Arrange for someone to drive you home, stop the medications you are told to stop, skip eye make-up, and eat lightly beforehand. VNG deliberately provokes dizziness during the caloric portion, so the preparation is about the aftermath as much as the test.
Arrange for someone to drive you home, stop the medications you are told to stop, skip eye make-up, and eat lightly beforehand. VNG deliberately provokes dizziness during the caloric portion, so the preparation is about the aftermath as much as the test.
This is the one study among the six where you should not assume you will feel fine afterwards. The caloric portion introduces warm and cool air or water into each ear canal in turn and deliberately provokes a spinning sensation, because comparing how each ear responds is what localises the problem. For many people the sensation settles within minutes; for others it lingers along with nausea. There is no way to predict which group you are in, so arrange a driver in advance rather than deciding on the day.
You will be given a specific list, typically including sedatives, antihistamines, anti-nausea medication and alcohol. These suppress exactly the responses the study is measuring, so taking them can produce a result that says nothing and wastes the appointment. Follow the list precisely, including how many hours or days beforehand it applies. Never stop a prescribed medication without checking first, because for some drugs the right answer is to keep taking them and note it on the report instead.
Skip eye make-up entirely, including mascara and eyeliner, because goggles track your eye movements and make-up interferes with that. Remove contact lenses if you are asked to. Eat something light rather than arriving very full or completely empty, since both extremes make nausea more likely. Bring sunglasses if bright light bothers you afterwards. If you use a wheelchair or need help changing position, say so when booking, since parts of the test involve moving between positions.
Clinical Neurology Specialists has been physician-owned since 1998, when Leo Germin, M.D., FAANEM founded it. Five board-certified neurologists and four advanced practice providers see patients at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices, each with its own AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratory.
Clinical Neurology Specialists is an adult outpatient neurology practice for patients 18 and older. The practice performs no surgery and operates no imaging suite, infusion suite or interventional pain programme, and provides no emergency or inpatient care.
Physician-reviewed. Reviewed by the physicians of Clinical Neurology Specialists — board-certified neurologists, AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, physician-owned since 1998. Reviewed 1 August 2026. This article is general education for adults 18 and older and is not a substitute for a consultation.
Sources and further reading: MedlinePlus: dizziness and vertigo; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.