn’t even think about standing up). I became nauseated as I stared at the ceiling till the spinning subsided. All in all the whole attack took about an hour and half before I even tried to get out of the bed. The after effect was similar to bad attacks of the past, I was very tired and couldn’t do much except lay in bed.
Why did it happen now?
The only answer that I can think of is that after the first series of gent injections I had a really bad attack about a month after they were finished. Well, it has been a month since the second group of gent injections so maybe that’s it. I don’t know what to think.
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
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17 comments:
Sorry to hear about the attack, David. I'm not really sure if I've had drop attacks or not. Maybe something like it actually during the better times, but nothing where I've literally fallen down flat.
One point I can make is that I've found that staying in bed too long can be a bad thing; it's often better to get up and be a bit tired than to sleep in. In the latter case I think I stiffen up or it makes my balance worse for a while.
I take it slowly for a couple of hours after getting up every day anyway. The transition from horizontal to vertical seems to be quite difficult. When I get up I'm usually stiff around the shoulders and upper back and I never really feel that rested or energised.
I am so sorry about your drop attack, I cannot imagine how I would feel after a drop attack, I feel so out of control with the other attacks. One of my biggest fears is a drop attack, because when they say meniere's can't kill you, it could with a drop attack, according to where you happen to fall. I hope this will be your only one. I am still having great success with the Mucinex. I am going to put off the more severe treatments as long as I can. Sometimes I wonder if the more treatments we take if it doesn't make it worse? Take care, I hope this gets better soon.
@Jeff,
I know what you mean about staying in bed too long it does seem to make matters worse especially if you try to stand up to quickly.
thanks
David
@Sherry
I’m going to give mucinex a try. I don’t know if I have ever taken it before. I also wonder about whether treatments are helping or hurting its hard to say with this disorder.
thanks
David
Oh David, I'm so sorry that you had a drop attack! I've had periods where I've felt like my attacks would throw me to the floor, but my husband has always been there to catch me. Thank goodness. I must say I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Stuart, he is so good at helping me through attacks.
I too have been having attacks lately. And my hearing has been awful. This has been going on for nearly 3 weeks now. I've only had one bad vertigo attack, the rest have been controllable with Valium, and Phenergan. (especially Phenergan suppositories, they are wonderful for the nausea and vomiting, if you take it fast enough).
I've also been having bad equilibrium. Where it's not really vertigo, but I am so off balance when I stand up. I have a walker that I keep close by just in case, especially close to the bed for when I first stand up, or get up in the middle of the night. It makes me feel much more independent, and it really helps with the equilibrium.
I'm pretty sure most of this attack period has been caused by my left ear. The symptoms have been much worse in it, and it's the one I haven't had surgery on.
I hope you never have another drop attack.
wendy http://picnicwithants.blogspot.com
I'm really sorry about the drop attacks. That, well, it sucks. But what I took away was the laying in bed too long. I'm that way, too. If I don't get up within a certain window after waking, it does not go well for me for the rest of the day.
@Wendy,
Thanks Wendy I hope I don’t another drop attack either. I agree with you about Phenergan, the times that I would be taken from work in an ambulance the emts would always inject me with it. It makes me tired but it really helped. Occasionally I take it at home if my attacks are real bad.
Balance is indeed a problem for me too especially after the gent injections. Hopefully after a while that will get better at least I hope so.
Thanks for the comment and I saw your blog and it looks really good! When I get a chance I’ll add it to my blog list
Stay in touch
David
@Darenna,
I think that I am definitely going to have to be more careful about sleeping too late. Too much time lying down doesn’t seem to be good.
Thanks for the comment and stay in touch
David
I have had MD for nearly twenty years; first in the left ear and then in the right. I am 76 and my hearing is nearly gone. My attacks -- vertigo -- were usually of about 4 hours duration at which time I took alprazolam and usually fell asleep. In recent years the attacks have been more mild until about six months ago when I got a severe sudden attack of vertigo while driving. It only lasted a minute, but was enough to cause me to stop driving. Since then I have had drop attacks, the latest one when I was on vacation in Florida and I fell in the parking lot, hitting my head on the pavement. The attacks are sudden and give me a sensation of falling backward (even when I am sitting down). They are over in less than a minute and are not debilitating. My ENT doesn't think it is a MD attack and CAT scans and MRIs show nothing unusual. Any one else have this kind of attack?
