Vertigo when trying to sleep.

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have vertigo every time I lay down and close my eyes. It's been going on forabout 2 months straight now. I've been given meclizine, benedryl, prednisone and zofran and nothing has worked. Obviously, this is interrfering with sleep. What can I do to make the vertigo go away long enough for me to fall asleep?

Dear Sarah: It seems the cause of your vertigo is a condition called Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV) based on your symptoms and the medications prescribed. In this condition, vertigo ensues when one changes the position of one's head. It is a common cause of vertigo. Since medications have failed to control your symptoms, the next step is a Canolith Repositioning Procedure. This is a non-surgical procedure which can be performed in an office setting by a trained physician. It involves a few simple maneuvers and has success rate of greater than 90% for curing BPPV.