Winnie53
BANNED
Wednesday
Woke up to go to the bathroom and experienced what I thought was vertigo around 3:30 this morning.
Husband was in New York. I was on my own.
Back in bed again, decided to get up and grab the remote phone in our bedroom. After that began questioning if I should call 911 and if I could make it to the backdoor and unlock it.
After thinking more I decided that without knowing for certain what was going on, wasn't worth the risk of passing out so decided instead to have our son who lives a mile away to drive over to unlock the back door.
Then I started feeling cold, which gave me a good scare.
As soon as our son arrived, we decided together to call 911.
Paramedics checked my blood pressure laying down then sitting up. We decided to skip the standing blood pressure. One of the paramedics picked up on my diabetes. He likely noted the piles of books on diabetes and other conditions on and next to my bed, so they asked me to check my glucose level, which was a bit high but within the normal range.
Next came the assisted walk to the ambulance, a process of grabbing anything I could each step of the way to counter the spinning room. Made it as far as the grassy lawn. Went down on all fours and threw up. Then navigated the steps with a repeat of my previous performance a few feet from the gurney. Grateful for the early morning dark and no neighbors up and about yet.
On the way to the hospital, I was described to the hospital as "stable" which I found comforting and reassuring that I was going to be okay. The driver took the last few turns in the hospital parking lot at a normal speed but too fast for me. Head spinning resumed, threw up again.
Afterward, I was kicking myself for not having my son drive me to the hospital after I had the blood pressure check. But, after further reflection, my son and I agreed the cost of the ride was worth it. No check-in process. They wheeled me directly into an examination room and immediately hooked me up to a heart monitor “to make sure nothing scary was happening”. Vitals were all good, then they checked me for stroke. Passed that examination too. More important questions followed.
Was then diagnosed with vertigo and put on three medications: an antihistamine, anti-nausea medication, and valium. I initially declined the latter two medications and the saline solution by IV because I knew I was well hydrated – (and thank goodness I was hydrated because I did not want to use that awful bed pan). It was later explained to me that I was unusual. Most patients requiring emergency care are in a dehydrated state and need the IV.
More than an hour later, using the bathroom became my sole focus, so agreed to take the latter two medications in the hope I’d eventually be able to sit up and walk on my own. More time passed, but finally felt ready to give it a try with the nurse’s guidance. Threw up again afterward but it was so worth it.
They wheeled me to my son's car and he took me home then picked up my prescriptions and laid in bed with me for a couple of hours to insure I was okay. By noon I felt well enough to eat something, so decided to try standing again. Was able to do so for five minutes so fixed our son an omelet and sent him on his way home.
Those medications worked wonders. I don’t know how anyone with vertigo could function without them. Initially, I was convinced I’d need to place a rented toilet next to the bed. Feeling so much better now.
Thursday
Slept 13 hours. Have decided this morning to continue taking the antihistamine, Meclizine HCL, 12.5 mg, USP, for at least today. It’s used for nausea/vomiting, vertigo, and motion sickness. Wonderful drug. https://www.drugs.com/meclizine.html
Am going to stick to puttering around the house today. No driving. Husband flies back from New York tomorrow. Son is on call if needed. Will try to do lunch and grocery shopping with friends tomorrow, but overall am feeling reasonably good today.
I think I’m okay now. Just a little dizzy, but it might be the Meclizinem, don't know, which I will continue to take today, then stop tomorrow but keep with me for the next couple of weeks.
Next on my list is to start the exercises today.
A member of our diabetes group wrote me this morning to say, "I've lived with two people who have had really intense, crawl-to-the-bathroom kind of vertigo. Along with the medication, they were both told to drink Coca-Cola (for stomach upset) and to significantly reduce salt intake. [A local] Ear, Nose, and Throat physician also facilitated gentle head exercises, which the other doc seemed clueless about... I'm glad they've shared exercises with you."
CocaCola? Ooh, yuck! After doing additional reading on the internet, I learned that salt reduction is useful for those who have Meniere's disease.
I feel so fortunate to have received excellent care.