Old Geezer
I am so sorry hear about your attacks I know that must be frigthening to have an attack out coming out of nowhere.
I have a couple times at home where I have fallen but luckily I didn't get hurt.
Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing
David
@ Old Geezer ~
The attack you had in the parking lot sounds like a Tumarkin's Crisis type drop attack. They ARE Menier's related ~ a smaller percentage of patients get them. They are just as you described, terrifying, intense, and no warning, but you are able to get right back up.
I have had both vertigo attacks and the tumarkin's crisis. More vertigo attacks than i can keep track of. I pray i never have another drop attack. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
Have you had any more of the attacks like your parking lot one? Have you been hurt?
I wish you well!!
i was just diagnosed with meniere's but have been living with it for 4 months now. i keep reading everyone's stories and i am officially freaking out. as of right now, i cannot hear anything out of my right ear. thank goodness the dizziness hasn't set in for two weeks now but after reading all this, i'm scared. i've yet to get nausea but i'm sure that will soon come. i DREAD being nauseated. and just to think, i thought the ringing and partial deafness in the ear was the highlight!
Roxy79, take it one step at a time. Not everyone has the whole Meniere's experience. My brother-in-law had a couple of attacks more than a decade ago and has been in total remission ever since. He is partially deaf in one ear, but he has no attacks, no nausea... he's one of the lucky ones.
The stories you see here are from the folks who have had the worst experiences. Perhaps you will be one of the fortunate ones. I've got my fingers crossed for you.:)
I have had menieres for 8 or 9 years with
many severe vertigo and vomiting attacks but for the last two years I have had four drop attacks that felt like someone pulled the rug out from under me.Today visiting my wife in the hospital I HAD A DROP ATTACK WALKING ACross her room .I went wright down on the hard floor no loss of conciousness. hit my head
and brused my shoulder. it sucks you get no warning.
Anonymous~
Did you have a full vertigo attack when you dropped in your wife's hospital room, or did you just have it hit you..down you go..and then it's done?
You're right..no warning does suck.
Stay safe!
Lauri
Anonymous...
I have drop attacks and they are very scary and u are right many with no warnings, but now that I'm doing some great research, I'm learning there are some subtle warning signs that I never were in tune to before that have helped me be extra cautious and take more meds when I feel them (eg: fullness or pain in the ear is one of my signs to get ready..one is coming in the next week or so)
I have found that physical therapy has helped my legs, hips, and arms stay stronger to help prevent such violent falls. I'm 37 and have knocked out teeth and more...It's just one thing that has been helping me with my balance...but when a violent drop attack happens that really can't help much unless u learn and practice getting those arms out in front. Scariest thing I've ever had happened...and I've had about 4-6 in the last 4 months.
Good luck....u are NOT ALONE....be careful and take care of yourself....I've been having a lot of coaching on how to prevent my falls and to predict spells..and how to keep safe in my surroundings......so I wish u the very best.
Lauri from anonymous I had no warninig when I fell in my wife's hospital room. all the drop attacks I have had It's like a powerful magnet pulls me to the ground and it's always to the right side. Ent said they could go into spontanious remission ? I get up as soon as I fall. Never get vertigo with them unless its real fiolent and I don't realize it.
Anonymous said reply from 9-20-11
I have had MD now for four years and had my first drop attack in April. I was in the process of sitting down and suddenly fell to the side. I had another in June when I was sitting down but I had to close my eyes and hold on to the arms of my chair for dear life. The last one I had was in July. No warning again and I was standing talking to a friend and fell instantly to the ground. I haven't had one since, and I tend to get more relaxed the longer I go between attacks. I hope it doesn't happen again. What I fear is being at work or in a social situation. I find it very embarrasing. It does help to read comments from others who know what I am dealing with. It is very difficult for people to understand what we go through if they have never experience vertigo. We don't "look" like we have a disease or don't feel well. I have had people at work become very impatient with me. It can be very frustrating!
@Anonymous~
You are right, it can be horrifying.
I've been lucky..no drop attacks in public so far.
In a little over 3 years I've experienced 3 drops..all were at home.
I do however often lose my balance badly, or walk strangely..and I am tired of people assuming I am drunk.
Geez! I don't even drink alcohol.
Just sigh & ignore those people at your work. They should feel lucky they don't have Menieres. Little do they know, right?
Take care.
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