well, i wanted to pop on and see what everyone thought about this....and if it's happened to you.
monday night, (i hadn't been feeling well all day and had a mild sinus infection for about a week), i had an actual ATTACK of the room moving/spinning. i was eating dinner with my friend for her birthday and it was almost like out of the blue. i would move my head and everything shifted with it. it was so much spinny, but just tons of movement. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS HAPPEN before...except after the rotary chair/caloric test and after they did some manuever on me. it was horrible. i had to come lay down and not move for the rest of the night in a dark room. couldn't go to work in the morning. and i still feel messed up from it today. on top, i still have the ever constant jumpy vision to add to the really off feeling. the actual "movement" of things going all over the place from that night has pretty mcuh stopped, but i have some sort of after effects.
what could have caused this? i'm 15 months in and haven't had this ever happen? i'm so frustrated!!!!!!!
So sorry that happened. i had a similar situation a few months ago, lost balance (not to the same extent) but worse then i had since the beginning. Freaked me out. not sure what your diagnosis is Migraine or BPPV? But sounds like either a migraine attack or BPPV. MAy try some of the head exercises. I feel like they help even though I am not 100 percent sure of the BPPV
This happens to me as well. Usually now, it's the result of an inner ear infection. But on occasion (ever since I started physical therapy on a neck problem), I will get tiny spurts of the spins.
You are lucky that you can lie down and try to rest from that. I cannot lie flat (or I spin), and I cannot lie in a dark room because I lose my sense of space in the dark, and THAT causes me to spin.
Anything could have brought that on - from a spasm of an artery (welcome to MAV), to a loose crystal or two (the joys of BPPV), to your recent sinus infection (congestion will do that, especially if your weak spot IS dizziness).
What helps me through those spinny episodes is aspirin and Benedryl (always ask your doctor before taking any medications), cotton in my ears (because it helps the inside of my head feel more balanced, if that makes sense), and the emotional assurance that it will pass.
Sometimes I am able to move around, despite being that dizzy, so if I can, I will do something relaxing - like, for me, garden. Pulling weeds is something I can do sitting down, and being outside makes me feel better. When Iam too worse for that, than I will prop myself in a position that my head can tolerate (maybe put a few pillows unde rmy chin, and hug my body-pillow), and set myself up in a semi-sitting position to watch TV. Other times, if I am spinny upon waking, I just have to stay in bed until it passes, which has been a whole day for me.
Try not to freak out too much. The more I escalate emotionally, the worse it is for me to cope.
thank you all so much for your support and kind words...it means a lot i cried for like an hour straight, i was so upset that i was back to the very beginning of this hell again. i just couldn't take the thought of that. i'll take the constant jumpy vision ANY day over spinny world moving junk...ugh.
jadedearth: hi there! i was actually diagnosed with migraine, but i'm still just not very convinced lol. i can't imagine having constant 24/7 jumpy, shaky vision for 15 months straight from a migraine. whatever, i suppose. anyway, i don't know what to think of it.
charlotte! how are you doing on the nori? still making progress? i hope so. how long did the after-effects of the "flare up" last for you? have you had this happen before? i'm wondering if it wasn't due to just the sinus thing, or the antibiotics i was taking. my ears are still popping out of control...which hasn't happened in a LONG time.
wowwwweeee: thank you so much for your input on this. you have some wonderful ideas that i will definitely have to try---god forbid this happens again....geez. i was so nauseated, that i still feel that way somewhat today when i try to eat. i couldn't do anything...but lay down and try to stay still. it was horrible. i didn't even want to try to stand up the next morning, afraid it was gonna happen again. ugh! how are you doing? was your diagnosis migraine? if so, are you on any meds...i forget?
"wowwwweeee: thank you so much for your input on this. you have some wonderful ideas that i will definitely have to try---god forbid this happens again....geez. i was so nauseated, that i still feel that way somewhat today when i try to eat. i couldn't do anything...but lay down and try to stay still. it was horrible. i didn't even want to try to stand up the next morning, afraid it was gonna happen again. ugh! how are you doing? was your diagnosis migraine? if so, are you on any meds...i forget?"
I rarely get nausea (go figure, one symptom I DON'T have, lol and knock wood), but you may want to try something pepperminty (NOT spearminty) for that when it hits.
Staying still for me is difficult, but getting better. Initially, any NON motion would make me notice my imbalance and wooziness much much, and trying to sleep or rest was pretty tough because some part of my me, or my head was always feeling like I was rocking or swaying or dipping or spinning...you get the idea.
I found for me that being in motion feels better, as long as it's not the kind of motion that includes elevators (ups and downs), or anything moving where I am not (like escalators or tread mills - SHUDDER). Sometimes, if I am standing or sitting next to someone who is rocking on one foot, THAT will make me feel like I am moving; the same thing where if I am carrying a swaying purse, or holding a drink and the liquid is sloshing back and forth.
When I am feeling really woozy, I will try to put myself in some kind of motion - like maybe gardening sitting down or housework. Something low-key that isn't too impacting, but yet satisfies my need to move to feel better, if that makes sense.
I am doing better (thanks for asking), but still deal with symptoms on some level pretty much every day. I have been doing physical therapy for a neck problem, which seems to have been causing a lot of my headaches (my wooziness usually starts with a headache of some type, unless I have inner ear congestion - then my dizziness just comes on).
My current diagnosis is some kind of inner ear impact that triggered MAV (migraine). I am currently on no prescribed medications (my choice), but I do take two 500 mg plain aspirin mixed with one teaspoon of children's Benedryl when my symptoms need some help in settling down. Of course, always ask your doctor before trying or mixing any meds). This takes the edge off my headaches and the wooziness, and alleviates some of the sensations of movement I have when I try to go to sleep. Since starting the physical therapy, I have been able to take less of these meds, but for me, they really do help me a lot.
i cried for like an hour straight, i was so upset that i was back to the very beginning of this hell again. i just couldn't take the thought of that. i'll take the constant jumpy vision ANY day over spinny world moving junk...ugh. 
