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Back on land balance


D Alt

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Some facts on this phenomena:

Your vestibular apparatus - the semicircular canals in your skull and on both sides of your head - send signals to your cerebellum at the base of your brain responsible for collating all of your sensory inputs to keep you upright.

Perseveration is the term used to describe the continuance of input from your vestibular apparatus to the cerebellum even when you're not actually experiencing them (e.g., the rocking motion of the ship you were on yesterday and are off of it today).

You can shortcut the sensation of continuing motion you're experiencing after debarkation by taking OTC Meclizine (Bonine). Preferred to Benadryl because Meclizine has less sedative affects than Benadryl or you can just wait it out.   

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I had a severe case of this when I sailed from Vancouver to Hawaii. I think there were 5 or 6 sea days in a row, and some choppy seas the first couple of days.  On my first port day  I felt like I could barely walk on land!  I called my brother who was a commercial fisherman, and asked for advice.  He advised me to eat something salty, drink something cold like ginger ale, and sit down or lie down with my eyes closed for a few minutes until the feeling passed.  I tried it and it did help.  Each episode thereafter I did the eyes closed and lie down if possible, and each time got a bit better.  Now before and on each day of sailing I take one Sudafed (little red pills) and it seems to help my inner ear.  Good luck!

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30 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Disagree.  This does nothing for me.

Sure, Meclizine does not work for everybody and I've had conversations with neurologists who have told me, it's not very effective. Hell, a martini works great for me 😆.

Seriously though, the kind of symptoms described by the OP can be classified as a condition called Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV). It is a vary common complaint among seniors and there are reasons for it - usually none indicating a serious condition - hence, "benign" -  beyond the scope of this answer. The standard of care for this condition when it becomes persistent is a referral to who I call the "dizzy doctor." Well, they are usually physical therapists or rehabilitation medicine specialists trained in evaluating your vertigo and treating it with positional exercises as has already been noted. I'd add to that posters comment that identifying exactly which maneuvers to perform requires a step-wise approach to identify exactly which one of your 6 semicircular canals (3 on each side of your head) is causing the erroneous signal to your cerebellum. Then, you'll be prescribed specific maneuvers to do at home. 

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Adding to this discussion, in my early 30's (a senior now) I had a sort of vertigo. My doctor told me that the hair follicles in my ear were sending the wrong message to my brain. He suggested that I reproduce the movements that caused the vertigo, all the while telling myself "I am not dizzy". It's not an instant cure, takes a few days of treatment, but better than taking a pill.

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