Vertigo upon waking? my father is in his 40's and complains of vertigo upon waking up. he's been to a doctor to see if it was related to his inner-ear and the doctor said it wasn't. also, the vertigo doesn't change when he changes in position and is often

It : It sounds like the doctor checked him for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (bppv), and from that description it sounds like he/she was right in saying it was not inner ear. It sounds like he has "central" vertigo, which means it's coming from the brainstem instead of the inner ear. There are many other types of vertigo that are not as well known as bppv. Vertigo can have many causes, so it's hard to diagnose him with this information. The most important thing is to make sure it is not anything "bad" like a mass in the brainstem. If this is really bothering him, he should see a neurologist about it, especially if this is a new symptom. On a patient with new "central" vertigo, i would get an MRI of the brain to make sure nothing bad was happening in his brainstem. If he's had it for years, i would not be quite as concerned, but might get the MRI anyway. I'm not sure what to make of the hand shaking -- another reason to see a neurologist and consider an mri.

Vertigo: There are multiple causes. Your physician is the best guide. Ent could order vestibular rehab which can help with symptoms.