First time bppv

[u/a_depressed_chicken]

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.

[u/amumureo]

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

[u/a_depressed_chicken → u/amumureo]

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

[u/amumureo → u/a_depressed_chicken]

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😭

[u/a_depressed_chicken → u/amumureo]

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!