The emergency room physician did everything right. The other two medications were diazepam (Valium) 5 mg, to help “calm everything down” – (but not taking that again unless needed because it definitely affected my ability to think and function) - and a medication specific for nausea/vomiting, Ondansetron HCL, 4 mg https://www.drugs.com/ondansetron.html Not sure what the dosage was in the hospital but it’s available in regular tablet form, which is what I was prescribed, and a disintegrating tablet form, Zofran ODT, which I was instructed to dissolve under my tongue while in the emergency room.
Once home, I only took the Meclizine HCL, 12.5 mg, USP.
I think the biggest challenge was figuring out what to eat yesterday. Most of the suggestions were high carb: crackers, chicken noodle soup, bananas. As I was making an omelet for my son, I remembered that I had some Amy’s Thai Coconut soup. That worked well. Not sure where the bananas are that I had my son buy. Need to find them so I can give them to friends tomorrow. I just realized, one of the advantages of eating low carb is no more fruit flies [giggle].
Thankfully, the nausea didn't return yesterday, so a few hours later I made an omelet. It was delicious and I've resumed eating my usual low carb foods with no difficulty.
This brief 11 page online article provides an excellent overview of what happened to me, also the many causes of vertigo, some serious which require immediate emergency care... http://www.emedicinehealth.com/vertigo/article_em.htm
After reading it, I now understand the reasoning for all the questions the physician asked me. He was insuring that I didn't have a more serious condition that would require additional evaluation and a different treatment approach. Lucky for me, it appears that I had nothing more than moderate vertigo. Yay!
These are the Brandt-Daroff exercises for vertigo that I was instructed to use at home - (had to find them again because somehow we left the two page illustrated instruction sheet at the hospital. I don't think I could have done them in the emergency room due to the effects of the three medications, but will begin them today)... http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...E15FB5ECFD782DD8ABE7E15FB&fsscr=0&FORM=VDMCNL
Posting this here so if this ever happens to again, I'll have a good record of what worked well for me following a proper evaluation and diagnosis.
Woke up to go to the bathroom and experienced what I thought was vertigo around 3:30 this morning.
Husband was in New York. I was on my own.
Back in bed again, decided to get up and grab the remote phone in our bedroom. After that began questioning if I should call 911 and if I could make it to the backdoor and unlock it.
After thinking more I decided that without knowing for certain what was going on, wasn't worth the risk of passing out so decided instead to have our son who lives a mile away to drive over to unlock the back door.
Then I started feeling cold, which gave me a good scare.
As soon as our son arrived, we decided together to call 911.
Paramedics checked my blood pressure laying down then sitting up. We decided to skip the standing blood pressure. One of the paramedics picked up on my diabetes. He likely noted the piles of books on diabetes and other conditions on and next to my bed, so they asked me to check my glucose level, which was a bit high but within the normal range.
Next came the assisted walk to the ambulance, a process of grabbing anything I could each step of the way to counter the spinning room. Made it as far as the grassy lawn. Went down on all fours and threw up. Then navigated the steps with a repeat of my previous performance a few feet from the gurney. Grateful for the early morning dark and no neighbors up and about yet.
On the way to the hospital, I was described to the hospital as "stable" which I found comforting and reassuring that I was going to be okay. The driver took the last few turns in the hospital parking lot at a normal speed but too fast for me. Head spinning resumed, threw up again.
Afterward, I was kicking myself for not having my son drive me to the hospital after I had the blood pressure check. But, after further reflection, my son and I agreed the cost of the ride was worth it. No check-in process. They wheeled me directly into an examination room and immediately hooked me up to a heart monitor “to make sure nothing scary was happening”. Vitals were all good, then they checked me for stroke. Passed that examination too. More important questions followed.
Was then diagnosed with vertigo and put on three medications: an antihistamine, anti-nausea medication, and valium. I initially declined the latter two medications and the saline solution by IV because I knew I was well hydrated – (and thank goodness I was hydrated because I did not want to use that awful bed pan). It was later explained to me that I was unusual. Most patients requiring emergency care are in a dehydrated state and need the IV.
