Vertigo From Cervical Spine Surgery?

[tinypoms]

I had an acdf on May 8th. I was complaining about pain in the back of my neck so on June 2nd the doctor gave me a Medrol 4mg Pak. I took 3 at dinner, 3 at bedtime and 1 at 5:00 in the morning the next day. At 9:30, I woke up to vertigo. I went to the doctor the next day because it didn't stop and he said I have in inner ear infection and it could not be the Medrol. He didn't even examine me. I was just wondering if anyone has had vertigo from the spinal surgery. I was thinking that it could be from that.

Joanie

[sahuaro]

I experienced dizziness and vertigo for a few days after my ESI's...and I believe I have seen reports of dizziness after cervical surgery on discussion boards. I am also surprised that he prescribed steroids after acdf since my understanding is that steroids interfere with bone growth...Would be interested in others' responses...

[Maria]

I sometimes get vertigo as part of an aura with my migraines. I don't know if some the reason however I get migraines isn't related to what is going on with my cervical spine. I think it is, my OSS thinks it's not. I'm not thinking all the time the migraines are related to my cervical disc situation but maybe sometimes.

I've had 2 dentists tell me that the grinding/clenching and TMJ I have is related to my spinal column from the lumbar spine up to the cervical spine (yes, I use a nightguard).

I've had ESIs now over a period of 7 years with no real vertigo spells that I could think of however the thought that it could have been the medrol makes sense to me.. could have been altho if you still experience them after you've stopped this medication then likely not the explanation. Did you ever have vertigo before your cervical surgery?

Re cervical spine surgery and vertigo.. it is an interesting query. Is this a regular symptom you have? Inner infection is usually the first thing that is ruled out re vertigo tho at the very least an examination of the inner ear should be made before rendering this diagnosis!

I personally know 2 people who have had severe vertigo episodes as well as milder episodes with no cervical complaints or history at all and have exhausted a thorough battery of diagnostic exams/testing/films including cervical MRIs and still not had a diagnosis made or actual treatment that has stopped the vertigo episodes.

Supposedly vertigo can be a symptom associated with many entities...

[tinypoms]

I never had vertigo before, that is why it was so scary. I am still having it even though I am taking Antivert for it. I stopped the Medrol right after I got the vertigo. I called the manufacturer of the pill and they said it can take 5 days to get out of my system. At this point, I just don't know. I am going to wait until Tuesday and if I stil have it, I will see another doctor.

Joanie

[nopain]

I've had a lot of vertigo and it's STILL Scary

[tinypoms]

Did they start after the surgery? If they did, how long after? My vertigo started one month after. I believe it started when I started sleeping on my side while still wearing my soft collar.

I still have it and am going to an ENT on Thursday for the Epley maneuver.

Joanie

[nopain]

You can do the Eply Maneuver from home.

This video displays the maneuver very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6t-Bpg494

It is the EXACT same thing that was administered to me by a Neurologist on my first visit shortly after my symptoms.

There is no reason to wait to give it a try. Just watch the video and do it.

Here is supporting text:

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com...bppv/bppv.html

Your vertigo may or may not be related to your ear and some kind of infection.

I had many tests including Balance center testing. And Peripheral causes were ruled out.

An no mine did not occur after surgery.

I get very frustrated with Doctors who try to compartmentalize Vertigo. I saw 3 ENT's and they all said "I don't know". Which is fine. I had a surgeon tell me recently that the ONLY way I could have balance issues is from Spinal Stenosis. Which is know is NOT true.

cervical propriocepters play a role in your balance.

Propriocepters
Specialized nerve endings located in muscles and around joints that are sensitive to touch, pressure, and the movement of muscle tissue surrounding them.

You can research it do death. But trying to find a Doctor to diagnose and pinpoint the "source" of your problem is a nearly impossible task.

If you have Vertigo as the result of an ear infection consider yourself lucky, because they can treat and fix it. It's when it is related to Nerves (Central not Peripheral) that diagnosis and treatment becomes a daunting task.

