Do Vestibular Migraines Go Away – By Claire · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · Leave a comment
Running with a vestibular migraine can be extremely challenging because of balance problems, dizziness, and other symptoms. This is my experience returning to a run in the park while living with a vestibular disorder.
Do Vestibular Migraines Go Away
This post was written in conjunction with my Steps-2-Balance challenges. This is an awareness week run by VED – Vestibular Disorders Association. It challenges vestibular patients to set themselves a balance-related goal and plan an activity to achieve it. As a Ved Ambassador I am excited to participate in my first Steps-2-Balance Week and contribute to raising awareness about vestibular disorders – read on for my story and the challenge I set myself. . .
Vestibular Rehab: Helpful For Vestibular Migraine
I still remember the day, even for a minute, that my life was turned upside down – literally and figuratively. It was February 2011 and I was hospitalized for treatment of my Raynauds, a condition I had had since childhood. The plan was to try a drug that helped the symptoms, and that was, in general, well tolerated. Within half an hour of starting the infusion I started feeling weird. I don’t know if I have the words to describe it properly, but I had a headache and felt dizzy and generally ‘shut down’, which is normal during treatment. I was told that these symptoms would stop quickly. . .
Treatment was stopped after a day due to my symptoms (it was supposed to be five days), and I (stupidly) discharged myself from the hospital. I was scared and not thinking straight. Also I couldn’t see straight because the dizziness made me feel different from myself. I just wanted to wait out what I thought would be a temporary dizziness spell at home, in my bed.
Over the next few weeks I went back and forth to my primary care doctor, who seemed increasingly confused. For the next six months or so I brought a prescription for ‘dizzy pills’ as they called them, as well as anxiety medication which I took for two days and then stopped because I knew the anxiety wasn’t the problem.
It also brought many tears. Struggling to work and focus on the computer screen that flashed in front of my eyes was really tiring. I had vertigo attacks, I couldn’t stand movement and I felt like I was moving so much that I would bury my head between the pillows at night to stop the sensation. It didn’t help of course. Apart from work, I could not do anything else as I had no energy. There were no nights out with friends or going to the gym or going for a run. It’s eat, sleep, work and repeat. Also, tears, of course, on an almost daily basis.
How Light Sensitivity & Photophobia Affect Vestibular Disorders
Fast forward a few years to make a long story short, and after many scans, blood tests and other tests ordered by my neuro-otologist I was finally diagnosed with vestibular migraines. It is not known why inspiration triggers this, although I have a history of headaches and car sickness. Getting the diagnosis was both a relief and truly terrifying. It was wonderful to get an answer for symptoms. I finally figured out what the problem was. But I am also very happy to know that I have a chronic illness. I felt so young to have made so many changes in my life, and the road to recovery felt like the longest marathon as I literally struggled to walk to the end of the road.
Along with trying different medications (and settling on botox), and undergoing vestibular rehab, exercise is one of the main ways I regain my balance. A vestibular migraine gave me symptoms of dizziness, disequilibrium and my balance is ‘off’. It’s not so bad that I actually fall, but if I walk too fast I have trouble turning corners, and the ground often feels like a weird bouncy castle or walking on cotton wool. For a long time I compensated for these symptoms by restraining myself from shaking my head too quickly or making certain movements. With exercise, I have had to do this and moving more normally (under the guidance of a specialist vestibular physiotherapist) has been really beneficial.
Walking was really challenging with the dizziness and balance issues when my symptoms were at their most severe. It took a long time to build up my walking ability, especially since I also suffer from dysautonomia, hypermobility EDS, and mast cell activation syndrome. But the little walk around the streets where I live was well worth it. I took my time walking, and then decided to return to the form of exercise I had been doing for the past year: running.
My first ‘run’ was 30 seconds, followed by a few minutes of walking and then another 30 seconds. I ran with my phone set on a timer app, my heart beating too fast due to nerves. Running again felt both strange and so familiar. My legs knew what to do, but my vestibular system was less sure! Inevitably, as is my nature, I pushed it a little too fast and ended up with dizziness and classic ‘head-pain’ migraines. But I went back in time, and gradually increased under the advice of my vestibular physiotherapist.
Vestibular Migraine: How To Treat & Manage It Better
At the end of last year I set myself a goal of running 5 km in one go. I didn’t tell anyone I wanted to do this, I just put on my trainers one morning and stepped out into the cold December air and did my best. I made it, and was very happy. That doesn’t mean I can always run that distance, which is why 5km is my challenge for Steps-2-Balance. Every day is different for me personally with this condition and I can’t take for granted that I can run such a distance. Some days my body is fine with it, others definitely not.
Running has given me so much more than just my balance. It has helped my vestibular symptoms incredibly. It has given me more confidence and some ‘me time’ to switch off and do something for myself in the fresh air. Everyone will find a different form of exercise that they enjoy and that helps their vestibular symptoms. Mine goes – what’s yours?
As a VEDA Ambassador I am really happy to be a part of Steps-2-Balance this year. VEDA is a wonderful organization with many helpful resources on their website. I often return to the ‘Patient Toolkit’ and ‘Educational Resources’ on her website to gain more insight into my condition and continue to do everything I can to further improve my symptoms.
If you would like to donate some money to Veda this is my fundraising page for Steps-2-Balance – every little bit counts and thanks to everyone who donates.
Understand The Different Types Of Migraines
Thank you VEDA for allowing me to share my story as an ambassador and for participating in the 2019 Steps-2-Balance Challenge!
I’m active on Instagram and Twitter if you want to follow along for more resources on vestibular migraine!
Please follow your doctor’s advice regarding all medical treatments, supplements and dietary choices outlined in my disclaimer. I am not a medical professional, and this is just my story and the resources I found helpful. But thank nature for our very “plastic” brain because with proper detective work, we can tackle the causes and prevent the symptoms.
The vestibular system is the system inside our head that orients and balances us in the world.
Clinical Significance Of Serum Sex Hormones In Postmenopausal Women With Vestibular Migraine: Potential Role Of Estradiol
A cascade of events with migraine and whatever causes the migraine affects the vestibular system and causes symptoms such as:
Vestibular migraine has become another one of the more underdiagnosed due to its unknown causes, which has led to a large number of people falling into the category.
The problem is not so much with the diagnosis as with the evaluation that goes into diagnosing and eliminating other causes that would otherwise fix the problem.
Medicine operates on 40 year old knowledge and not enough understanding of the body before this diagnosis is given.
The Vestibular Migraine And Meniere’s Disease Connection Explained
Something as simple as eliminating foods that trigger the body or correcting nutrient deficiencies can provide relief on a case-by-case basis but these are often overlooked and the focus is on medications…
When we can correct the root cause, we can stop ourselves from taking only medicine for life. But because a standard GP does not provide a fully adequate assessment, we often need to go to other practitioners to get the right help.
Vestibular migraines, on the basis, once we exclude others
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