More than an hour later, using the bathroom became my sole focus, so agreed to take the latter two medications in the hope I’d eventually be able to sit up and walk on my own. More time passed, but finally felt ready to give it a try with the nurse’s guidance. Threw up again afterward but it was so worth it.
They wheeled me to my son's car and he took me home then picked up my prescriptions and laid in bed with me for a couple of hours to insure I was okay. By noon I felt well enough to eat something, so decided to try standing again. Was able to do so for five minutes so fixed our son an omelet and sent him on his way home.
Those medications worked wonders. I don’t know how anyone with vertigo could function without them. Initially, I was convinced I’d need to place a rented toilet next to the bed. Feeling so much better now.
Thursday
Slept 13 hours. Have decided this morning to continue taking the antihistamine, Meclizine HCL, 12.5 mg, USP, for at least today. It’s used for nausea/vomiting, vertigo, and motion sickness. Wonderful drug. https://www.drugs.com/meclizine.html
Am going to stick to puttering around the house today. No driving. Husband flies back from New York tomorrow. Son is on call if needed. Will try to do lunch and grocery shopping with friends tomorrow, but overall am feeling reasonably good today.
I think I’m okay now. Just a little dizzy, but it might be the Meclizinem, don't know, which I will continue to take today, then stop tomorrow but keep with me for the next couple of weeks.
Next on my list is to start the exercises today.
A member of our diabetes group wrote me this morning to say, "I've lived with two people who have had really intense, crawl-to-the-bathroom kind of vertigo. Along with the medication, they were both told to drink Coca-Cola (for stomach upset) and to significantly reduce salt intake. [A local] Ear, Nose, and Throat physician also facilitated gentle head exercises, which the other doc seemed clueless about... I'm glad they've shared exercises with you."
CocaCola? Ooh, yuck! After doing additional reading on the internet, I learned that salt reduction is useful for those who have Meniere's disease.
I feel so fortunate to have received excellent care.
The emergency room physician did everything right. The other two medications were diazepam (Valium) 5 mg, to help “calm everything down” – (but not taking that again unless needed because it definitely affected my ability to think and function) - and a medication specific for nausea/vomiting, Ondansetron HCL, 4 mg https://www.drugs.com/ondansetron.html Not sure what the dosage was in the hospital but it’s available in regular tablet form, which is what I was prescribed, and a disintegrating tablet form, Zofran ODT, which I was instructed to dissolve under my tongue while in the emergency room.
Once home, I only took the Meclizine HCL, 12.5 mg, USP.
I think the biggest challenge was figuring out what to eat yesterday. Most of the suggestions were high carb: crackers, chicken noodle soup, bananas. As I was making an omelet for my son, I remembered that I had some Amy’s Thai Coconut soup. That worked well. Not sure where the bananas are that I had my son buy. Need to find them so I can give them to friends tomorrow. I just realized, one of the advantages of eating low carb is no more fruit flies [giggle].
Thankfully, the nausea didn't return yesterday, so a few hours later I made an omelet. It was delicious and I've resumed eating my usual low carb foods with no difficulty.
This brief 11 page online article provides an excellent overview of what happened to me, also the many causes of vertigo, some serious which require immediate emergency care... http://www.emedicinehealth.com/vertigo/article_em.htm
After reading it, I now understand the reasoning for all the questions the physician asked me. He was insuring that I didn't have a more serious condition that would require additional evaluation and a different treatment approach. Lucky for me, it appears that I had nothing more than moderate vertigo. Yay!
These are the Brandt-Daroff exercises for vertigo that I was instructed to use at home - (had to find them again because somehow we left the two page illustrated instruction sheet at the hospital. I don't think I could have done them in the emergency room due to the effects of the three medications, but will begin them today)... http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...E15FB5ECFD782DD8ABE7E15FB&fsscr=0&FORM=VDMCNL
Posting this here so if this ever happens to again, I'll have a good record of what worked well for me following a proper evaluation and diagnosis.
)