I hope you get over yours, cause while pain is bad, having your internal gyroscope out of whack is terrifying.

[tinypoms]

Thank you for that link. I did dry the Brandt-Daroff Exercises 2 times and felt a bit dizzy during the day so I stopped them. I also wanted to see an ENT to see if it might be my sinuses. When I lay down I feel pressure between my eyes. I will try the at home Epley though. The video doesn't say how many times to do it. Do you do it only once? I know I had to do the Brandt-Daroff a few times.

Joanie

[nopain]

The chances of you having BPPV are not that great. But it can't hurt to try.

This link should be more helpful.

http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/d...bppv/bppv.html

You still want to keep your appointment for sure. Make sure you note positions which cause your symptoms so you can tell your Doctor. I have a really tough time with this because once I realize I'm having vertigo it's all I can do to just get in some position to make it stop, let alone remember what exact position I was in when it started. I tend to get it in the middle of the night. I'll have night sweats and try to get up and can't. Weird feeling. I can only assume it's because of some strange position I get my neck in when I'm sleeping. I stopped using pillows because I can't keep my head on them and I just end up feeling worse when I do.

About 2/3rds the way down on the link in this post you'll find this information:

HOME EPLEY MANEUVER

The Epley and/or Semont maneuvers as described above can be done at home (Radke et al, 1999; Furman and Hain, 2004). We often recommend the home-Epley to our patients who have a clear diagnosis. This procedure seems to be even more effective than the in-office procedure, perhaps because it is repeated every night for a week.

The method (for the left side) is performed as shown on the figure to the right. One stays in each of the supine (lying down) positions for 30 seconds, and in the sitting upright position (top) for 1 minute. Thus, once cycle takes 2 1/2 minutes. Typically 3 cycles are performed just prior to going to sleep. It is best to do them at night rather than in the morning or midday, as if one becomes dizzy following the exercises, then it can resolve while one is sleeping. The mirror image of this procedure is used for the right ear.

There are several problems with the "do it yourself" method. If the diagnosis of BPPV has not been confirmed, one may be attempting to treat another condition (such as a brain tumor or stroke) with positional exercises -- this is unlikely to be successful and may delay proper treatment. A second problem is that the home-Epley requires knowledge of the "bad" side. Sometimes this can be tricky to establish. Complications such as conversion to another canal (see below) can occur during the Epley maneuver, which are better handled in a doctor's office than at home. Finally, occasionally during the Epley maneuver neurological symptoms are provoked due to compression of the vertebral arteries. In our opinion, it is safer to have the first Epley performed in a doctors office where appropriate action can be taken in this eventuality.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it's interesting to see other Cervical Problems related to Vertigo. It's one of those symptoms that occurs but is not nearly as common as our friend pain. It's nice when you get to experience both - NOT.

Please let us know what the ENT comes up with for your diagnosis. I really do hope it's something like a simple ear infection. The cure rates for that is really high and doesn't take that long.

[tinypoms]

I know actually how mine starts and stops. I have to be in bed for about an hour or so and if I turn my head to the side, either way, mostly to the left, the room spins. If I just keep it there it stops in about 5 seconds.

I am hoping it is an infection or BPPV as anything else just scares me.

I do appreciate all the information that you are giving me.

Joanie

[tinypoms]

All of a sudden the vertigo stopped Saturday night. I have an appointment with the ENT on Thursday. Should I cancel it? Do you think I got it from laying on my back in bed for a month? It started a couple of days after I started laying on my side. I don't want to go to the doctor is all he will do is take my money. Do you know if he can determine how I got it and if it will come back? Can he do the Epley Manuever on me if I don't have the vertigo anymore?

Joanie

[mmglobal]

Joanie, I'm so glad that the vertigo stopped.

