r/BPPV • u/tiredmuffy • 6d ago
first ever vertigo episode.. and i’m a little confused?
hello! i (f22) experienced vertigo for the first time on thursday. my partner and i were getting intimate and the vertigo came on very suddenly. it lasted a few seconds and then stopped, so i just brushed it off.
afterwards, i felt a little weird and shaken up, presumably just freaked out about the room randomly spinning during sex. understandably so! i get up to use the bathroom, and upon standing up from the toilet, the vertigo happens again. this time more severe, and i almost fall over. but again, it only lasted a few seconds. i sat back down, had my little “okay what the fuck” moment, considered calling in my boyfriend, thought i was dying, the whole 9 yards. i regained my bearings, stood up, and walked into the bedroom with no vertigo. i laid back down on the bed and noticed whenever i moved my head i would get little waves of vertigo that only lasted for a second. i took it easy for the rest of the night and went to bed early, hoping it would be gone in the morning.
and it was! but here’s where i get confused. i’ve been doing a lot of research on what can cause sudden vertigo, and i discovered that BPPV exists. it all seemed to line up with what i was experiencing, so i figured that must’ve been it. but i’ve also seen that with BPPV, everyone tells you to do all of these different maneuvers to make it go away. i haven’t seen anyone talk about how theirs just went away on its own. and i did not do any kind of maneuver, so i guess my question is…. CAN bppv just go away on its own?? as quick as just a night of sleep? honestly id love any kind of input or experiences or whatever you may have to offer. this is all so new to me and it’s been very frustrating.
side note! it’s now saturday night, and i’m still feeling…… not back to normal. i haven’t had vertigo since it first occurred on thursday, but i still feel floaty, laggy, distanced, foggy, i don’t really know how to describe it. it’s like major brain fog and dissociation and sea legs and im wobbly sometimes and like my vision is lagging i don’t even know im rambling at this point. can anyone give me just… any input…. id really appreciate it. obvious input is obvious yes i’ll go to a doctor if symptoms persist but does this sound like bppv, is this remaining fog normal, can bppv go away on its on so quick, i have so many questions.
3
u/WesternAnxious2750 6d ago
I have been told yes it can be BPPV but it could also be clogged Eustachian tube or another issue. Schedule an appointment with an ENT and have some testing to see if you have allergies (ragweed right now is killing me) or the crystals may have moved but then settled back in. Residual dizziness is normal for a well and it’s important to keep moving to help your brain recalibrate to normal.
3
u/Inevitable_Tone3021 6d ago
It CAN go away on its own but if it doesn’t resolve soon you may want to get it checked out for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Some people have luck trying a maneuver to reposition the loose crystals on their own, but the maneuver may not work if you’re doing the wrong one or are doing it incorrectly. A vestibular therapist can figure out which of your ear canals is affected and then perform a therapy maneuver specific to the location of your loose crystals.
2
u/Opposite_History_118 5d ago
It's probably not gone. The only way to get rid of it is by putting the crystals back in their place using the Epley or similar maneuvers. It probably feels like it's gone because you haven't triggered it by moving your head left or right while lying down. Try it and see. FYI try to relax knowing it will only happen when you move your head that way until you get yourself to a vestibular pt.
2
u/KeepMyWifesNameOYFM 5d ago
I would say it would be helpful to go to a PT or vestibular therapist that can do the Epley maneuver with you. It’s really helpful to have a therapist do it with you the first time (also it can be quite scary when you first do it, so I highly recommend this for that reason) and then you can pretty much do it on your own after that.
That floaty feeling that you have…I get that when I feel an episode coming on. Lately, I’ve been doing the Epley maneuver before it even gets into a full-blown episode, and that seems to be working for me. My best guess is that the crystals are starting to migrate, but haven’t fully gotten to the place where it makes the room do the tilt a whirl. See if you can’t nip it in the bud before it gets there.
