Comment by dghughes | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dghughes | Hacker News Reader

I had lots of ear problems as a child so many ear aches and trips to the doctor but it all magically ended when my father quit smoking.

But all my life maybe once per year maybe twice I will suddenly get dizzy and I mean within a second. I have to sit still and not even move my head or even my eyes which are flicking back and forth as if I had just spun around for a few minutes. You wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy, it's probably why I'm not really into drinking alcohol I hate this feeling so much even the few times I get it.

My mother occasionally gets it and once my father did too but just the one time two years ago which was rare; we thought he was having a stroke so we rushed him to the hospital.

When the doctor looked at my dad he explained it was called BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) he explained it as a "rock" maybe calcium or something like that lodging between cilia of the inner ear.

It made me wonder if this is genetic although as far as I know my sister has never mentioned getting these dizziness attacks.

All the aging Baby Boomers are the target of new medicines I hope to benefit from them when I am a bit older.

Avoid Aspartame like the plague. You'll see people say (regarding Meniere's) that they've stopped drinking coffee, alcohol, soda and it helped with their attacks. The one thing many of those have in common is the wide popularity of "diet" or "lite" versions, usually containing Aspartame.

I noticed the same issues myself with Alcohol but it stopped almost completely once I switched to non-diet drinks (still in moderation, of course). Then I started getting attacks a little more frequently (the shorter "drop" attacks, though). I realized the only thing that had changed was that I'd started up again drinking diet soda containing, wouldn't you know it, aspartame. Since that moment I avoid it and it's served me well, along with consistent exercise.

I'm not a doctor, but I have a theory based on my observations that Aspartame compromises the strength of the barrier around the inner ear. Because of how I've felt the dizzy sensations start and eventually pass, I'm assuming fluid buildup causes the inner ear lining (probably scarred by now if my theory holds) to burst. This causes instant dizziness that subsides rather quickly at this point, likely due to damage of the hair cells. In my theory, the lining will burst either because it's been weakened (aspartame) or excessive pressure (when I've slacked on my workouts), or more often probably a little bit of both.

I'd love to get in contact with a doctor about it to explore the theory further, since I can definitely lay down some scientific method and observation, but my knowledge of the ear is probably pretty limited compared to that of an expert. Up until now, though, most doctors I've talked to seem to treat Meniere's as simply incurable and make no further time investments.

I just might try to reach out to this company and see if anybody there is interested even just give me a good reason my theory is wrong.

Very good info. During christmas break, I came off my exercise/activity routine, and the symptoms are back, after a longish gap.Will certainly try exercise. And avoid aspartame.

Yeah, I'm most confident about the exercise connection. Seemingly without fail, when I slack off from my 3 workouts a week, my symptoms return about two weeks in. And then when I start exercising consistently again, they subside a week or two later.

I don't drink alcohol (never was a big drinker anyway) and due to GERD I can't stand any artificial sweeteners they give me heartburn; a GERD flare up. About the only place I'd get any artificial sweetner is in toothpaste.

It's very rare anyway for dizziness maybe once or twice per year.

Interesting.

My dad had severe Magnesium deficiency, after a genetic thyroid problem. The deficiency only got diagnosed because the doctor noticed the cramps. But for almost 2 weeks before the correct diagnosis, he developed a persistent vertigo that left him sick on the bed, could eat nothing, and drugs did nothing to improve.

Now, I know our bodies have a delicate Ca/Mg osmotic balance. I wonder if his vertigo was due to the same thing, minerals loose in the inner ear?

Might get you and your parent's thyroid hormone levels tested too (it's a simple blood test), it fixed my dad's vertigo for good.

Dad's been on synthroid for a good decade or more.

I don't think my mom has any thyroid issues.

Have the same issue and diagnosis (BPPV). 2 yrs ago, I visited my dentist - a marathon 2 hr appointment with my head tilted back - ever since that appointment I've had occasional vertigo. Not sure if it was related - but I'd never had symptoms prior. Head tilting back (while shaving , or roller-coasters or a dental chair), or working near a window/edge thats on the third or fourth floor, can bring it back.

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