janehill Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 My mom called me Saturday night saying she was experiencing extreme vertigo and heart palpitations. She lives over an hour away but I have her see a doctor closer to me and come to the hospital closer to me (really excellent central NJ hospitals vs. awful monstrocities in a senior citizen town where people are expected to just lay down and die, ugh!). They did a CT scan and found nothing. Has anyone ever experienced this? Any idea what could cause such extreme vertigo? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Not LC related, but my late Mom had several episodes like that, and it was attributed to fluid in the middle ear. She occasionally became nauseous with it. Antihistamines were used to dry it up, and it seemed to work. Episodes were more prevalant during (but not restricted exclusively to) periods after she had a cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiesia Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I suffer from panic disorder. That is the way it started for me. Suddenly, during nice vacation with vertigo and heart racing. Klonopin cleared it in 15 minutes. But I have to be on medicine now constantly (probably for life). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Q Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I am a healthy 41-year-old, and I JUST got over my 3 week episode with vertigo. This was not dizziness, but rather a spinning sensation following a significant change of head position. It came on inexplicibly, and went away on its own, which is usually the case for vertigo, based on my internet search results. It can take quite a long time to subside. My mom would sometimes get it, and she would take Antivert, as prescribed by her doc. Heart palpitations can be scary. What kind of workup did they do for her heart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda661 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Jane: The inner ear link to vertigo that others have already mentioned happened in my family too, but noone ever mentioned heart palpitations from it. The only other thing I can think of is......how's her blood pressure (any recent med additions/changes for blood pressure or anything new on the med. front that might affect blood pressure)? If it's dipping low at times that could explain the vertigo plus the heart palpitations feeling too. Keep us posted. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palves Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 My dad got dizzy. fell/passed out a time or two and had very low blood pressure. Was admitted to hospital, thankfully, after complaining his chest hurt him sometimes (but that was mild, but enough to hold him). He also was vomitting a lot/dry heaves and couldn't hold food down. Glad to hear that the Catscan came out clean. My dad wasn't so lucky, he had a tumor in his head that was the cause. Got treatment at RWJ in New Brunswick. Sounds like you might be close to me, let me know if you ever need to talk or need a real life shoulder. Paula palves@optonline.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlegirl Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I'm not a cancer patient but I've had some bouts of vertigo over the years. (NOT FUN!) My most recent bout and most severe came on when I developed Hypothyroidism. I also developed heart palpitaions at this time. Your mom may need a blood test to check her TSH. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janehill Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 Gee, I'm sorry - I'd forgotten to come back to this post and give some follow-up. Thanks everyone for your ideas. As it turns out, mom was released from the hospital 6 days after being admitted and they never did find what was wrong. (no surprises there - it's too often my experience) They did give her Antivert and it was a great help. An ENT (ear/nose/throat) specialist was consulted and believed the problem was in her right inner ear - something about a broken crystal? Sounds strange and I don't know if it's right - he told my mother and with her broken English, he could have been using a metaphor to explain her condition and she took a story about a broken crystal vase literally. At any rate, he never returned my call. She had a CT and MRI and saw a neurologist - all clean. So....she's back home. I built a small rail by her bed to give her added support in standing and worked on some other improvements for her (her house is set up as a handicapped persons dream). The last month she's been complaining about terrible lower back pain so I'm worried she has bone mets (my mother has zero history of back pain, so this concerns me). I just typed up a note for her oncologist that I'm going to fax over Monday morning asking for him to upgrade the prescription she has for a CT (on 2/24) to a PET scan (which she's never had). I hope we get that order - it'll help greatly for a larger perspective of what's going on. Otherwise, her strength is truly amazing. My mother's physical limitations are tremendous but her will for independence is second to none. She's made adaptations her entire life for her handicap and it's made her a mentally stronger person than most able-bodied I know who are half her age (myself included). Thanks everyone! PS: Palves (Paula) - we're close? Do you live in NJ (central)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda661 Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I think your mom's got it right on the crystal thing: though I'm not sure whether it's "broken" or not. My dad had bad vertigo (it was called "benign positional vertigo") and it also related to the crystals in the inner ear getting out of whack. I never went in with him for the treatments, but he said it involved a professional holding his head in various positions to correct those crystals. Supposedly just a very few treatments (many times one) cure the problem for most people....my dad needed several over the years; one treatment would work for awhile, then the vertigo would come back so he'd get another one and be fine again. Keep us posted. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyk Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Mom, before the cancer, used to lay backwards off the side of the bed and let her head dangle below her for a few minutes each day...it seemed to help her with her vertigo also caused by something to do with crystals in the inner ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janehill Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Linda, you're SO RIGHT! My goodness, I just started laughing out loud here. Yes, the "fix" of these "broken" crystals was to perform certain exercises. Well, given my mom's physical limitations she told him she couldn't get to a therapy center a few times a week to correct so he gave her the exercises she'd have to do. Gosh that is funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinC1973 Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Jane, I sent you a PM a few days ago. Let me know if you got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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