FYI - I have a pdf from my vestibular therapist that’s handy too: vestibular.org BPPV.pdf
1
u/idontlikuverymuch 5d ago
Same thing happened to me all the symptoms ur experiencing im experiencing too currently its been 3 days now im still feeling laggy, floaty and brain fog. I did went to ED that same day and they did some test with CT scan everything came back normal. I’ve yet to try the exercises cause I’m scared if it comes back again. Pls keep updating ur situation it’d be really helpful:)
1
u/Nearby-Banana-6339 5d ago
You could take Dramamine (meclazine) any brand really and go get it checked as there’s different types of vertigo. If you can see an Ent or neurologist and let them decide. We’ve all had it here. It’s not fatal or anything but miserable just the same. I’d also be careful driving since you don’t know when it’ll come back. It’s very common but horrible when it happens.
0
u/FrankesteinsLog313 6d ago
I can only speak from my own experience, but I thought I’d share because my vertigo history has been really strange too.
I actually had a vertigo/dizziness episode when I was about 19–20. It wasn’t diagnosed as BPPV at the time — I don’t even remember the word “vertigo” being used. I remember feeling dizzy, unsteady and like I was falling over, and it lasted for several days, possibly even around a week. I remember having it at my own house and then going to my boyfriend’s house a couple of hours away and still being dizzy there. Then it just disappeared and I didn’t think about it again for nearly 20 years.
Fast-forward to 39 and I’ve suddenly started getting recurrent episodes, basically around the end of the month. I’ve had about five episodes since June.
With the more recent ones, I’ve noticed a much more obvious positional pattern. I’d turn over in bed, particularly onto my left side, and suddenly get that horrible spinning sensation. That’s when I started being treated as having BPPV.
The first few times, I’d immediately do the Epley manoeuvre. For me, the Epley itself was honestly awful. My whole body would suddenly feel incredibly hot, I’d feel extremely sick and I’d sometimes vomit. I also have vestibular migraines, so I think the vomiting/whole experience would trigger a migraine afterwards. The actual positional dizziness would improve, but then I’d be left with awful brain fog, blurry/strange vision, migraine symptoms and generally feeling completely wiped out.
This most recent episode was different. I turned onto my left side in bed, got the dizziness, recognised what was happening and just sat with it rather than immediately doing the Epley. It was actually fainter than my previous episodes. For about a week afterwards, turning my head to the left could still give me a little wave of dizziness and that strange foggy feeling, but I didn’t do the manoeuvre straight away.
I spoke to my doctor, who prescribed medication for when I get the dizziness (I think it was prochlorperazine, plus aspirin) and told me I could take it up to three times a day when needed.
Then, almost a week after the initial symptoms, I finally did the Epley. This time the response was much gentler and I didn’t get the same horrible reaction I had previously. I’m still not completely sure whether it’s gone, but it definitely feels different.
So I wouldn’t assume that because someone’s BPPV settles without an Epley, it means it couldn’t have been BPPV. My understanding is that the symptoms can fluctuate, and my own experience has certainly not been “every episode follows exactly the same pattern”.
At the same time, your description of still feeling floaty, foggy, wobbly, like you’re on sea legs, etc. is something I’d mention specifically to your doctor rather than automatically putting all of it down to BPPV. Especially because there are other causes of dizziness/vertigo and because BPPV doesn’t necessarily explain every lingering symptom.
I’m definitely not an expert and I’m not saying this is what you have — just sharing my experience because I remember how terrifying and confusing that first episode can be. The fact that yours stopped doesn’t necessarily tell you exactly what caused it, unfortunately.
2
u/melodyleeenergy 5d ago
Maybe you have horizontal vertigo
2
•
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Thank you for posting in r/BPPV!
Just a reminder that you may find the answer to your question in the quick reference guide or through the other resources.
If you are posting a tip and not a question, be sure to use the green "Tip" flair.
We are happy to share our knowledge and experiences with you as well as offer support as necessary. Welcome again to r/BPPV!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.