Ask a doctor on the topic of Otorhinolaryngology

storage dizziness

January 21, 2012 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,
I had already contacted you after I was hospitalized in November due to severe vertigo. The diagnosis was positional vertigo, which only disappeared after weeks of daily positioning exercises. I was symptom-free for a few weeks, and suddenly, since last Saturday, I have vertigo again, but this time when I turn to the left, whereas in November it was on the right side. I saw an ENT specialist who said it is very unlikely that I have crystals in my ear again so quickly, and he recommended seeing an orthopedist for my cervical spine. But cervical spine issues don't cause vertigo when changing positions, do they? A few months ago, I had an x-ray of my cervical spine, which showed only minor signs of wear and tear. What is your opinion? Could the crystals have returned so quickly, or maybe they were never completely gone, but why are they now on the other side? I am feeling desperate, scared, and can hardly sleep because I am afraid to move. Can I expect this to keep coming back, and what can I do about it? The positioning exercises do not seem to help, even though I have tried the Epley maneuver again, which only made me unable to walk for hours due to dizziness, but it didn't help. :-(
Thank you and best regards,
Amy

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Good day esteemed inquirer,

Unfortunately, you are right that the positioning exercises do not always work. I consider it likely that it is once again the balance organ causing you discomfort and not the cervical spine. (Which is also supported by the findings collected).
If rest and exercise do not bring relief, a medication trial must be attempted. Either try a betahistine preparation or take a combination preparation like Arlevert in increasing doses until you have the symptom of dizziness under control. Both preparations require a prescription, so you will need to consult either an ENT specialist or your general practitioner. Unfortunately, exercises cannot force a solution. So now, try the medication route.
Wishing you a speedy recovery,
R.C. Berg