Well, my broken arm is doing much better and my blood clots now just control two of the four veins earlier.

So now I have BPPV (Benign Proxysmal Positional Vertigo) again, but it is generally milder than the first time I had it a few years ago. This is atually a relief because I was a little worried that the vertigo might have been a sign of the blood thinner causing bleeding in the head.

For some reason, the doctor's office now requires three blood pressure readings: one sitting, one standing, and one lying down. I called the doctor back today and suggested that maybe they shouldn't do the blood pressure reading while lying down on people who are there because of vertigo.

When the doctor was examining me, he stood to the side of the examination table and had me lie down with my head in a certain position as I laid down. When I did, the vertigo was intense for about half a minute. If he hadn't been standing there, I think I would have rolled off the table onto the floor.

When the nurse took my blood pressure, I laid down with my head looking forward. There was vertigo, but much less than when the doctor had me lie down looking to the side. If I had laid down like that, she could not have stopped me from rolling off from where she stood. For what it's worth, my blood pressure was much higher when lying down, perhaps in response to the vertigo I did feel.

By the way, the doctor also prescribed Meclizine to be taken three times a day as needed. I was impressed that the printing on the package insert was large enough that I could even read it without a magnifying glass if I'm out in the sun.

However, except when lying down or getting up, I have barely felt any dizziness/vertigo and so I'm not sure that I need to take it since it is "as needed". The package insert warned about not driving or operating heavy machinery until learning how badly it would affect me. Since I like to stay alert, I prefer not to take chances with it if I don't have to.

Maybe you got a half-ass Epley?

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17930-canalith-repositioning-procedure-crp

I have had the BPPV for years to the point that many trips to the ER, medications etc. have been necessary. I am still treated for it by annual ENT visits but have not had a serious episode for a couple of years. Mine is diagnosed as Meniere's Disease --inner ear, "ear crystal dislocation" etc. I have noticed that dramatic changes in atmospheric pressure might be a causation of onset. I feel for you....a frightening and disabling condition when it hits.

I just saw a vistibular therapist today for my BPPV and had the Epley performed. I can never lay flat and always use a few pillows to ensure my head is always a bit tilted and I am good to go. I seem to dislodge the crystals when flipping over in bed aggressively and that's what triggered my last episode. My therapist recommended finding an ENT who performs the Epley as my go to care provider sine they are easier to schedule and costs are covered by a simple copay.

matureag said:

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I have had the BPPV for years to the point that many trips to the ER, medications etc. have been necessary. I am still treated for it by annual ENT visits but have not had a serious episode for a couple of years. Mine is diagnosed as Meniere's Disease --inner ear, "ear crystal dislocation" etc. I have noticed that dramatic changes in atmospheric pressure might be a causation of onset. I feel for you....a frightening and disabling condition when it hits.

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I wonder if you are being correctly diagnosed. BPPV should be very self limited and shouldn't require ER trips or medications. For people who have recurring BPPV, especially if postmenopausal females, osetopenia or osteoporosis should be ruled out.

There is substantial overlap between BPPV, Meniere's disease, and vestibular migraine. Of those, vestibular migraine is very significantly under diagnosed. I would read up on that and see if you think you might fit into that diagnosis. As to therapy for BPPV, for both you and czechy91, the best therapy is avoidance of rapid position changes for whichever ear is affected, followed by repositioning therapy by a qualified vestibular therapist WHO UTILIZES GOGGLES to assess and treat. Nystagmus can be subtle, so it is often necessary to employ goggles to determine which canal is involved and how best to extinguish the response. Online, you can look up Epley and Brandt-Daroff exercises to see if this will mitigate symptoms enough to not need further therapy.

Cheers