Monica, she needs to see an ENT. There are diagnostic tests that can be done. They mainly are used to eliminate any serious condition that might cause it. Either tell the PCP to refer her to an ENT if you can't go directly to an ENT, or get a new PCP that will refer her. It may be something easily solved, but this is not something they should be "waiting" on to see if it goes away. Odds are it won't go away on its own if it's been going on this long. She needs to see a specialist, and an ENT is the one to start with. A good ENT will not just address the symptoms with meds but will find out what is causing the symptoms if possible. Good luck!

My dad who is 86 gets treatment for the "ear rocks" thing. I know that it does sound weird, but apparently it helps him.

I had a bad bout of vertigo and it sucked, but my PCP fixed me.

Monica, what can I say that will help you see she needs to see a specialist? Obviously you are worried and it sounds like your mom's worried too, and from what you have said her PCP does not know WHY she is having vertigo. It may be a simple thing but why take a chance. The meds her PCP gave her address symptoms not causes. Get her to an ENT (otolaryngologist) that will search for answers as to WHY she is having vertigo.

We will see a specialist. I am going to look around for one in our area. Oh! the meds don't help, they just make her slow,and fall asleep.
My mom is an unbeat women..to see her looking like she is stoned out of her mind...well.. it sucks!She has a P.P.O and at least we won't have to see her P.C.P again. Thanks!

I would take it one step further and ask for an ENT that specializes in vertigo. All are not equal.

Some physical therapists also are expert at the positional exercises/treatment and I've seen people get immediate results when this is done correctly.

Excellent point, OSB. Monica if you live in an urban area, or even rural for that matter, search for one that specializes in vertigo as OSB suggests.

Great idea! I relayed these messages to my mom and she told me to thank you guys for the helpful ideas. So...thank you. And first thing tomorrow morning we are on a search for a specialist in our area Palm Springs,Ca (or our surrounding areas.)

There are at least 3 of our on this thead who have (and still do) suffer from vertigo on this thread...see a ENT. Don't be surprised however, if your mother is sent to a neurologist to rule out other stuff.

Absolutely you must go to see an ENT as soon as posible. As many others have said there are several possible causes, most of them benign or annoying - but it is possible that it has a serious cause that must be treated immediately.

And assuming it is benign, diferent causes have different treatments - and different treatements work for differnt people. (The exercises just made me worse - and I was back walking holding onto the wall.)

The good news is that for most people vertigo is a single incident - but for people with certain causes it can be recurring - and you can leran exactly what the triggers are to help prevent it.

BUT YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT SEEING AN ENT FIRST.

My mother has BPPV that is caused by what I suppose some have referred to as "ear rocks." Your inner ear canal is shaped somewhat like a spiral, lined with fine hairs, and filled with fluid. This part of your ear helps you sense balance. Some people develop dust, fragments, ear rocks, whatever you call them in this fluid. When they move their heads, the hairs sense the particles and react, sending a false message of movement or spinning to the brain.

My mother has had treatments which involved lying on a table and positioning her head precisely for a few minutes, then adjusting the position and waiting again. This literally was treating her ears like a snow globe, holding it in particular postions so all the particles could fall to one place, then be shifted to another place, finally getting trapped where they could have the least affect. Her therapist has even trained her to do the positions at home if the vertigo returns.

I've had short bouts with this as well. My eyes spin in reaction to my ears telling me that I am spinning. One way I found to stop the spinning: touch my closed eyes through my eyelids. Then my eyes know I'm not spinning so they stop moving and the spinning sensation ceases. I have been to the doctor to verify that there is no other casue to this vertigo.

However, as everyone has said, this is one person's diagnosis and solution. See a doctor as soon as possible.

Your mom kinda sounds like what I went through with my vertigo. I was in my mid 20s, though. Very sporadic and built up in intensity and frequency. Wasn't related to change in position, movement, though stress or slight infection was believed to play a part. Was given blood tests and put on Antivert/meclizzine and told to go home. Eventually referred to multiple ENTs and put through more tests then I care to name.

My advice from living through this?

Skip the normal ENTs - they really aren't much better than a PCP. Vertigo stumps them as well.

Find an ENT that also is a surgeon with the speciality of "Otology/Neurotology" - they specialize in hearing and balance disorders. They will not always recommend surgery as an option, but their scope of understanding far exceeds that of an ordinary ENT. One of the first things they will do is conduct a hearing test to see if your mother has a loss of hearing - that will state a lot right there. Also, most surgeons refuse to use Antivert or meclizzine because, quite simply, these drugs are useless.

This might be a condition your mother will have to come to live with, which I know doesn't sound so good. But I've had vertigo since I was 26. I lost jobs and was on disability because of this. Was tossed around the medical community until I was 32 and finally met the doctor that gave my life back to me. Two surgeries later, and now at 46, I live a normal life. It's all about finding the right doctor, and this condition is nothing to lightly. Especially as it appears to have happened in your mother's life.

Chele60, so glad to hear you finally found someone to help you. You poor dear! I don't know how you managed all those years with vertigo. Bless your heart! So glad you are doing well now! :)

Jimmy Stewart suffered a spat of vertigo when he attempted to save Kim Novak. Kim Novak fell to her death from a tower and Jimmy felt bad.

I self-diagnosed myself with vertigo several years ago and it turns out I retain too much fluid in my inner ear. I cut down my sodium intake and it worked wonders. The ENT doc told me I have the onset of meniere's disease. For what it's worth.

Just another suggestion. I too have had bouts of dizziness, which I always called Vertigo. But vertigo is the sensation that the room is spinning or moving not you. I always feel like my head is dizzy and balance off. Anyway I finally found a Physical Therapist who specializes in Neurotherapy and it helped me a great deal. She put me in many positions, trying to I guess balance the ear fluids. Each morning I have faithfully done the neck stretches and head rotations and its kept me symptom free. I agree with Chele60, most ENT's are stumped with this, you need a neurological based caregiver. Good Luck. Alehary