Bad vertigo episode--long

[sexygatubela]

Hello fellow Mser's:

Last Monday, I was taking a shower in the evening. I was washing my hair and when I looked up to rinse it, I fell very dizzy out of the sudden. I had to hold on to the shower pole to avoid falling.

When I got out a was still very dizzy and had some difficulty walking. Within minutes, the dizziness went to vertigo. My husband helped me upstairs to lay down. I tried to rest, but as soon as I closed my eyes, everything was spinning. It was a very bad drunken feeling, like I had been drinking. It was difficult to breathe and I called dh to help me out. I was desperate and grasping for air. I started to feel pins and needles in my hands to progressed to vibrating sensations, that even dh could feel when he held my hands. The same sensation started creeping from my feet and up my legs.

Next, dh called an ambulance because in the last few days I had been feeling chest pains and upper back pain. When the paramedics got home, they immediately thought that I was having a panic attack and started asking if I'd been in stress lately, etc. I couldn't even talk properly; my speech was slurring. Long story short, they tried to calm my breathing down because I was hyperventilating. They got my blood pressure and it was low. My husband showed them that I was taking Gilenya and they didn't even know the medication.

They left. I didn't want to go to the hospital because we have three small children and they've had their share of visiting mom at the hospital way too much this past year and a half.

The vertigo continued all night, stomach pain, vomiting, hyperventilation, and about six visits to the bathroom to urinate. Poor dh had to help me every time.

Next morning, I was feeling a bit better, but dh called my gp to get checked me out. GP did EKG, blood pressure, etc. No heart problems. He didn't think it was a panic attack because of how everything evolved. Maybe MS. Gave me some pills for the stomach pain.

The whole dizzy, drunken, vertigo feeling took about two days to go away. Being feeling O.K., but the chest pain (which I think is the hug) and more fatigue than usual is making me think that it might be another flare

So, my question is, have any of you have had a similar vertigo episode? What did the doctor tell you?

Thanks for reading.

[dpmich]

Did you contact your MS neuro for an appointment or the company that makes the Gilenya? Do that ASAP. This is something they need to know about. There may be ways to adjust your meds. Starting a newly released drug on the market is not a play toy, it is still new and everyone (Dr's and Dug companys, even the FDA) is learning about it's effects on humans.

My Neuro won't presribe it yet as she wants to see what happens a year or two down the road. Even then she is going to make her patients run a gamut of test's to see if they are good candidates for it.

I certainly don't mean to come off sounding snide or preachy, I just am scared that as you are a Mom of 3, you may not be channeling your thinking correctly. "They left. I didn't want to go to the hospital because we have three small children and they've had their share of visiting mom at the hospital way too much this past year and a half."

I am sure they want to keep their Mommy and the best way to do that is to go when you NEED to. I will be thinking of you and praying that you feel better. Just PLEASE go when you need to go. If an ambulance is called for you, that is a pretty good sign that you should go in it!
(Sorry for that preach, just had to SAY it)

Debbie

[rdmc]

Ive had vertigo episode, off and on, throughout my MS journey. They usually last a few days or longer sometimes, and then ease.

But Debbie is right...if you're on Gilenya, you need to contact your neuro, especially if you're having vertigo accompanied with low BP.

[valeriem2220]

I hate vertigo. I have been having it off and on for approx 6 years. I have gone to doctors because of it and they just say it's vertigo, go home.
I finally had such a terrible case of vertigo that included numbness in my left arm and left side of my face in March that I went to the emergency room from work thinking I was having a heart attack or a stroke. This is what has begun my journey with possible MS.
I hope you start feeling better soon.

[sexygatubela]

Did you contact your MS neuro for an appointment or the company that makes the Gilenya? Do that ASAP. This is something they need to know about. There may be ways to adjust your meds. Starting a newly released drug on the market is not a play toy, it is still new and everyone (Dr's and Dug companys, even the FDA) is learning about it's effects on humans.

Hi dpmich:

Thanks for your concern. I contacted my neuro and he told me that he had just come back from vacation and couldn't see me until the following Monday A whole week!!! Needless to say, I am looking for a new neuro. I found a new GP and so far he is really good. He agreed with the other GP I'm having yet another exacerbation. He even gave me his cell phone number in case I need anything He did blood tests and referred me ASAP to an ophthalmologist. I am seeing him again in a week.

I certainly don't mean to come off sounding snide or preachy, I just am scared that as you are a Mom of 3, you may not be channeling your thinking correctly. "They left. I didn't want to go to the hospital because we have three small children and they've had their share of visiting mom at the hospital way too much this past year and a half."

No worries, I didn't take your comment bad at all. I know I should have go, but it is just really hard on everybody and I even sometimes feel guilty about having to be absent so much because of stupid MS.

