Dizzy In All the Wrong Ways

March 2, 2015 7:16 AM

I've been experiencing periods of dizziness and nausea the past few months. Seeing a doctor about it, but haven't nailed down any causes or solutions yet (though she thinks I may have something called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome). I'm having a spell right now but have a job interview in 2 hours! How should I get through the next few hours?

This is my very first programming interview so I need to be on top of my game. Don't really know how to show off my Ruby or even ride the subway there when I feel like the world is spinning, though. I probably should've postponed the interview when I realized I was feeling ill last night, but now I think it's probably too late. What I have isn't contagious even though it involves vomit, so I'm not putting anyone at risk by going. I'm probably past the throwing up part, but I need to get to he point where I can stand up.

My doc hasn't given me anything for treatment yet since she doesn't really know why it's happening. Is there anything I can do right now that'll get me through until 2pm today? I'm trying to stay hydrated but wonder if there are motion sickness meds or something over-the-counter that can push me through the subway ride and interview. Have any ideas?

posted by Yoko Ono's Advice Column to Health & Fitness (16 answers total)

Call and postpone. You're sick. It happens. They'll deal.
posted by ottereroticist at 7:18 AM on March 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I would postpone since the odds of doing a good interview under those circumstances would be tough - you can always plead sudden onset of a tummy bug. There are a number of drugs that might help but as far as I know they're all prescription. Dizziness is notoriously hard to diagnose but perhaps your doctor can give you something to help with symptoms when you must be functional.
posted by leslies at 7:25 AM on March 2, 2015

If you can't stand up, you cannot attend a job interview in 2 hours. Potential employers understand that people get sick. Call and ask to reschedule.
posted by something something at 7:28 AM on March 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Did your doctor rule out BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)? This vertigo is caused by calcium crystals that accumulate in the wrong part if your inner ear and signal the brain into thinking you're in motion. Do your eyes twich while closed (nystagmus)?

You can do an exercise at home known as the Epply Maneuver to try and move the crystals back to where they belong.

It's painless and only takes a few minutes to do. Maybe give it a shot?
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:40 AM on March 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Being the person who had to postpone interview >>>>>> being the person who showed up sick for interview.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:44 AM on March 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

I agree with everyone above to call and postpone due to illness. You can leave the cause vague and tell them you don't want to expose their office to anything. Most people appreciate that this time of year! (And since you don't have a diagnosis, it's not like you KNOW you're not contagious.)

Beyond that -- I've had a close friend with CVS and while YMMV, this doesn't really sound like CVS to me. Primary symptom of CVS is vomiting, not nausea and dizziness. (And frankly, you sound too coherent for this to be a spell of CVS. Although, y'know, I am not a doctor, so I could be totally off-base here.) I second following up on BPPV (which I have had myself -- and this sounds much more like that) and labrynthitis and all the other awesome causes of dizziness and nausea out there.

If it IS CVS, Benadryl might help. But Benadryl will help you sleep through/off the spell... not help you do well on an interview.
posted by pie ninja at 7:51 AM on March 2, 2015

I had to cancel an interview 18 months ago because I had a relapse of BPPV, which involves (as noted above) spinning and nausea. Employers understand, and if they don't, you don't want to work there anyway.

Look into BPPV, especially if you're over 40. If it seems like your eyes are jerking back and forth every time you move your head, that sounds like it might be what it is.

The other way to check is to try the Epley maneuver: if it helps, you have BPPV. If it doesn't help, no harm done.
posted by suelac at 8:37 AM on March 2, 2015

Response by poster: Definitely no eye-twitching here. Does BPPV also include repeated vomiting? Will bring it up to my doctor this afternoon.

Postponed interview.
posted by Yoko Ono's Advice Column at 8:50 AM on March 2, 2015

I had labryinthitis once and it made the whole room spin and made me motion sick while laying in the couch. It was inflammation/viral infection of the part of the ear that senses motion and position (similar to BPPV). Only thing they could give me was meclizine or Dramamine. It took a few days for me to be able to function again. Try some Dramamine and see if that helps.
posted by MultiFaceted at 9:20 AM on March 2, 2015

Does BPPV also include repeated vomiting

Depends on how sensitive you are to motion sickness. For me, that was the first cue that something was wrong: I didn't notice the dizziness so much as the fact that I was horribly nauseated.

I hope your doctor can find out what's wrong. There are medications that should help reduce your symptoms, unfortunately I can't remember the name of what they gave me. The strongest stuff I got (for an unrelated episode of vestibular nausea) was something they give chemo patients to settle their stomachs.
posted by suelac at 9:26 AM on March 2, 2015

When I had crystals in my ear, I threw up every five minutes for hours. A properly executed Epley maneuver worked a miracle.
posted by Riverine at 9:46 AM on March 2, 2015

You may have a condition called a Chiari Malformation. The short version is that the cerebellum is too big for the bone cup it sits in, and begins pressing down on the top of the spinal cord, thus preventing the free flow of spinal fluid.

My ex suffered from random dizziness and vertigo for years before she was properly diagnosed. You should get checked out - past a certain point, this condition can create serious, life-altering problems for you.
posted by The Blue Olly at 9:49 AM on March 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Half somersault manoeuvre is more effective than Epley- at least it was for me. Three-week spell of BPPV cleared up at once, like magic.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 5:34 PM on March 2, 2015

BPPV can cause vomiting, although it isn't common, because typically the vertigo (spinning sensation) that goes along with BPPV is not as violent as it can be with other causes of vertigo. When vertigo becomes severe, it causes nausea and vomiting - another entity that can cause intermittent episodic vertigo that tends to be more severe is Meniere's disease. Usually, if the vertigo does not seem to be caused by BPPV or labyrinthitis, an MRI of the brain will be done to rule out more serious causes of vertigo before Meniere's is diagnosed.

Dramamine and meclizine are both over the counter meds (meclizine is marketed as Antivert) that can help with vertigo.

I would agree with the sentiment above that vertigo is not a typical symptom of cyclic vomiting syndrome.

Incidentally, if the problem IS cyclic vomiting syndrome, it tends to become worse at times of stress, such as.... the night before/day of a job interview. For this reason, postponing the interview if that was the cause may not be helpful, unless it allows you time to get medication you can use to successfully treat your symptoms.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:42 PM on March 2, 2015

Here are the diagnostic criteria for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, by the way, you can take a look and see how well you think they fit.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:48 PM on March 2, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks so much, everyone. I just remembered I posted this question while posting another one, and my doctor ruled out BPPV and also CVS this time! Unfortunately, she's now testing for Carcinoid Syndrome, but that's evidently rare. The more we rule out, the closer we are to figuring something out, so thanks for the suggestions.
posted by Yoko Ono's Advice Column at 6:54 PM on March 19, 2015