Hi Steve,
Apparently I have developed vertigo (no, nothing to do with heights, that's actually acrophobia I think).
The first instance was in October 2012. I was being transferred to a half-way house from hospital. They wheeled me into a room which had a highly patterned floor, sort of vortices, and left me to get some kit. Suddenly I was hanging onto the wheelchair. It was a worse sensation that the worst fairground ride I've ever been on! I knew very well that it was me throwing myself around, but stopping it was not at all easy. After that, nothing, until 26 June, last month. I had a hospital appointment for bloods and tests prior to seeing a liver specialist for a biopsy. They laid me down on a flat bed with the objective of doing a fibro-scan and I got my second attack. The nurses suggested that I saw my GP the following day - the only working day between then and seeing the liver man. I thought that since it had been 18 months or so since the previous episode I should be OK.
On Monday 30th I arrived at the day case ward about 08:40, my appointment wasn't till 09:30, perfectly OK (well as perfect as I get these days) and having fasted. No delay though, they took me into the ward proper and a nurse took details - all of which was on computer I'm sure. For the rest of the morning no-one could find the liver man. At about 11:00 his associate decided he wanted more fibro scans - just to occupy me I think. Again the nurses tried to lay me on a flat mattress and it happened again! They tried 2 pillows and got me on my side which was better - but the results from this 'new' fibro-scan machine were dreadful - it measures the flexibility of the liver by firing an ultrasound 'shot' between the ribs - the lower the better apparently. Mine ranged from 29 to 79 with no consistency at all. I wonder if being in such an awkward position contributed. Then, getting up when they gave up I had another attack! Back at the ward they gave me a tuna sandwich and a cup of tea and told me I was free to go.
I saw my GP on 10 July. She confirmed vertigo. With me it doesn't go round - it goes down - as if you are accelerating upwards very quickly for several minutes (probably just seconds actually).
I had just one more brief incident at home, getting up. Apart from that, and the point of all this, I had dizzy spells a couple or six times a day thereafter. My GP prescribed Prochlorperazine which seems to be reducing the frequency those spells.
Anyone know prochlorperazine?
Oh, the liver man? No one has contacted me to date - even my GP knew nothing of events when I saw her on 10 July. The man perhaps heard it was me and did a runner....