So the doc finally acknowledged it's BPPV.
The only thing I'm nervous about tomorrow is if I feel worse than I did when I went in. I have read a few awful stories of people feeling unbalanced and dizzy for a while after.
The thing is I already have unbalanced and unsteadiness every day anyway on a low level.
I haven't had a severe attack for 2 weeks through the night so not sure if the Epley will do much given this.
Any thoughts or advice?
It doesnt hurt plz dont be nervous I had it done emma
It wont make you feel worse
Thanks Alison. I've just been reading some awful stories saying it made people woozy and of balance. But to be honest in-between all the severe episodes I feel like that anyway. That's what I am hoping will stop.
Well it didnt makee worse bute but my dizziness is really bad anyway try not to worry cos it dont help being anxious x
Thanks. How did you find it overall?
They normally do the Dix-Hallpike test first anyway, which will immediately tell them if it really is BPPV. If it isn't, they won't proceed to the Epley, as it wouldn't make any difference one way or the other.
You can look up the Dix-Hallpike on-line and try it on yourself right now. You can't do yourself any harm with it. And you don't need to hang your head over the end of the bed like it says, just throw yourself down fairly quickly. You'll see what I'm talking about if you look it up.
If the Epley is done by an incompetent operator, there is a small risk the crystals can get into the lateral canal, which can make you feel very bad. However, this doesn't last. It sorts itself out overnight. Having researched this, I'm convinced that this is what happened to me when an ENT doctor attempted the Epley on me for BPPV about 25 years ago. I did indeed feel dreadful in the immediate aftermath, but I was back to BPPV "normal" (i.e. vertigo when I moved my head into certain positions, and general unsteadiness) by the following morning. The BPPV eventually cleared itself up after about a year.
I got a second attack of BPPV (in the other ear) at the beginning of this year. This time I saw a specialised vestibular physiotherapist, who performed the Epley and completely cured me in one 20-minute session, which included the initial assessment. Just like that! That was 3 months ago and I haven't had the slightest problem ever since.
On researching the history of the Epley manoeuvre, I was surprised to find that it was only invented in 1978 (Dr. Epley is still alive today) and didn't come into general use until the early 1990s, which is when my first manoeuvre was performed. I now suspect that there wasn't enough knowledge about how to do it among practitioners in those early days, so the doctor didn't complete the manoeuvre correctly, allowing the crystals to wander temporarily into an even worse position.
I think there's very little chance of that happening these days, when the Epley is a well-practised everyday manoeuvre. Most of the cases where it has happened recently seem to be where people have tried to perform the Epley on themselves. You really should never attempt that.
When it's done by a competent modern operator - and where the diagnosis really is BPPV - it's a very easy procedure that just takes a few minutes. They have to induce vertigo at two different points in the procedure, just to verify that it's working, but it's no worse than the vertigo a BPPV sufferer experiences when first lying down, getting up or turning over in bed. And trust me - it's well worth it for the instant relief!
If you're still nervous, you can find some good YouTube videos showing how it works.
Do come back here and tell us how it went, won't you. After my most recently Epley I was so overjoyed with the results, I was all over these boards like a rash within minutes of getting home!
It didnt help me at all but we are all different hope it works for you x
May feel dizzy for a couple minutes. Then it will go away.
Don't be nervous, please. I had an episode of BPPV last year. It was a very bad one, fortunately Epley maneuvers helped. I have been doing well so far. The most important stay positive and don't worry too much. Try be in the present and enjoy life.
It made me worse for the next day, but then started to get better every day until it was gone! Do it!
Hi Emma,
How did the Epley go? I hope you're feeling better now.
Hi Emma I am doing the cooksey cawthorne exercises at the moment and although I felt bad at first ....it's now getting better so give it a try and see how you do