Hello!! My name is Leanne I am brand new to this site -
I am a nurse here in BC and am unable to work now for the past four months d/t Severe vertigo (almost Constant imbalance, feel like Im walking on a boat, subjective constant “movement” when I close my eyes - ect ect.)
I have a hx of SEVERE migraines in my 20’s- which included severe “aura”, (numbing sensations, visual loss, severe vertigo then PAIN). Im now 32, and havent had any severe head pain in quite some time… However, I have Chronic vertigo :(((((
My Neurologist and Neurotologist/ENT are questioning now if i am having Migraine Associated Vertigo w/out head pain on a chronic basis…
I have started Verapamil at a VERY low dose (as I am terrified of feeling ANY worse than I already do d/t side effects)
Has Verapamil helped anyone with chronic vertigo sensations???
I am desperate for answers !!
Leanne what are you referring to as a very low dose? I know Verapamil has helped some people, but I don’t know that it helped them at extremely small dosages.
My understanding of Verapamil is that the side effects tend to be minimal outside of constipation. It can cause constipation in some people that can be unpleasant unless you work hard at counteracting it.
Verapamil unfortunately did not help me, but Topamax did. Your symptoms do sound very much like MAV and you fit the profile to a T (migraines earlier in life with sudden vertigo onset in 30’s), so I think you are on the right track treatment wise. I know the side effects of the medication are daunting, but the way I look at it is that you have to give the medication a chance to work. If you find the side effects are just too much, well then that means you need to move onto a new medication. The good and bad news of migraine prevention medications is that there are several to try. This means that it can be a slow trial and error process, but it also means that there is a good chance that you can find a medication that will help you out.
In the mean time, you might try to identify if any triggers make your vertigo any worse. Sometimes vertigo that can seem chronic can be mitigated by avoiding triggers. For example–my vertigo was chronic until I figured out that my trigger was artificial light. Once I started avoiding all artificial light (through using sunglasses or migraine glasses when indoors) I was able to significantly reduce my vertigo. This obviously won’t work for all people as everyone has different triggers, but my point is you may be triggering migraines on a daily basis without ever realizing it. Identifying triggers can be very difficult, but it can be very useful in helping mitigate symptoms while you are also looking for medication to help you out.
I am on a mix of drugs. I have tried a slue that have not worked and some that have. The ones that have helped my dizziness include amitriptyline and verapamil. I started with amitriptyline and that helped some. I verapamil and that was even better. I am no where near better, so I now at my first full week of 75mg. of topamax…we will see what happens!
The only side effect I had with verapamil were dry mouth and constipation.
Take it slow and do what you are comfortable with. I hope this med. works for you!
Sarah
Verapamil seems to have reduced the brain fog. I don’t think it’s reduced the vertigo or fatigue a lot, but at least I can function a bit more without all of the fogginess and forgetfulness. I still want to find something to reduce the dizziness though.