Vertigo!!! WTF???

Last weekend we were at a 2 day seminar. The first day we arrived bright and early. The group putting on the seminar said they were providing breakfast and lunch. When we got there breakfast was coffee and donuts (I should have known) no fruit. I had become to rely on Dina, she ALWAYS carried protein bars and shake mix in her purse (really a small suitcase). But this day she didn't refill her purse from our last outing. Not her fault, I should have made sure. To make a long story shorter, I had just coffee for breakfast. Lunch was a filipino buffet. I took the chicken and some fried rice, mostly chicken. Later that day when we got home, around 6 PM, Dina was getting dinner ready and I went to take a shower. I remember getting in the shower and the next thing I'm on the shower floor, Dina is frantically shaking me with 911 on the phone. Every time I tried to get up the room started spinning so bad I'd fall back down. I was taken to the ER, they did ekg, blood work and cat scan. Everything came out fine, during the physical exam the doc said I had VERTIGO due to something with my left inner ear. Needless to say I didn't go to the second day.

I have an appointment with an Ear, nose and throat specialist this week. I have never had vertigo in my life until now. I also need to see an orthopedic because I must have hit my right knee or landed on it wrong. This is the knee I had hurt in the Navy and now I can't go up stairs very well. I was supposed to run in my first 5K this past weekend.

I take it they checked you for dehydration as well, as if acute that can cause bad dizziness, esp. in newly post-ops ..      
 
  It sounds like you either have an inner ear infection or possibly a disorder like Meniere's Syndrome, either of which can cause very bad vertigo, so bad that you get "seasick" and throw up from the disorientation ..      I think MS is now treatable by a surgical procedure where they do something to the inner ear canals or some such .. 

  Good luck, and please let us know what they find out ..  

Mike,

Hopfully then ENT doc can figure out what is causing the problem.  It's a total bummer when you can fail field sobriety testing and not have had anything to drink!

 Wait a minuutteeeee   ..  that just gave me an idea ..   
  Let me know how I can get whatever's wrong with ya, Mike!            

 

Two other thoughts even though they were corrected...Low blood pressure...which can correct itself.  Also dehydration...which is the most common problem that people end up back in the hospital post WLS.  Be sure you always have a small amount of salt throughout the day and some items that have potassium in them too...Bananas, raisins, oranges, tomatoes, avocados, yogurt, spinach, or broccoli.  Brian 

The Doc said I wasn't dehydrated, but my potassium was low but he said that didn't cause the problem. They gave me meclazine and my dizziness went away. ENT appointment is for next Monday.

Update!!!

I saw the ENT this week (Finally). Ok he did a lot of testing including a hearing test. I have some hearing loss since last time checked. My wife could've told them that.

The results of all the testing is that the vertigo is due to loose crystals in my left inner ear. Never heard of this. I have been accused of having loose screws before but crystals?

The ENT doc gave me some excercises to do to get the crystals reattached to the nerve endings. I guess we'll see.

I also saw a Ortho doc and have had MRI's of both knees. I find out tomorrow if I need surgery or just physical therapy.

Mike,

I have had Vertigo on and off for 15 years and there is nothing they can do!  u can take a medication called Antivert and you can do head exercises that don't work.

It has to work itself out, mine usually takes a few days.  Its TERRIBLE and I wouldn't wi**** on my worst enemy.

Hope you are feeling better,

Robin