Vertigio?

[Zephyer]

My 72 year old mother has been given a diagnosis of Vertigio. Since the end of May she has had 3 ocassions where she became dizzy and violently ill with vomiting.

She has had a blood test and is been referred to a ENT specialist in case its a inner ear problem.

My question is three fold:

Would a blood test show if her vertigio was due to some viral illness?

Also if my mother was taking Stemetil or Serc 8 would this stop her vomiting turns until we get a diagnosis.

Does anyone have any suggestions to ease dizzy spells? You know, old home remedies or things vertigio sufferers have found useful.

[Bathsheba]

Can't help you with the blood test question, but i've had labyrinthitis a couple of times which caused vomiting and dizziness, and Stemetil was fab for that.
Good luck to your mum xx

[stonekicker]

it could be labyrinthitis - a viral infection which settles in the inner ear (labyrinth) and produces the symptoms of vertigo. i had this a couple of months ago and had never heard of it ( and thought my dr was making it up!) but it is truly awful. if you google this, you will get lots of info.

mine lasted two weeks and i felt like i had been in the pub all day, every day (but without any of the fun!) and i still get intermittent spells of dizziness and nausea. my understanding is that people can get this illness as a one off, it can sometimes take up to a couple of months to clear and some poor people never get rid of it (when i googled this poor lady had suffered with it since 1998!). as your mum is a bit older, may have other illnesses or take other medications - this may have an adverse effect on her prognosis and recovery.

you can certainly get medication to help with both the dizziness and nausea, but i doubt a blood test would show anything to help a diagnosis. there are lots of causes for vertigo symptoms and unhelpfully this is normally made by exclusion (i.e. ruling things out) so may take a little time to sort out. be persistent and support your mum (and yourself!) as best you can...

[Ethel]

I have Meniere's with very similar symptoms.

Stemetil is excellent for nausea and vomiting.

[IceyMaiden]

I agree with Bathsheba and Ethel. Stemetil are very good, but the symptoms of vertigo can be caused by several things, not just an inner ear imbalance. Vision problems, thyroid, diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure can all have the same effect, so only a doctor can ascertain which might be causing your mother's problems. There are, however, herbal and holistic remedies which can ease the condition, so if your doctor agrees, it might be worth having a word with a person trained to advise on these things. Best of luck.

[Rosetta]

My mum also had Meniere's. Serc helped her but it was difficult to stabilise over a period of time, partly because she would reduce dosage when she felt a little better, (as advised by GP) She found it very difficult to cope with as she lived on her own

[Eve]

I have meniere's as well and stemetil really helps me.

I also take betahistines to help with my general ear problems and help prevent attacks and have a nasal spray.

Blood test may pick up on some kind of infection or possible other marker to show something causing the problem (quite a few problems which aren't necessarily ear related can cause vertigo eg inflammation following a virus, MS). For example, they may be able to pick up on a raised white blood cell count to suggest and infection or virus.

I saw ENT at first then neurology before being referred to a specialist neurologist in that area.

Had all kinds of tests done, the main ones being for ear pressure, calorics (reaction to water in the ears), flashing light tests and hearing tests as well as balance tests.

If she can recognise warning signs, that may help. I get a very sick feeling in my tummy then go into an ice cold sweat first so know when to get down and stay still.

The main thing is to reduce movement, get comfy with as low a bowl as possible for being sick without having to move the head more than needs be. Maybe a strong waterproof bag?

A blanket is good as it knackers you out so can be warm and just sleep after.

You can get stemetil in different forms such as suppository, ones which melt on the tongue and in inection forms which may them easier to take in an attack.

A low sodium diet is recommended for menieres, check on packets, even bottled water, for sodium content and avoid salt if possible.

Ginger is quite good for sickness eg ginger tea or with honey on toast or ginger biscuits.

She may be able to identify certain triggers such as moving or flashing lights (it can be related to migraines), movement in lifts or on escalators etc...

[Eve]

If she has problems with her hearing or perception of sound eg tinnitus or weird frequency changes then a personal stereo can help to distract the ears.

When I go to bed I often have Sky News on in the background as something to focus on, as it�s repetitive I often then just fall asleep.

[Zephyer]

Thank you all for posting your advice or experience.

My mother is now on Serc, rather than Stemitil. From what I have read Serc treats dizziness, but does it stop the nausea/vomiting which is my mother's worst problem during an epsiode?

I imaigne dizziness leads to nausea and vomiting so if its curtailed then there shouldn't be any nausea. Anyone know if I'm right?

[Eve]

I'm on serc as well (the betahistines I mentioned above).

They help to stop things occuring whereas stemetil is good in the attack stage though it can be a preventer taken regularly as well, I'm on both, one of each 3 times a day.

Yes, the vertigo sets off the vomiting so if she manages to reduce that then the nausea and vomiting should improve as a consequence.

So behahistine reduces the pressure in the ear which should lead to less vertigo and therefore less sickness.

People tend to adapt over time, I have al ot from when it was very distrssing at the beginning. You get more used to being off balance and clumsy as a result (I miss things and bang into things, like I go to walk past a cabinet and bang into it instead as my head is off).

Fighting it is a bad idea, the best way is to accept it (although still try to cure or help it), recognise the symptoms and get into a routine that you stay still and let it do it's thing rather than fighting it and ending off worse off.

Having things to hang onto can help as well rather than big open spaces where you can feel more vulnerable.

Could she take a fold up walking stick o chair or similar with her she can use to help steady herself when feeling off balance?

[Zephyer]

Thanks Jenna1978 for your answer, that's cleared it up for me.

My Mum is lucky in that she isn't really off balance at all, except when she gets the attack which comes on very quickly with the dizziness.