No/low salt seems to help
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've recently been seeing an ENT about my vertigo/ringing in the ears/ hearing loss, etc. He has not diagnosed me w/ Meneiere's as yet, but thinks that is what I have (this has been going on for about 2 months). I was put on a diuretic and was trying to eat a no-added salt diet, but was still having 2-4 bad attacks a week and generally still felt woozy and nauseous all the time, even when not having an attack.
Decided 2 weeks ago to completely change my lifestyle. Stopped eating out - and decided to cook everything at home. Started reading labels and realized there is sodium in everything - soy sauce, cheese, canned beans, etc. So have started to make everything fresh and try and keep my sodium intake to a very low amount (~500 mg of sodium a day). No alcohol and no caffeine and am trying to get enough sleep. Amazingly, I feel great. No spinning attacks at all, and the feeling of dizziness is gone. Only thing I still have is the sound of something blowing in my ear. Just started this new routine, but if it works, I'll take it. My original plan had been to just cut my salt intake by avoiding overly salty foods, but not actively managing my sodium intake which is found in so many things. But when I switched to the mentality that I'm "allergic" to sodium, it made a big difference. This is all new, but if it works, it makes me feel positive that I can live a normal life w/ this disease, and travel, work and do everything else I want to in my life.
Sharing with others, in case it can help anyone else.
0 likes, 7 replies
Tunsc1963 txgal
Posted
Hello,
welcome me to the forum, you'll find it helpful. You have the main 3 symptoms of MD there are 10 in total. So think you will be given that diagnoses. Salt is associated with MD. I was also diagnosed earlier this year. I was having attaks everyday for about 9 months, some days I couldn't get out if bed. I have suffered from tinnitus and am also partially deaf in both ears for years. I was prescribed medication but it didn't help so stopped taking it. After reading about the connection with salt I decided like you to cut my intake of salt. I have always made my own food I don't buy processed and I don't eat out very often. My coffee intake I keep to maybe 4 a week and my alcohol intake I have also limited but not stopped altogether. I only have the odd attack now and then and they are not as severe as they used to be. I use more pepper instead. I think you'll find that you could re-introduce coffee and alcohol if you stick to your diet, the key is not to over indulge. The biggest problem I have now is my distinction Eustachian tube it drives me mad. I suppose in time I will get used to that as I have with my tinnitus.
Goog luck take care
dizzysand txgal
Posted
dizzysand
Posted
txgal dizzysand
Posted
I love my coffee too. That's been the hardest thing to give up. I used to commonly drink 2-3 lattes a day. I tried drinking a decaf latte thinking that'd be better and got sick after, and that was when I realized decaf is not the same as no caffeine. In my new diet, I'm exploring herbal teas (ginger, peppermint, roobios) and while not the same as a good vanilla latte, they still do the trick of being a warm drink. The good news is that I'm not spending as much money on coffee from Starbucks anymore!
donna16710 txgal
Posted
JMJ txgal
Posted
Welcome to the forum! And congratulations for finding a way to control your symptoms. (And brilliant, to look at the salt as an "allergy problem"!!) MD requires a lot of vigilance....I wish you all the best in living a symptom -free life!!
J-
txgal JMJ
Posted
Thanks - you picked up on my little trick. I thought about friends who have peanut allergies or gluten allergies. My "allergy" is no different, it just happens to be to a food item that is more pervasive and not a common allergen. Eventually, I'll probably start to reintroduce a few items at a time (limited caffeine or limited alcohol for example), but right now I'm in "detox" mode and if I can use this excuse to eat healthier and more fresh foods, there's some silver lining in a not great situation. So I'm pretending to be on a new-year healthy diet, and it makes me more interested in learning to cook and use non-salt alternatives. Appreciate all the feedback and good comments and ideas from everyone.