I am sure they want to keep their Mommy and the best way to do that is to go when you NEED to. I will be thinking of you and praying that you feel better. Just PLEASE go when you need to go. If an ambulance is called for you, that is a pretty good sign that you should go in it!
(Sorry for that preach, just had to SAY it)

Thanks for your concern and prayers. I am feeling a lot better. I am blessed that I have so many people praying for me.

[sexygatubela]

Thanks all for sharing your experiences and concern. I am getting a new neuro because my actual one didn't want to see me right away . Shame on him!

Anyhow, I am feeling much better, except for a head cold and insomnia that doesn't want to let me sleep restfully.

Thanks again.

[dpmich]

I am glad you are feeling better, that is good news indeed! Gook luck with the new Neuro, sounds like the new PCP is a good match for you. Keep us posted.

Debbie

Vertigo was my first MS symptom that took me the docs which ended up with a referral to an ENT and then a Neuro....who found the lesions. After going on every med known to mankind, they finally gave me a low dose of Valium (5mg), and the vertigo was gone in 30 minutes. I sought that relief for close to 9 months.

I was told this works for some patients in particular, those with chronic, long term Vertigo, but not in everyone.

I take one Valium every single morning and am allowed to take a second if the Vertigo comes back during the day.

I feel for you...extended Vertigo makes you crazy.

Hope it gets better for you.

[centerles3]

You might consider meclazine. It's an over the counter medicine for motion sickness. As you know no motion is required to have motion sickness, it feels like the whole world is spinning, which in reality it is, but that's beside the point. Mine was getting so bad I couldn't even get out of bed. Again the name of the drug is Meclazine.

[b28]

When you said it took a couple of days to go away, was it off and on or constant? I'm not diagnosed, I'm going to have and appointment with a neuro soon b/c of vertigo and other things. I first noticed something was different when I was washing and rinsing my hair in the shower about a month ago. I felt very unsteady and like my head was spinning. I've been having vertigo off and on ever since. It's now occuring more and more often which is getting old and worrisome. Do you get nauseous when you have the vertigo? I do. I know exactly how you feel when you say you feel drunk. Mine is not to the extent yours is but still very uncomfortable. The drunk feeling intensifies when I ride in a car.

Also, I don't know if this is anything but I've never noticed it before. If I stand up straight with my shoulders back it feels hard to breathe and like there is a ton of pressure on my chest like it's caving in.

[freeinhou]

I've had issues with vertigo since the late 1990's. It's really only a nuisance during the beginnings of a relapse for about a week - which happens pretty much every fall and spring.

Since it's so predictable - I just weather it. It can hit at work though, which kinda scares me when I'm on a crane or a roof or in a tunnel.

I was dx'ed RRMS in 1988.

Tom

[sexygatubela]

You might consider meclazine. It's an over the counter medicine for motion sickness. As you know no motion is required to have motion sickness, it feels like the whole world is spinning, which in reality it is, but that's beside the point. Mine was getting so bad I couldn't even get out of bed. Again the name of the drug is Meclazine.

Hi centerles:

Thanks for the recommendation. It never occurred to me. I'll give it a try because although I am over that relapse (it was confirmed as so) I still have dizzy and vertigo spells every so often.

Sorry for the late reply. I just so the post.

[jab721]

Hey! Vertigo was my first signs of ms. I had it on 4 different occasions. It came on suddenly when I would wake up in the morning and last 24/7 for about a week. Before knowing why I was getting vertigo the doctors had given me meclazine. It didn't do anything, I couldn't tell the difference between taking it and not. During my first visit to my ms specialist after diagnosis I told her I was given meclazine and she and the nurse literally laughed and said, " Oh hun, that's not going to do anything!" The only thing that worked for me the last time I got vertigo was to have 3 days of steroids!

[sexygatubela]

Hey! Vertigo was my first signs of ms. I had it on 4 different occasions. It came on suddenly when I would wake up in the morning and last 24/7 for about a week. Before knowing why I was getting vertigo the doctors had given me meclazine. It didn't do anything, I couldn't tell the difference between taking it and not. During my first visit to my ms specialist after diagnosis I told her I was given meclazine and she and the nurse literally laughed and said, " Oh hun, that's not going to do anything!" The only thing that worked for me the last time I got vertigo was to have 3 days of steroids!

Hi jab:

At the time when it was at the worst, the doctor did offer Solu-Medrol, but I said: "No, thank you." Just the last time I took it, I gained about 20 lbs in 3 days, couldn't sleep, and afterwards the withdrawal was horrible and painful. MS sucks!

Anyhow, thanks for sharing your experience. Be well.