A week ago, Diane got out of bed and was slammed with vertigo. This has never happened before. We thought that she stood up too fast or some other nonsense like that, so she got back in bed to relax for a few minutes. It was clear that she did not feel normal, but we still tried to write it off as no big deal. After about 10 minutes, she got up again and was still dizzy. We discussed the possibilities and both agreed that it was probably nothing, but how can you ignore this... It would be stupid to have a stroke and write it off to 'no big deal'. We decided that it was prudent to hit the ER. They were not too worried, but did a head CT to rule-out the bad stuff. The head CT showed that she did NOT have a sinus infection... it would have been nice to be able to say, 'probably a sinus infection', but that was taken away. The ER doc seemed completely uninterested beyond covering his rear... "go see your doctor on Monday!" I guess that is a good course of action, because by Monday - 2 days later - the vertigo was gone and it seemed much less urgent to us as well. The ER doc says that he sees this all the time.

I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in this. Even though it turned out to be nothing, I think that unusual symptoms that could be something much worse, should be dealt with. You have to rule out the worst possibilities. Your symptoms seem to have lasted longer than Diane's... I hope that they remain gone. Let us know what you decide about seeing the ENT... please let us know what he says.

All the best,

Mark

PS... Nopain... great info about bppv!

[tinypoms]

I hope Diane never gets this again. It is so scary especially the first time. I also hope mine never comes back. I think I will go to the ENT because I also would like a CT scan to rule out the bad stuff.

Joanie

[Diane]

I read Mark's post on my vertigo and just wanted to add a few details. I thought that it was interesting that the night before and while sleeping I had upper back and neck pain at high levels. I woke several times and thought about taking some pain meds, but decided not. The vertigo was severe and I could barley walk. I had never experienced anything like this. I wasn't terribly concerned, but thought I'd feel really dumb if I ignored it. I had read recently in a nursing magazine that sudden onset of vertigo can be a sign of stroke and should not be ignored. If I had taken pain meds,I would have thought it a reaction to the meds. Even though the ER doc said it's not possible,I still wonder about the connection to my neck. The Antivert put me to sleep and I slept most of the day. After a day of rest my upper back and neck were fine and the vertigo gone.


Diane

[tinypoms]

Hi Diane,

I am so happy that you are ok. I had my vertigo for 3 weeks. It was only one day of vertigo when I stood and laid down. The rest of the days was what they call BPPV, positional vertigo. It only happened when I would roll over in bed. It is such a scary thing especially the very first time. I hope I never get it again. I am going to the ENT tomorrow to hopefully find out why I got it. It is strange that it happened a couple of hours after I took a new pain medicine, but since it lasted so long, it could not be from that.

Joanie

[mmglobal]

These types of situations are so difficult and confusing.... kind of like all things spine!

How do they know how many diagnostic tests are necessary, responsible, affordable, reasonable, etc...? You can have bppv AND have a stroke.

Mark

[Maria]

I've a friend who is around my age who has had some very severe episodes of vertigo, all testing done possible and unexplained to date. My 84 y.o. uncle has undergone the same thing in terms of severe (said he wished he was dead the vertigo was so severe) vertigo episodes and more recently lighter ones. He had all the recommended diagnostic testing done as well.

Of course it's prudent to rule out anything that is life threatening. I guess the doctors see a number of patients with vertigo in the ER and I've also read some recent articles in my nursing journal re vertigo and what it can mean, what to do, diagnostics to be performed.

Something has to be going on .. just think the testing isn't refined enough or the refined testing might be too sci fi for insurance to cover it. Wonder what diagnostics the President might undergo for severe vertigo episodes..

[tinypoms]

I went to the ENT today to find out what could have caused my 3 weeks of vertigo. I am still wondering why I had my 3 weeks of vertigo. The only thing I got was a lighter wallet. He said my ears are fine as is my hearing. He said I could have other tests done but if I am fine now, there is no need. He said I should come back if it happens again. I told him I had to wait 2 weeks to get an appointment. If it happens again, and I hope it never does, I can't wait another 2 weeks! I also asked for a CT Scan of my brain to make sure that is OK and he said I don't need it. I asked him if it could be from the spinal surgery and again he said, "I don't know". I am very disappointed.

Joanie