vertigo

[hunter11]

Has anyone ever experienced vertigo ( dizziness and lightheadedness ) from using a cpap machine is it a normal thing to feel that way.

[Wulfman...]

Go up to the Search line above and put in "vertigo" and start reading through the 43 pages of posts.


Den

.

[EmRav]

I experienced vertigo when my pressure was too high. I was prescribed a 9.0 cm H20 but I decided to increase it to 10.6 because of still feeling tired. At this point I was starting to experience severe vertigo.. However, it resolved when I turned on EPR (exhale relief) and got even better after turning my pressure down.

[zoocrewphoto]

I experienced vertigo twice in one week, but it was 9 months before I started cpap. I went to two ERs (i was traveling the first time), and both ER docs ruled out the serious causes. AN ENT checked me as well, and they all decided it was probably just a virus in my ear causing it to give false info. With my eyes and ears disagreeing, my eyes were trying to follow the perceived motion, which messed up my view and left me feeling sick. It has not recurred, though I am now sensitive to sensations of rotating. Sometimes, when a scene in a movie or tv program has a rotating camera, I have to look away.

It is possible, that something with the cpap is throwing off something within the inner ear. It is not a common problem, though does get mentioned sometimes on this list. I have had ear problems all my life, and I have not had any ear issues since starting cpap. I do get puffy eyelids sometimes which is not common and does show air going in places that it normally shouldn't.

I would talk to your doctor or even check out an ENT to see if cpap is somehow affecting your ears. If it isn't related, you may still need an ENT to help you figure out anyway.

[Country4ever]

Just wanted to add that both my daughter and I experienced severe vertigo when our Vitamin D level was very low. Once we started taking Vitamin D, our vertigo disappeared. This may not be your problem, but thought I'd mention this just in case.

[avi123]

from NEJM:

Dated: March 20, 2014

The Clinical Problem

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is by far the most common type of vertigo, with a reported prevalence between 10.7 and 64.0 cases per 100,000 population and a lifetime prevalence of 2.4%.1,2 The condition is characterized by brief spinning sensations, usually lasting less than 1 minute, which are generally induced by a change in head position with respect to gravity. 3,4 Vertigo typically develops when a patient gets in or out of bed, rolls over in bed, tilts the head back, or bends forward.3 Even though patients with BPPV occasionally report persistent dizziness and imbalance, a careful history taking almost always reveals that their symptoms are worse with changes in head position.4 Many patients also have nausea, sometimes with vomiting. Attacks of BPPV usually do not have a known cause, although cases may be associated with head trauma, a prolonged recumbent position (e.g., at a dentist's office or hair salon), or various disorders of the inner ear.3 Spontaneous remissions and recurrences are frequent; the annual rate of recurrence is approximately 15%.5 Patients with BPPV are at increased risk for falls and impairment in the performance of daily activities. 6

Dated: 2010

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a common peripheral vestibular disorder. It is caused by loose otoconia, which detach from the utricular macula and fall into any one of the three semicircular canals. Patients report brief episodes of rotary vertigo triggered by changes in head position. The most common form of the disorder affects the posterior semicircular canal and is diagnosed with the Dix–Hallpike maneuver. A positive Dix–Hallpike test is manifested as upbeating torsional nystagmus with a fast component that rotates toward the undermost ear (video). This nystagmus may be seen with the unaided eye but is often more pronounced if fixation is eliminated with the use of Frenzel lenses or video-oculography goggles. Treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is directed at returning the displaced otoconia to their proper location in the inner ear. Various effective particle-repositioning maneuvers have been developed and are curative in most cases.

The specialists who deal with it are here:

http://www.vestibular.org

p.s. if you have it forget about being a Blue Angels pilot