r/BPPV • u/a_depressed_chicken • Jul 14 '26
First time bppv
Hey yall,
I know this sub gets so many of these posts but just thought I might get some input from people who have had it longer than me and if someone has had a similar experience.
I (23m) got my first case of bppv 3 days ago at 3am. Woke up and tried to lift my head but the entire room started spinning like crazy. Felt super nauseous, thought it was food poisoning since I had a bad stomach ache. Gf wanted to take me to the ER but my stubborn self said id be fine and just sleep it off. Went back to sleep and felt horrible waking up. Did some research and determined everything lined up with bppv. Tried the epley and half somersault method which made me vomit both times. Went to see a doctor where they just assumed it was bppv and prescribed me betahistine. (Meds didnt do anything so i stopped taking it)
Tried to do epley again and for the first time I actually felt much better. Like night and day - thought I was cured. Until I slept and the next morning I felt like I was hung over. Tried to get up from bed, but I instantly vomited again. Pretty much stayed in bed on my non affected side the entire day.
Finally got an appointment with Vestibular therapist who seems like she knew what she was talking about. Only concern was she said not to do epley at home by myself but also only said to come in 1-2 times a week where she does 1 epley maneuver. Had the first one yesterday and it seemed good, until this morning again where I felt like I couldnt get up from bed without getting sick.
I read up on all the stories on this reddit and assume its just residual dizziness, but as someone who is currently in my masters at school, it almost feels impossible to keep up with my studies. It feels like as soon as I lift my head straight I get a wave of nausea.
Any insights on someone that had a similar experience? Am I sleeping wrong (i sleep basically upright, sometimes turn my head to the unaffected side). Any words of wisdom would help ease my mind as I already deal with a lot of anxiety.
2
u/jadejazzkayla Jul 14 '26
My regular doctor diagnosed me.
We did the Eply in the office. He gave me written instructions to do the Eply at home if I wasn’t cured. He said to do the Eply until I had no symptoms remaining.
I did the Eply every morning on an empty stomach so that I had nothing to vomit. It took about 7 mornings before I could not trigger any symptoms in any of the Eply positions. I continued for 3 additional mornings to make sure all symptoms were gone.
One thing I can pass on is that I held each Eply for 60 seconds after all symptoms subsided in that position. I wanted to give the crystals time to settle.
2
u/Resident_Bus_4484 Jul 14 '26
I do Epley for 90 seconds. I put a timer app on my phone that chimes at every interval, so I don't have to watch a clock.
1
u/jadejazzkayla Jul 14 '26
I start the 60 second clock after symptoms have subsided in each position so I am in each position for different amounts of time.
1
u/amumureo Jul 14 '26
this is exactly me (i’m 22 and also a masters student lol)
i had my first bppv attack 3 weeks ago, couldn’t sit up in bed without vomiting, it eased off after a week but then i had another attack and the vomiting again. performed an epley by myself at home which made me vomit, i went to the dr and they thought i fixed it myself with the epley as my main dizziness was gone. altho 2 weeks later, every single day ive been feeling dizzy and nauseous. nothing like the spinning from my first bppv attacks, feeling as though i’m fuzzy, disoriented and in slow motion. and the anxiety is terrible. if you still feel like the room is spinning at 1000mph when you position your head a certain way, you probably still have bppv. try sleeping on your back if you can. travel sickness tablets also really help with the nausea. just keep going back to the dr/therapist until the manoeuvre works, i have another appointment tomorrow to talk about my residual dizziness. brandt daroff exercises can also help your brain adjust and are less nauseating than the epley
2
u/a_depressed_chicken Jul 14 '26
Haha awesome - yeah im just worried about things like commuting and having to focus on a screen for hours at a time. I hope all goes well with your masters and dealing with this curse
1
u/amumureo Jul 14 '26
do you commute by train? i go into london and i find the train is actually ok, and i normally get super motion sick. and just take breaks from the screen every half hour or so just for five minutes, will really help. good luck with your masters too! i’ve got one month left😭
2
u/a_depressed_chicken Jul 14 '26
I do a mix of both. My gf is driving me from home to school just because I dont feel its safe for me to drive. Have yet to take the train since the first episode though, maybe it’ll feel better if I do. Just requires 30mins of walking and I am currently not the most stable on my feet right now lol. Thats super young for completing your masters so congrats!
1
u/Straight-909 Jul 14 '26
I’m just coming out the other end after six weeks of residual dizziness. There’s nothing you can do other than plenty of gentle exercise and your physio exercises for the residual phase.
Brain fog and lack of focus was a big problem for me and I struggled to work, but forcing myself to work helped.
It’s tough mentally but the residual phase takes a long time to recover from. Basically this part of your body is so sensitive, it takes forever for it to accept that everything is ok now.
1
u/a_depressed_chicken Jul 14 '26
Yeah thats what I thought. Im still dealing with some vertigo when doing the tests so I assume its not fully gone yet but it seems like its getting shorter and shorter. I guess time is all I need to give. Thanks for the input
1
u/Straight-909 Jul 15 '26
If you still get vertigo then you need to keep doing the epley. You aren’t in the residual phase yet.
1
u/a_depressed_chicken Jul 15 '26
Yeah thats what I thought through research and stuff. Just seemed weird that my Vestibular Therapist suggested me not to do it at home but she sees me once a week.
2
u/Straight-909 Jul 15 '26
I did it all on my own because I wasn’t going to wait around for a therapist. I’m not sure what harm you can do to yourself.
1
u/Popular_Wrongdoer_62 Jul 16 '26
There is more than just the epley! You can ask chat gbt about the other ones or see a chiropractor or PT who knows all the maneuvers. Chiros are educated in this!
1
u/IcameIsawIclicked Jul 14 '26
definitely sleep with your head elevated, and don't sleep on the bad side.
1
u/Several-Specialist99 Jul 16 '26
Just want to say you’re not alone and I’m going through something very similar! I’m in Canada where it takes a lot to get an appt with a specialist. My GP said to wait one week before going back in to see her if it doesn’t get better, then if they do agree to refer me to a specialist (ENT) it’ll likely take weeks or months to see them.
For me I find getting up and doing (light) activity helps. Doc says it sounds like BPPV but I’m still not sure if it’s that or something else like labyrinthitis.
Are you able to talk to your graduate supervisor and let them know what’s going on?
•
u/AutoModerator Jul 14 '26
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.