ksdaddy Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Yes, I'm a hypochondriac with a low threshold of pain. I've smoked all my life save for a couple quits that lasted 2 years each. I quit again on July 9th. I went on the patch like I have in the past. On Day Three I crawled under my old truck to shore up a sagging ragged exhaust. I reached up to do some fiddling about and suddenly felt dizzy and very nauseous. I got out from under the truck and sat upright for a few minutes and felt okay (sort of). I got back under the truck and immediately felt horrible, dizzy, nauseous, sweating like a pig... I had no idea what was going on. I went in the house and peeled the patch off, then laid down on the bed with the fan on and napped for an hour. I felt okay after that and it didn't happen again. I blamed the nicotine patch. Never heard of anyone reacting like that. So I went cold turkey after that. 42 or 43 days, whatever, I've lost count. I have a different mindset this time around so I may be able to stay off them. I don't want to die, period. I used to be 8 feet tall and bulletproof but I've had scary racing thoughts of what could happen to me if I kept smoking and maybe if I did quit it wouldn't be too late.... I'm getting more and more repulsed by the cigarettes and they no longer look like forbidden fruit. So anyway, this afternoon I played Office Handyman and relocated 3 of those keyboard holders that mount under a work station. No biggie, half a dozen screws and I had a cordless drill. HOWEVER about halfway through #2 I felt dizzy, nauseous... the whole deal. Scared the crap out of me. I had no idea what was happening to me and if I should be freaked out or not (told you I was excitable). I called my doctor's nurse and she said it was likely "positional" and had to do with crystals inside my inner ear or something like that. She said it was very common and in fact SHE suffers from it. It might be common but it really, really sucks. I googled and came up with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Apparently there are several non-invasive and non-drug treatment methods and I will definitely explore them. I know there are people that deal with much worse things on a daily basis but this is no fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 KS, I feel for ya man. I have the same thing. It hit me about 10 years ago. I'm 52 now. There have been times when it was constant, and lasted multiple days. A few times it has been bad for a week at a time. I found out my brother has it also, and my Mom had it as well. I have tried the exercises and found they did not work, and only made it worse for me. I've been told (by my doctor) to take motion sickness pills. I tried them and they did nothing for me. So I have had to just live with it. And it is not fun at all to live with. Most days I just feel nauseous all day. I have the dizziness as well. It makes life so much harder to get through. It really does. I used to ride roller coasters all the time. But no more. I can not even ride a Ferris wheel anymore. I did a few months ago, and it really messed me up. It makes me feel like I am an old man. I have to walk slower now. I have to turn my head much slower now. I found out from my Mom that she had it really bad back in the 70's. She told me that when my brother and I went to school, she would sometimes have to lay down on the bed for a significant amount of time because it was so awful. She never mentioned it to me or by brother once. What a Mom! If there is any good news I can give, it would be that it may get better. My mom is 78, and she gets the condition every now and then, but nothing like she used to. One last thing. For some reason it does not mess with me when I play basketball. And I have no idea why. I mean, when I play, I am jumping and twisting in the air all the time, and nothing happens. If I did this while not playing basketball then it would play havoc with me. I can't explain why it does not happen when I play, but I am so glad it does not. I don't mean to sound negative, but if it is like mine, it may get worse before it get better. But it acts differently with different people, so who knows. Most people seem to think it is not a big deal. But if they had it, they would know that it is quite debilitating. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or anything. Like I said, I feel for ya man. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmis Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Well, i´m quite hypochondriac myself :unsure: First of all, quit smoking is known to yield side effects, or what to call it, such as you mention! And, how old are you? I´m 51 and have experienced what you describe the latest years for no apparent reason, for me i think it´s stress-related but the doctors can´t find anything at all, they tell me i´m healthy as a fiddle and still i feel dizzy and nausea from time to time. I think it´s the interrupted smoking habit that cause what you describe but i´m not a doctor, so why don´t visit one and get an opinion, i think that should calm your anxiety! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I'm assuming you've had blood tests, for "sugar levels?" Hypo-glycemia, and/or type 2 diabetes, can have similar periodic episodes, depending on your blood sugar levels. Especially, Hypo-glycemia, when blood sugar is too low! Just a thought... CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I feel ya, I have been struggling with Labrynthitis for two months now, it has been kicking my butt, vertigo, nausea, dizziness, face pain, stress, irrational anxiety and a touch of depression. Have tell myself this isn't me just this stupid affliction. I am hanging in there but damn it has not been fun to have this during the busiest time of the year for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I had it once. Keeping well hydrated was the key for me. Sometimes it's caused by salts coming out of solution in the fluid within the middle ear and tickling the position sensor hairs. Hydration really helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Wow, seems like it's much more prevalent than I thought! I had never heard of it and have only had two episodes myself. I have no idea if this is something I officially "have" or if it's just some weirdness with not smoking or.....? I know that I haven't felt 100% since quitting. People say, "Oh, you must feel a lot better!" No, I don't. I chalk it up to it still being an acclimation period. I've smoked a pack a day of non filters since I was 12 and I'll be 54 next week. I know it's wrong and a death sentence but face it, my body is used to it. I'm not good at hydrating. I drink mostly coffee and I eat a lot of salty foods. I'll try to water up more often. I don't know how anxious I'll be to lay on my back and reach up but I may have to just to test the waters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 occasional labrynthitis here too......"power aide" seems to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 My wife has had BPPV for years. The Epley usually does the trick to fix it. If that dosn't help then she downs a diazepam. Keep killing it on the smoking. Think of all that money you're not burning up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I just quit smoking cigarettes a little over a month ago. However I now smoke electronic cigarettes. I have not had any side effects, probably due to still getting the nicotine. I've saved a lot of money and at the very least my health isn't getting any worse and probably getting better. As far as your symptoms go, you could have orthostatic blood pressure issues but most likely it is something do do with the inner ear. See your doctor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Vestibular disturbance, the weird sort of not much known about area of the inner ear. Blood viscosity, the velocity of your body, and changes to the environment bring it on. My Mrs has some serious vestibular problems. No amount of vestibular rehab worked for her, hopefully it would for you. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 I mentioned it to a girl here at work and she said her husband has it and he swears this device is the cat's nuts: http://www.clearwaterclinical.com/dizzyfix/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Seems to me that the two incidences have two things in common; work. You're allergic to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Light&Shade Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Hi ksdaddy, I know how you feel, I was diagnosed 7 years ago with Menieres disease, which affects my hearing and balance. I take medication on a daily basis to control the attacks. My last bad attack was 2 years ago, nothing worse than laying on the floor and it still feels like your falling. I also can't focus on anything as everything is spinning. The pressure that builds up in my ears is the same as being in an aeroplane, which causes temporary deafness. Once the fluid is released my hearing returns. I've found that if I get really stressed, I have an attack. I've found that ginger helps for the nausea, plus its a good excuse to have a couple of ginger nut biscuits :) Get yourself thoroughly checked out with an ENT specialist. They will be able to advise and prescribe the necessary medication and excercises. I wish you good health and happiness :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Yeah - go to a doctor. Getting advice from a guitar forum for medical issues is not the way to go. You know that 99% of guitarists/musicians are crazy to begin with. I always get a little light-headed when I see a new guitar I want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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