Bad vertigo attacks for 4 weeks, should I wait for medication to work or go to the ER?

Question

long story and limited space, so i'll try to keep this brief.

- Motion sickness since Aug. '06, mostly in the car, bus was ok, Sept., woke up with vertigo
- Went to doc, got anti-nausea meds, didn't help, switched to ginger root, that seemed to control the motion sickness
- April '07, motion sickness worse, car, bus, even elevator, didn't go out much, limited to walking everywhere
- May, pain, pressure, tinnitus in my right ear, which is weird since I was born completely deaf in that ear (left ear is normal)
- Woke up with vertigo twice, 2 weeks apart
- Braved the bus and went back to see my doc, he gave me a presciption for betahistine, which I've been taking for the past 10 days.
- Bus ride home from that trip was bad, vision loss, almost passed out, haven't traveled since
- Since that ride, 10 days ago, the vertigo has been non stop, from everday to every 30 sec.,keep waiting for meds to work but they haven't yet.
- some double vision, eyes rolling

What do you think?

more details, haven't slept in 2 days because everytime i try to lie down and close my eyes I get vertigo, have an appointment with an ENT aug. 16th, long wait

Answer 1

I would go to a doctor soon. It might help calm you to know that vertigo is rarely super serious. But why suffer. Go have your ears checked, possibly an EKG and a brain scan just to make sure you are ok. You have suffered long enough. You need some relief.

Answer 2

I strongly sympathize with you on this malady. Lately, I constantly have headaches followed by vertigo. Vertigo as differentiated from dizziness is when your surroundings swoon or whirl around you. Vertigo is incapacitating as your balance is affected. I even get to the point of becoming nauseous.


Vertigo is a false sensation of motion or spinning that leads to dizziness and discomfort. Vertigo is not the same sensation as light-headedness or just plain dizzziness.



Vertigo, or dizziness, usually results from a disorder in the peripheral vestibular system (i.e., structures of the inner ear). Dizziness also may occur as a result of a disorder in the central vestibular system (i.e., vestibular nerve, brainstem, and cerebellum). In some cases, the cause of vertigo is unknown

You should have yourself checked for the following causes: ear infection such as otitis media. High blood pressure. or impending strokes. Some medications such as antidepressants; and antibiotics ;and pain relievers and cold medicines; and alcohol can cause dizziness. Another cause would be sinus congestion or extreme allergy to certain foods. Ototoxicity or ear poisoning. Or brain tumor or acoustic neuroma. or Meniere's disease.


I have an old history of migraine type headaches and vertigo due to chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps which were removed . Sinus surgery provided much needed relief and improve the quality of my life.


Your vertigo as it's motion sickness related might be due to the condition of BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo:


Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo occurs when debris made up of calcium carbonate and protein (called otoliths or ear crystals) builds up in and damages the inner ear. Inner ear degeneration (usually occurs in elderly patients), head trauma, and inner ear infection (e.g., otitis media, labyrinthitis) can cause BPPV.


Go to the site below for more details on this vertigo or motion sickness or dizziness.

http://www.neurologychannel.com/vertigo/causes.shtml

Answer 3

omg my mom had this same scenario when i was like 13. well she went to the hospital and they gave her some medicine so i think your gonna be using medicine either way(well duh stupid me) in my opinion i don't think goin to the hospital will do much but we might have just gone to a bad hospital.