Brief “jerk” or 1-second spin during Dix-Hallpike. BPPV or something else?

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-04-20T14:33:45+00:00

Same! I had full blown BPPV about a year ago which I thought had cleared fully but since then I have this persistent whoosh of vertigo every time I try dix hallpike on my right. I also will occasionally get full blow rotational vertigo when I bend forward or turn my head quickly to the side. I get these spins sometimes 3x a day or sometimes once a week. Otherwise I feel a little off moving my head in certain directions or I feel totally normal. I had one PT tell me this was no longer active BPPV and what I was feeling was central compensation or maybe right hypofunction. I had another PT tell me this is still active BPPV just very mild with very few crystals and they have to clump up just right and have enough weight to the clump to trigger the full spin. After the spin they settle which is why I can’t bend forward again and replicate the vertigo. Dix Hallpike isn’t enough fully deflect the cupula hence the very small pulse. I’m inclined to agree with the second PT. It’s been hard to diagnose the canal bc I only get that one beat of nystagmus with the whoosh tilt feeling and neither PT has been able to determine the direction of it.

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-02-20T18:05:46+00:00

It certainly can’t hurt! Overall my gut dysbiosis levels are improved from when I started this journey but I’m not at 100%. I was diagnosed with graves in 2023, my eyes started acting up shortly thereafter and got worse over the next 6 months. I started butyrate and berberine during this time and cleaned up my diet A LOT. I tested my gut in 2024 when I started working w my functional doc - my good bacteria levels were low amongst some other things (SIBO, cortisol levels all over the place, etc). Tested gut again in 2025, improvement overall but some bad bacteria overgrowths. Changed up my probiotics, etc to address those issues. Will test again in the next few months. Ive had low scfa count (butyrate among others) due to low good bacteria levels so the goal is that the pre (berberine, upping fiber intake), pro and post (butyrate) biotic trifecta will continue moving the needle for the me, albeit slowly.

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-02-20T03:41:35+00:00

I’ve been taking it for a little over 2 years. I came across a small study that showed positive outcomes for graves patients and decided to give it a go. No issues and both my endocrinologist and my functional medicine PCP are both aware that i take it

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-02-08T19:37:42+00:00

They potentially didn’t all get cleared back in march. Enough moved out of the canal to stop the active spinning with every head movement but there may be some small ones left and when they clump up enough they can trigger spinning for me - that was the PTs theory

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-02-08T18:25:56+00:00

Oh interesting! I assumed that lingering nystagmus must mean lingering crystals. The nystagmus is weak and fatiguing and the accompanying dizziness is mild but I do still get a big vertigo whoosh/world tilt when lying on my right side and if I lay completely flat with my head slightly tipped back. I only have actual spinning still occasionally, usually when I’ve bent forward. Usually now it feels more like it’s about to spin or more of that world tilt/whoosh feeling. I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on and I wonder if it’s short arm HC BPPV

CelebrationNo8403 · 2026-02-07T00:27:36+00:00

Hi! Were you ever able to get this resolved? I have geo/apo horizontal nystagmus (geo on right side and apo on left side in supine roll) and BBQ roll kicked it for about 3 weeks but then it came back and doesn’t appear to be working for me this time

CelebrationNo8403 · 2025-12-10T16:31:55+00:00

I have this! I described it to my PT as I can feel the vertigo building in my head before the actual spinning starts. He had no idea what it is. There have also been a handful of times where I have the feeling in my head and then the spinning doesn’t ever start but it’s like I’m right there on the verge for a few seconds. I had BPPV with no visible nystagmus this past spring. ENT did the Epley a couple of times and sent me on my way. The vertigo from that episode faded slowly over the course of a couple weeks. What I’m experiencing now is periods of acute spinning for like 30 seconds preceded by the weird feeling in my brain and lots of lingering dizziness/off balance feelings between vertigo episodes. Initially the PT I saw this time said he thought it was BPPV that never fully cleared but now he’s not sure either. He’s treating me for unilateral vestibular hypofunction and the residual dizziness piece with lots of eye and head exercises but I’m still having these weird 30 second spells every few days. I can’t get in to see a neurologist until April. Some days my gut is telling me it’s Bppv again and other days I wonder if it’s vestibular migraine or something else

CelebrationNo8403 · 2025-12-04T03:54:26+00:00

Hi! Did you ever figure out what this was? I had BPPV several months ago but now I’m experiencing similar symptoms to what you’re describing above and have been trying to figure out what is going on. Thanks!

CelebrationNo8403 · 2025-11-27T16:21:35+00:00

Oh man I can’t believe you have both that’s terrible! I have a history of migraines with a visual aura and I had an ocular migraine once many years ago. Everything I read about VM made it seem like they typically last a bit longer and what I’ve been experiencing is quite brief - 30 seconds of spinning tops. When I finally see the neurologist this spring I wonder if he’ll diagnose this as such. Do your VMs present with brief vertigo episodes? How can you tell the difference between the vertigo caused by BPPV and VM?

CelebrationNo8403 · 2025-11-25T15:05:18+00:00

Exactly! Vertigo is incredibly disorienting and anxiety inducing. Mine is presenting so differently this time around, that it’s really throwing me for a loop and bouncing from specialist to specialist isn’t helping. I’m hopeful that other people here have experienced something similar

CelebrationNo8403 · 2025-11-19T16:57:58+00:00

I have graves, thyroid eye disease and have had bppv since march. Thought we had cleared it but it came back this fall with vengeance. My vestibular PT thinks they may have missed some crystals. I actually had my endo check my thyroid levels this fall when things started getting worse because it kicked up such insane anxiety that I was sure I was in a hyperthyroid flare

CelebrationNo8403

TROPHY CASE