Dizzy Gillespie? But I can't play trumpet!

May 24, 2021 10:44 AM

I seem to have what Dr. Google suggests is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. There have been a couple of questions about this in the past (THIS is a great comment!), but I could use some info from people who've had this and fixed it. Namely:

When you do the Epley Maneuver, the Semont Maneuver, the Foster Maneuver or the Brandt-Daroff Exercise...

• If it works, does the vertigo resolve immediately?
• Do you feel hungover for the rest of the hour / day / week?

posted by spacewrench to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

The first time I did the Epley maneuver (assisted by my PCP, who had done it before but was reading the instructions off UpToDate as we went - she wasn't an expert or anything), I felt 100% better immediately, like a switch had been flipped. When I've had relapses and done exercises on my own, it hasn't been as dramatic of an improvement (but the relapses have never been as bad as the initial onset, either). If I feel hungover I personally would attribute that to not quite "getting it" with the exercise.
posted by mskyle at 11:06 AM on May 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Epley Manuever has never been instant for me, not even when done by a doctor. It usually takes several days, and since it resolves by its own after a few days if I don't do anything, I'm never sure whether the Epley Manuever even helped.
posted by FencingGal at 11:12 AM on May 24, 2021

The Epley maneuver (when done by a professional) has worked almost immediately for me. When done by a non-professional (like a roommate or partner at home) it has taken a few tries to get it right, with breaks between each try. But eventually when it works, I can tell almost immediately. It's eerie.

I can also relate to the hungover feeling for at least a couple hours afterward. Usually I just want to go to sleep, because having vertigo makes it difficult for me to sleep and I'm usually exhausted by the time it's gone.
posted by Gray Duck at 11:51 AM on May 24, 2021

I'm an audiologist, and while I don't specialize in vestibular disorders, I am trained in diagnosing and treating them.

If you have the most common type of BPPV, the Epley, if done correctly, should resolve your vertigo very quickly. The Epley is the most effective treatment for the common (posterior canal) type of BPPV. You may feel a little weird for the day because vertigo is exhausting and your brain tries really hard to compensate for it when you do have it. This can leave you feeling pretty foggy. But it should not linger for a week. The Epley is something you can easily and safely do to yourself at home.

If you have tried the Epley and/or Semont on your own several times and are not seeing improvements, it may be either because you have an uncommon type of BPPV (e.g., otoconia has fallen into anterior or horizontal canals, which is less likely to be effectively treated with these maneuvers) or you have some other cause of vertigo.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:10 PM on May 24, 2021 [5 favorites]

Epley worked immediately for me to stop the spins, but I also felt weak and fragile (yes, maybe hungover is a good description) for a few days afterwards.
posted by xo at 12:30 PM on May 24, 2021

When I've had relapses and done exercises on my own, it hasn't been as dramatic of an improvement (but the relapses have never been as bad as the initial onset, either).

This has been my experience. I use a little app with a timer on my phone to make sure I'm doing the stuff the right amount of time, but usually it works quickish and if I feel hungover it's only because vertigo sucks and is exhausting so once you're free of it you can feel wiped out.
posted by jessamyn at 1:23 PM on May 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

I actually wrote a post on here once asking what other kooky-seeming things are actually kinda miraculous, and gave the Epley Maneuver as an example.

I've had to use it twice for myself, a few years apart, and I've taught it to people on multiple occasions when they've experienced BPPV for the first time, and even though it's not been 100% immediate, it's made it possible to walk and drive. For me, I had to go through the sequence two complete times correctly (the first time, I did it for the wrong side first), and then (as xo described) the spinning stopped right away, but it took the rest of the day to stop feeling shaky, weak, and queasy. I found that it was important not to tip my head back or make any sudden moves for a day or so.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 4:39 PM on May 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Just another voice chiming in on the instant cure of the Epley. I did not like having it done, but once it was over I felt 1 million times better. I also did not have success in doing it on my own, I had my partner do it for me.
posted by tristeza at 5:02 PM on May 24, 2021

It depends how long the dizziness has been going on before I tried the Epley. First time I had it, I didn't realize that was it for about two weeks. It took 3-4 days of doing the maneuver multiple times per day for it to go away. I had it for about a day the last two times before I put it together and did the maneuver. Both times the relief was quick, though it did come back after a week or so the first time (hence the second time). So, I plan to keep the routine up for longer next time even if I get relief right away.

One thing that happens to me during the Epley is that I can barely focus my eyes during step 3. It's like a major version of the drunken spins. I can tell it is working when this effect lessens with each repetition. I don't get any exhaustion or other hangover like effects other than those spins and they resolve quickly after I stand up.
posted by soelo at 12:57 PM on May 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Epley works almost immediately for me, at least 90% of the time. I don't usually have residual effects, but then again my vertigo has never been as bad as the very first time I had it.
posted by 40 Watt at 2:47 PM on June 1, 2021