Hello all, I wanted to share some findings I made here and there surrounding this junk.

Knowing that there are always exceptions to the rule:

1. Most of the "strongest" or more destructive Inner ear/CNS issues, like Meniere's, Autoinmune Disease, Tumors, or Multiple Sclerosis, often show extra damage or a specific symptom/evolution, that eventually will show up, even without any specialized study, and most doctors(Otoneuro, or similar with dizzy patients' experience) will notice them and treat them, or if they have the slightest suspicion, they will asc for MRI's or something else to be sure. So most of us fellow worriers of having something like this because of our long term trouble, probably are not having any of it.

2. Even as I still think that most of the long term cases(a year and above for me) wich hasn't compensated properly from VN or BPPV, are most likely connected to an additional condition like MAV, or any other tampering factor, there are many studies that suggest how people could still have this years(even in the range of 15-20) after their first onset, sometimes with no total compensation, and sometimes even with worsening symptoms from an incomplete compensation. Causes for this are unkown, or I coulnd't find them.

3. There are some cases where, even with VRT or excercise, wich gives relief to some symptoms, this "compensated state" wouldn't stay much longer after a workout, for some unknown(or not found by me) reason.

Even as most of this cases experienced strong and deep vestibular damage, including a complete lab destruction, this could explain how, without a concrete explanation, we sometimes can manage strong motion, or hazardous workouts with ease, and suffer later while standing still or in calm on our every day life. To me this feels like when I'm concentrated, and I need to be in balance for any given situation(driving, climbing, xtreme situations) I can manage to "forget" dizziness, and go on, but as soon as I "let my guard down" sort of speak, the tiniest lil' motion or sensory input could give me hell.(when I'm decompensated, that is)

On this I'll also point out that most of the patients can still make all of their every day activities, even as the unbalance is present, so there are just a few cases where this becomes incapacitating

4. Quick and Fast treatment in the acute phase, will result in better recovery. Many studies on people showed that they achieved a better long term prognosis, when treated with cortisones in their acute phase, against people wich didn't have this kind of early treatment, maybe because inmflamation damage was reduced.

5. As all individual body reacts and compensates in its own unique way, the best VRT treatment will alwasy be an individualized program, wich concetrates on a person's specific balance deficiencies. Long term studies showed how well compensated patients' CNS "countermove" in tiny compensatory motion, to keep body in balance. Uncompensted people didn't show this, and this specific lack of motion compensation is the key to develop specific VRT programs for each person.

6. It's hard, almost impossible to have a VN recurrence, and if it happens it mught occur between 29-39 months(more less) after the initial onset, and it mostly attacks the other ear, but most of the time with least strong or least bothering symptoms altogether. So for all of us fearing a new episode, it's much more probable that we're just hanging with the effects of an uncompensated state. And it's also possible(I don't know if common), that even spinning symptoms might attack again, without necessarily meaning that there is a new episode, or a worsening(due to new damage) of the overall symptoms.

I couldn't find if, for example, if cortisone treatment helps even after the accute phase is over, or why does this, failure to compensate after VRT or excercise could happen, without specific causes like MAV:

I did find out that allergies(like in my case), upper respiratory infections(viral or bacterial), and of course Anxiety and Migraine, are common decompensating factors, and any given combination of them could give us trouble.

What's the difference between a 100% like subs wich can endure most(or all) of this troubling factors, without the added dizziness, and us? I couldn't find out that either.

Well, that's it for now, hope this info could be helpful for somebody.

Cheers.

thanks for the info. I have a couple of questions you might be able to help me with:

Just wondering, to be diagnosed with VN, does there have to be "damage" shown on vestibular testing?
One ENT I saw suspects I may have gotten a virus that would could have led to BPPV, but all my vestibular testing (ENG, rotary chair and the posturography ) all said normal-except for the positional testing, right ear down, causing nystagmus/vertigo.

Does VN have to cause damage that would show up in the testing, or can I have the neuronitis while still being "normal"?
And am I correct in believing that if you have damage done to the inner ear, that it never heals itself, the brain just compensates?

I find one day I have a handle on this info, then the next I'm so confused.
Your post is helpful, thank you.

VN always implies vestibular damage, and yes it's permanent.

Compensation occurs when the brain adjust the baance system to the new signals coming out from the ear.

As this happens inmediately after the acute phase is over, some vestibular testing, wich actually measures funciton not damage, can come out normal, eves as you are dizzy, or heaviy unbalanced.

The most common way to detect VN is the ENG(or VNG) caloric test, wich measures inner ear function directly, but as it's also a function test, and not a damage one, it could shown little about your condition.

As far as I know, but subs i the expert on this, BPPV can be caused vy VN and viceversa, where in both cases inner ear sores, and weakens, sometimes leading to one condition from the other. I don't know for sure if BPPV can cause permanent damage by itself as VN does tough.

But even as the cristals that caused it dissolve or get back in position, I think that it leaves you at least with some kind of "soreness" which may need some VRT for compensation. But to be sure of this(BPPV related stuff) drop a line to subs, he knows all about it.

One last thing, if you're in your... let us say 4-6 months don't worry, you're still in early stages, and if you're already recovering, chances are that you'll be fine soon, maybe before the "average" 1-2 years mark.

cool thanks for the info

one and a half years for me.....i can do alot of things i couldn't a year ago....but still lingering

I believe you're still on the "average" time span.

But as frustrating as this is, I think every week with it feels like ages.

Reading some of your other posts I don't think that Lyme disease has anything to do with you, but as it is with this, specially after a while, we all tend to give it a thought to any possible cause/disease there is, to have an explanation, and eventually to get a cure for this.

Keep it up, if you are feeling better than before, you surely are on the right track, it's just a matter of time and patience, even as I know that sometimes we all run low on both.