Menieres Disease - sufferers check in here

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:03

Hello all, I've been suffering with this for nearly 2 years now and am plain fed up of it. Have tried low salt diets, no caffeine, water tablets, betahistine tablets and none of it seems to make a consistent difference. For the first 6 months of the year I was fine(ish) - about 50% hearing loss in my right ear and perpetual tinnitus, but my brain had adapted and so had I so things were generally ok. However for 3 months now I've had bad vertigo attacks about once a week, sometimes more, and none of the above diets or tablets seem to make a blind bit of difference.

Anyone else on here suffer and what have you don't that's helped?

Answers on a postcard!

Cheers,
Dave B

Colourjam · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:33

Hi there, I know how you feel.

I don't think I have Menieres Disease but I do get Labyrinthitis on a regular basis which can give similar symptoms. Have you considered that this is what you have this time?

Also have a look into this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

I'm going to visit a doctor on Monday as I had bad laybrinthitis and suffer from it at least twice per year, and the recovery afterwards can be difficult as your brain adjusts. I'm hoping to be referred to an ear specialist and see if there's anything I can do.

Hope you feel better soon!

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:41

Colourjam said:
Hi there, I know how you feel.

I don't think I have Menieres Disease but I do get Labyrinthitis on a regular basis which can give similar symptoms. Have you considered that this is what you have this time?

Also have a look into this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

I'm going to visit a doctor on Monday as I had bad laybrinthitis and suffer from it at least twice per year, and the recovery afterwards can be difficult as your brain adjusts. I'm hoping to be referred to an ear specialist and see if there's anything I can do.

Hope you feel better soon!

BPPV/labyrinthitis were what they initially thought I was suffering from. However the combination of tinnitus, varying hearing loss and the bad vertigo attacks are what led to the diagnosis of Menieres. I've been seeing an ENT consultant from the NHS for 18 months who I have to say is brilliant and very patient, unlike me!

Hope you make progress yourself and Monday goes well.

Cheers,
Dave B

Blinkz · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:43

Alan Shepard had it and was grounded from the Apollo program. He had an operation and was totally cured and went back into space!

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:51

Blinkz said:
Alan Shepard had it and was grounded from the Apollo program. He had an operation and was totally cured and went back into space!

Thanks for that. Will mention it to my consultant, although he did say any sort of surgery is getting on for a last resort.

Scougar · 4 Oct 2013 at 16:54

(No medical threads.)

Closure happening soon, get your posts in before they sell out!

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:12

Scougar said:
(No medical threads.)

Closure happening soon, get your posts in before they sell out!

really? Have seen others on tinnitus so thought this would be ok.

arc@css · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:16

I know someone that found zinc & ginkgo helpful (particularly the latter).

Mrs Seabiscuit · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:16

What interesting timing.

Westyfield2 · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:18

Family member has had it for years, their balance is properly messed up. Didn't know that it's operable?

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:49

arc@css said:
I know someone that found zinc & ginkgo helpful (particularly the latter).

That might be worth a try, thanks. Will run it past my consultant as he's usually open to me suggesting other options if I think it might help. I had even read that a few people found acupuncture helped.

Mr Goat · 4 Oct 2013 at 17:51

Mrs Seabiscuit said:
What interesting timing.

In what way, don't quite understand your comment?

semi-pro waster · 4 Oct 2013 at 18:16

Sorry but if you're asking for remedies or what was successful for other sufferers then it's essentially a medical thread. I wish you all the best with the condition though and hope that something works for you to control it better.