Vertigo - The viral illness not the fear :)

[Genie 0]

Has anyone out there had Vertigo? Otherwise known as Labyrinthitiis which is a kinda cool name or also known as Menhoerr (sp?) syndrome. Basically its a wonderful viral infection of the inner ear which will take 6-8 weeks to go no matter what you take. Symptoms include a very special feeling of being under a wildly spinning mal, while sitting quietly in a chair. The reason im asking is im wondering when it would be safe to go back jumping. I havent had any symptoms in about 2 weeks now, and thats without the meds. Anyone have any idea if i woulld be ok now or should i wait a bit? Yes i did ask my doctor - he looked kinda blank to put it mildly
thanks a million
Genie

[AggieDave 6]

Personally, I would be very VERY relunctant to push getting back in the air if I was suffering from Vertigo. I have a friend who had a problem with it back a few months ago and if I went through what she was going through and i was in the air, I'm not real sure if I would live through it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Genie 0]

Yeah i know - the concept of being perfectly stable inthe air, falling down the tube but THINKING that im spinning and twisting and cant get stable - not a good idea... thats why im wondering if anyone can give me any guideline - will altitude affect my inner ear? could it cause the symptoms to come back etc etc...
Thanks Guys!
Genie

[quade 3]

Probably your best bet is to make a phone call to an Aviation Medical Examiner. (pilot doctor)

Most general practice M.D.s don't know all that much about altitude effects, but an AME certainly should.

Ya might wanna try going HERE and looking up an AME in your area. They should be able to give you some advise and point you in the right direction.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Genie 0]

Hi Quade

Thanks for the advice - i was kinda hoping to find one of those kinda people on here - Im based in Ireland and AME type peoplle are few and far between, takes ages to get an appointment and then I have to take a day off to get there - all a bit awkward - especially as i went back to grad school this year thanks again
Noelle

[freakyrat 1]

If you can't find an AME also try and Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (ENT). I had something very similiar a couple of months back when I would tilt my head to the drinking fountain etc or look down and up quickly I would get a little dizzy. My general practitioner doctor found that I had a small amount of fluid buildup in my right ear from maybe a sinus infection etc. After the fluid dried up I'm fine. It took about 2 months to clear up though

Chris

[jumpdoc 0]

From what I know about vertigo (and all I know is what I learned in medical school) is that it is not a viral infection, but...well, to put it mildly, you have rocks in your head that help your sense of balance. When one of these rocks gets dislodged, it can get stuck in one of your semi-circular canals (the balance mechanism), and causes your sense of balance to be off (ie: the room spins). Sometimes we treat this with a drug called meclizine which helps a lot of people, other times we treat it by rotating the head in a specific series of motions (that doesn't work so well). More specificially, some doctors treat it that way (I don't treat it, I'm a gynecologist). Regardless, I would assume that if you have been symptom free for a number of weeks, it should be relatively safe to get back into a plane as altitude shouldn't affect your symptoms. Meniere's disease can also cause vertigo, but the way that works is different and I am not familiar enough with that entity to even begin to discuss it. I am not an expert, so you should probably find a flight doc who can give you sound advice, but as a physician and skydiver, I would be comfortable getting in the plane a few weeks after the symptoms resolved (my opinion, not medical advice)

[eyeinthesky 0]

i think id get a doctors opinion first, and if that passes, ask the DZ if you can pay a fee just to ride the plane up and back down to see how altitude affects you, if it even does.

doug

hey, i was stupid before stupid was cool!

[Michele 1]

My dad had it, and for about 5 weeks he was really bad off. And then, he was fine for a little bit (IIRC, something like a month). Then it came back. He doesn't jump, but he can describe a spinning mal very well.

I'd say, if you can't get to a flight Dr., and if your Dr. doesn't have a good idea, then you may just wait a bit to see if it comes back, like it did with my Pop. As far as I know, it only did that once to him, but it still concerned him.

If you're not feeling 100%, don't jump. The sky will wait, Noelle...it's not going anywhere.

Whatever you do decide to do, be safe and have fun!

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Genie 0]

Thanks Michele!
I know the sky isnt going anywhere - but i havent jumped since September! And iam definitely suffering from "lack of Altitude" sickness!
And with the symptoms reappearing on Wed last, after 2 weeks clear im looking at aother 2 months at least - which may put the kibosh on my planned sprin break to Florida! Hey dont all american college students go to Florida on spring break?

Anyway, my doctor has referred me to an ENT - he thinks the vertigo may be triggering migraines for me - oh joy! - so maybe they'll be able to help We can but hope!
Genie

[Michele 1]

Quote

We can but hope!

That we shall do, my friend, that we shall do. Let us know what goes on...Migraines are not terribly fun, and it would be great if you knew the cause and were able to handle it, you know?

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[ScubyDoo 0]

I went skydiving for the first time 3 weeks ago today. I loved it & had never experienced such an adrenaline rush in my life! I couldn't wait to do it again! Later that day, I noticed that I felt exhausted & very groggy, as if I had been drugged. I attributed that to the major adrenaline surge; something my body had never experienced quite so intensely. My girlfriend who had done the jump with me, felt tired also & she had a migraine. . But two days later I woke up with dizziness & an off-balance feeling. Since then, I've had trouble with turning my head or tilting it back. When I do, I get a feeling like I may fall over & my eyes feel like they're strained, as if I'm cross-eyed! About seven years ago I had a brief bout with vertigo, but it occurred one time for a week, & it was a very mild case which resolved itself. It also was not a result of any kind of activity- it just came & went for no apparent reason. Anyway, I had to call in sick a couple of days ago because it had caused me to feel nauseated. Went to the doctor that day & got Antivert(took away nauseau, but still just as dizzy & made me feel like a zombie.) I feel like the condition is starting to improve, and just yesterday I had a severe pain in my left ear for about 15 seconds which then went away as fast as it came about. Maybe an ear infection is resulting? I am posting this to see if anyone else has had a similar situation & also perhaps this is a warning to those who have an inner ear/vertigo problem, & are thinking of jumping. I'm pretty sure its got something to do with the air pressure. I remember as I was jumping, not being able to swallow since my mouth was completly dry from nervousness. Maybe by not swalling, I couldn't stabilize my inner ear? Don't know...maybe somebody does. Unfortunately, I don't think I could jump again if this is what will happen for weeks following...