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OT Doctor appointment

I went to my doctor today for my appointment and while there I told him about a couple of dizzy spells that I had a couple of weeks ago... they were at bedtime, and even *after* I was in bed (but only when I laid on my right side). I thought it might have been my blood-pressure or something. He took my blood-pressure, listened to my heart and checked in my ears.... then he told me that the dizzy spells were likely due to a slight infection or something in my inner ear, that a turn of the head (even in bed) the wrong way could make me get dizzy and feel like the room was spinning.

Then I mentioned the breathing scare I had last weekend, and how I had had the same type of thing happen before when I had acid reflux... but that this time I hadn't noticed any acid at all, that being unable to breathe woke me from a sound sleep. He told me that it is *possible* that it could have been acid reflux that had just come up far enough to cut off my breathing, but not far enough to make me have a coughing fit or make me sick to my stomach as had happened before. OR... it could have been (and likely was, because I have been very upset about some things within the last couple of weeks) an anxiety attack due to stress. *shrug* I just hope it doesn't happen again... or if it does, that Matthew is here and awake when it happens.

Gemini

Reply to
MRH
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THe ear infection diagnosis makes perfect sense to me, as that can cause dizziness. ABout the acid reflux (mild), I am not sure, but I would take his word for it for now. Just keep Matthew on the alert!

Katherine

Reply to
Katherine

The ear infection diagnosis is most likely a 'sound' one (forgive the pun, hehehe)... as for acid reflux, Don suffered it for aaaagggggggggeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss... and I can tell you offlist about that, and how WE solved it. Hugs, Noreen

Reply to
Noreen's Knit*che

"MRH" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

Gem,

I can relate to that dizzy stuff, I started having them in February (but only in the mornings), and they got more and more intense and violent, and the last one I had in April was so bad it took me about an hour and a half to stand up, I literally crawled to the bathroom because I couldn't stand up without falling, and of course the room spinning like that for so long will make one incredibly nauseous! I finally went to the doctor terrified that I had a tumor or something, and it turned out to be something called benign positional vertigo caused by an inner ear disorder that can be viral or from ear infections, and it's basically debris that falls against the inner ear. My doctor gave me motion sickness meds and warned me that it will probably occur again. Knowing that I have a history of issues with my left ear (doesn't drain right, goofy shaped ear canals or something), I started sleeping on my LEFT side, and now I'm usually okay. When I am feeling even a little dizzy, I sleep sitting almost up, with pillows behind me, and that helps. There are also some exercises you can do, they have them on a website at

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-- they look fairly benign, you're just basically turning your head to a 45degree angle -- but when I'm having one of those episodes, I can't even getthrough two of them! But I have started doing them when I'm not having thevertigo, twice a day, and they seem to help.One thing that almost always brings them on is when I'm knitting too longlooking down. Like with something intricate or lacy. I have found that ifI don't take a break and stand up and look away from it every hour or so, Iwill inevitably wake up with the room spinning the next day. Good luck!!!

K
Reply to
Karen in MN

Hi Karen and Gem,

Been there, had that so bad that I ended up in the ER. DH was scared silly when I told him the room was spinning and yes it's the same thing benign positional vertigo. When I feel it coming on during the night I lay on my back and it goes away. I'll have to look into those exercises too, thanks for posting them Karen.

Hugs,

Nora

Reply to
norabalcer

Yes, I remember you mentioning this about a month or so ago, Nora. It is definitely a weird feeling when it happens. To be honest, I had a horrible fear that I *might* be having a stroke when the dizziness didn't go away when I laid down... especially considering that both my parents had strokes. Then I rationalized and thought that it might have just been my blood pressure or even that I had become anemic (I had been slightly anemic when I was 20 and my doctor put me on iron pills for a while to straighten that out) again. Then I did think about the inner ear thing, because I knew that problems with the inner ear can make people lose their balance... and as I said before I had always had problems with my ears when I was young... so who's to say it hasn't been laying dormant for all these years just waiting to rear it's ugly head again. Well... according to my doctor, the inner ear thing seems to be taking over the lead in what likely caused it.

Thank you, Karen for posting the URL. :o) I will forward it to myself and check it out at the beginning of next week. I have a busy weekend ahead of me so I likely won't have time to check much of anything except my email and newsgroups, briefly.

Gemini

Reply to
MRH

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