Vertigo was most likely my very first symptom. I started getting vertigo attacks back in 1996 or 1997. Not too long after I had mononucleosis. (had mono in the winter of late 95 and early 96.

When I had mono, my throat and ears had gotten so infected with secondary infections that I was actually partially deaf and totally mute for about a month or more.

Because of that, I thought I'd damaged my inner ear with all the infections and that's what was causing the vertigo. It was really irritating, I'd wake up every few months, at least 4 times a year, with vertigo. It seemed to be seasonal too. And the first time I had it, I went to the doctor, and they told me I had an ear infection. I probably really did at that time, and the fever or infection set off the vertigo.

So, everytime I'd get vertigo, I just thought I had a lot of ear infections.

It wasnt until after I got diagnosed that I realized that the vertigo had apparently been trying to tell me something for nearly 10yrs. (diagnosed Jan 2007)

In the past couple of months, I've started to get a weird vertigo when I'm walking in large stores that have bright fluorescent lights, or if I'm in a big crowd of people. It's such an uncomfortable feeling. I just push thru it, because it's been the mildest of all my vertigos, it's just irritating that just walking thru a store can make me a little woozy. I dont get the full rotation of vertigo from that. It's more of an off balance, shaky feeling.

Full blown vertigo always likes to hit me at the worst possible moment. Just before I go on a trip...or when I've got a hot date with the boyfriend...or while I'm sleeping. I hate being surprised by the vertigo when waking up. Sucks massively.

I go to sleep. the rest of the world must stop. it doesnt matter who is doing what, or who is expecting me where. I must sleep. when I wake, I usually feel tons better. The MD said it can be a "migraine like" syndrome. I dunno about that, but I do know sleep works like a charm.

This helped me a little. IF you must get up and function, long ago in ballet class I learned when spinning, focus on something to help the dizzy (when self toileting I focus on a thing on wall caused by a knob to steady my up-down moves,. I rely on physical memory. not visual (eyes) about walking and standing. Helps me a little.