Just from Menzies description it was virtually certain that was going to be the diagnosis - all those expensive (to the insurance co) tests, scans, etc were a derivation of the way your medical system works, (and why it is so expensive, sadly). I diagnose a case like that about once a month in GP, and unless it fails to settle quite quickly, don't do any investigations with such a classic history.
You'll be fine Menzies. Maybe consider the following...
EySchulman, not to confuse the others too much, but hopefully enlighten, and medic to medic, I'm not all that impressed by the Epley manoeuvre, or as convinced as most by the theory of causation, either. I'm not so sure that the grains of calcium that have fallen off the otoliths getting in the wrong place is the cause. They must be moving around all the time with movement. I'm more inclined to think it is the actual coming away of another chunk of calcium, causing a temporary reaction via nystagmus (eye flicking), caused by the sudden weight change in the otolith. In these cases misinterpreted by the brain as movement, rather than just a change in position with respect to gravity. As the person is not moving, the net effect is the world revolving round them. That fits better with my observation that advising the patient to move freely, rather than limit movement or move slowly, leads to faster recovery, as it allows for normal motion signals to drown out the aberrant signals from the affected semicircular canal, and allows the brain to adjust more quickly to the new weight in that otolith.
What's your take on that..?
otolith One of the many tiny calcareous particles found in the utricle and sacculus (semicircular canals) of the inner ear. These move under gravitational and accelerative forces causing stimulation of hair cells and the production of nerve impulses that provide the brain with information about the position and movement of the head.
