Vertigo! Has anyone experienced this before?

onekeaneo

Just wondering has anyone had any experiences of this before. Early on this year I had a bout of vertigo. It started after particularly hard week training. A few days after I started to experience a pain in my head (my temples) when I turned my head from left or right. It was annoying but didn’t stop going to work and not knowing what it was I continued doing my daily routine and I continued training. About a week later I began to experience a spinning sensation. I went to my doc and was told I had Vertigo. I told him I was training for the Marathon and that I had been running longer distances and wondered was this anything to do with it. He said it that it might have been as a result of not hydrating properly. As it turned out I really hadn’t been taking on enough fluids at all and it was quite sunny/hot when I’d been running (this was in April). He gave me a prescription and within 2 weeks I was fine. I bought myself a hydration belt and since then I’ve paid a lot more attention with hydration and up till now I’ve been fine.
That was until last week when I’ve started to experience the pain in my head again. It was after a tuff enough few days which included an 18miler, rest day, 6 miles, 4 miles and a tuff football training session. I haven’t experienced the spinning yet cause I’ve stopped running for a few days now now do give myself a break and see if it goes but so far it hasn’t…..
I have booked another appointment with my doc but I’m just wondering has anyone of you seasoned runners had any experience of this or had this? If this is as a result of not taking on enough fluids I don’t understand why I’m getting this again because I have been hydrating properly. I must state that although this is my first marathon and my first attempt at training for one. I have always maintained a high level of fitness and I’m not stranger to hard workouts as up to last session I used to play league of Ireland football for a big Dublin club and I’ve never had anything like this before.

hunnymonster

you've done the sensible thing and booked to see your doc again. (S)he is the only person who can really advise you on this.


I suffer from vertigo on and off. I take stemitil (sp?) for it and that is enough to control it so I've never tried to investigate further. I've never noticed a connection with hydration though I do a bit of swimming and ntice I'm more prone to an "attack" after a rough open water swim which triggers motion sickness.

onekeaneo

Cheers for the reply Hunnymonster. Maybe it’s the swimming cause I swim as well. Either way the Doc has put me on a course or “Serc” tablets and I’m under strict instructions to rest up for 2 WEEKS! I know your health is your wealth and all that and I will rest up for the time I was told to but now I’m wondering how this will set me back with my training. What do you think? I have run up to 21 miles in training so far so I suppose I’m ahead of most first timers in terms of mileage covered at this stage. But now I’m wondering how will this effect my preparation for the Marathon?

hunnymonster

If you've already done a big run then I'm sure you will be fine with 2 weeks rest. Usually best to do what the doc says (although these days I do question her a bit more and make sure she has a reason for the recommendation rather than just playing it safe because she doesn't know). You'll still have time for a months hard training and a proper taper so no need to worry.

Dizzyblonde

By all means rest for a couple of weeks but try not to spend too much time inactive as this will hinder your recovery. Walking around your house or garden will help.
Most people recover from dizziness in a matter of weeks.

robric

im far from an expert but i always question what doctors say, i keep going back to the mantra that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and always approach a doc with the attitude that they dont know everything, maybe you should be getting a second opinion from a sports specialist doc....

im a firm believer as well that whatever the fuel going in makes the engine run, the better the food the better the run. if your training has increased from a speed and explosion based pace for LOI soccer to a more constant and fatiuge causing pace for marathon then your diet should change a bit also...... maybe a visit to a nutritionist, or a good scout online might give some clues, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and all that lark are gonna be used very quickly by a body thats running 21 miles maybe the diet needs to be checked.....

good luck with it, if you can do 21 training 2 weeks off wont be to bad, maybe go out cycling or a decent walk.... uphill or that

onekeaneo

Thanks for the posts lads. Well I’m back training but it’s taken me a little over 3 weeks to get fully better. This is just what I feared. My last run was on the 15th August and it taken me till now to recover. Partly I’m sure cause I got impatient and tried to come back to soon. The week before last I convinced myself that I was on the mend and went out for a 7 miler and low and behold the day after my symptoms were a lot worse. So now I’m convinced my vertigo is in some way related to my running even if my doc is not so sure. Having said that I tried to see if there is any connection between the two on the internet and there just isn’t. I rang my Doc and he’s booked me in with a specialist in the matter.
But in the mean time I feel fine now so I’m returning to my training big time!
Now I’m in a race just to get to the start line. I ran 7 miles yesterday and 6 Saturday. I forgot about times or anything like that I just took it nice and steady. It was tuff enough but maybe not as hard as I thought it would be. My first goal is to get ready for a half Marathon on 22nd of this month in the phoenix park. And then the race is on to get ready for the Dublin Marathon.
Question? I have rearranged my training schedule and increased the pace to try to get back to where I was but should I reduce the amount of time I had planned for my taper? Or is that a big no no? I think I’m going to need all the weeks I have left!

ozchick

some viruses give you vertigo - I was hospitalized with one 2 years ago, so bad that I was vomiting and on a drip.

When you mentioned about turning your head....have you had it checked by an osteo or chiro, whatever is your choice, but I prefer osteos. Can be a structural issue - not sure fluid intake related.

Check out something like that before you keep taking pills - sort out the cause not just find a solution

I had migraines for years (vomiting etc) and after discovering osteopathy I haven't had once since, but can get headaches when my neck is out

I should add that there exercises you can do if you suffer from vertigo, I've used them with good effect, its an issue with your ear canal not draining properly - I can't recall the name right now, but a physio can help you, I will google and get back to you tomorow - don't have time to wait for it all to reload now, find this site very slow

onekeaneo

Thanks for the post ozchick. Yeah I went back to my Doctor and he’s sending me to a specialist. Now he’s saying that he thinks it is due to my running and the constant movement of my head when doing so. I’m still on these pills and now taking them before and after a run and it seems to work. I’m convinced my running is the reason also. In the past my training was always short sharp runs and now since I’ve changed to longer runs I’m getting these attacks. Touch wood I haven’t experienced any lately and I ran the Half Marathon last Saturday and felt pretty good. It seems to come on after a heavy week of training and off the back of say a 20 + miler. I was out for almost 3 weeks and with the Marathon date getting closer it couldn’t have come at a worse time for me. Tomorrow will be my first attempt at a 20 miler since I’ve had this so fingers crossed I will come through it ok.