Menieres - is it always violent or can it be mild?

I don't think there are stages per se. It seems that some people have greater symptomology and tend to continue to be more unstable in their disease process than others just as people with hypertension tend to repond differently. I have always seemed to have a somewhat easier course than a lot of people in this forum. The only thing that seems to be progressive appears to be loss of hearing and even that seems to vary among people. If you get ill, especially a head cold, you will get worse and may take a while to feel better. I would not worry too much about it and make the most of what you have now. If you doing well with it, expect to continue to do so with the occasional set back. Enjoy your life and do not let fear of what this disease might do ruin it.

Meniere's disease can sometimes stay the same, can go away on its own, or get worse and involve also the other ear.  How long have you had symptoms?

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

MD is lifelong but symptoms will vary in severity.  I gather some people after having it badly for a while are left with tinnitus and deafness and the dizziness goes away (not me yet).  And I know that some people have a year or so bad, then a big gap of better, then wham, it comes back again just as bad or even worse and lasts another long period.  I think there is no telling what sort you are, just cross your fingers, enjoy any periods of respite, get good medication for the bad times, and make the best of everything.

70% of sufferers get better or enloy long periods of remission. You are clearly not under control. Suggest you seek medication review and MRI etc to clarify and hopefully improve things.

Hi,

I have had meniere's since 2008.  At first I had violent vertigo attacks with vomiting.  I didn't dare go anywhere and it was very debilitating.  But I finally was diagnosed and put on a diuretic and a low sodium diet.  The vertigo attacks stopped.  I still had woozy days, but it was no longer debilitating.  I had a recurrance of vertigo attacks in 2015, but they were not nearly as violent.  I had steroid injections and the attacks stopped once again.  So I am living with meniere's - the occasional woozy days, aural fullness, hearing loss and food without much salt.  So the easing of symptoms does happen for some of us.  A hearing aid helps with hearing.  My ENT doesn't talk about stages, but I may ask him on my next appointment if he even thinks there are stages.  I'm hoping that you are still in the early stage, and with medication and low salt diet, your attacks will wane as time passes.  Good luck.