Just been diagnosed with MD - what do other people do to help their symptoms???

What kind of medications has your ENT put you on? I am taking dyazide, it is not 100% but my hearing is back. I have had the tinnitis since way before I got MD and have not really looked for anything to make it go away. The fullness comes and goes with weather fronts but taking decongestants help. I have been given fioricette for the headaches and it works really well. It being a narcotic I have a nasal spray that I will try with the next one. I hope it works, I don't like narcotics. Betahistine is not available here but a lot of people who take it tell me it works for them. A friend of mine uses Scopalamine patches to control his vertigo although he says they are getting hard to get. I have noticed that I have to watch what I do with my eyes. Turning my head one way and my eyes the other gets really interesting as the floor suddenly starts moving. After almost 3 years on the dyazide, I have stabilized a lot although I still have sensitive hearing and some other problems but overall I feel better. Unfortunately, it will take some time to get some improvement and adjust to things. Hopefully, things will start getting better for you soon.

Your symptoms are affecting your everyday life.  Your ENT physician should take more direct action against the MD, starting with intratympanic steroid injections.

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

Differential dignosis of Minears is very crucial here. There are many other conditions effecting ear and balance which mimics MD but is not a  true MD. No doubt symptomatic treatment by ur ENT is crucial. What does your audiogram result look like ......

Hi Tay,

You have all of our sympathy with your symptoms.  I take a diuretic (triamterene HTZ) which stopped the vertigo for 6 years.  When it came back, though not as severe, I had the intratympanic shots of a steroid.  That helped a lot.  All along, I had cut down on sodium, which makes it tough to eat out!  Read all labels and try to keep the sodium under 15% in the stuff you buy.  I have never gotten rid of the ear stuffed feeling, though it is worse before an attack.  The tinnitus is also hard to control too, though a hearing aid helps me a lot.  I'm sorry that your ENT wasn't helpful.  I think that is more common than it should be.  Some people find seasick medications (OTC) help during an attack and reduce the vomiting but it didn't work for me.  Diazapam at low dosage did help if I took it as soon as I felt an attack coming on.  Go online and look for books on Meniere's.  Some of them have good ideas to help you cope.  Good luck!!

Sorry to hear you have been having such an awful time. Sadly everyone has different levels of symptoms at different times.  I had severe attacks several years ago when it first started but with medication (I take Betahistine and Co-Amilozide) it is mostly kept under control. Went a few years with no problems and stopped the meds only to have it come back a few months ago. That's the thing with this this it is so unpredictable. Try to keep your sodium levels down, don't add salt to your cooking or at the table - you adjust very quickly. I? have also seen vitamins B5 & B6 recommended and am going to try them. I hope you get some better help in the near future. There are also support groups for tinnitus which may help you. Try looking in your local area. Good luck to you and I hope you feel better soon x

I've had the same for nearly a year now - today is day 4 without any symptoms

I don't drink, or smoke or drink caffeine

I'm not over weight and go to the gym 3/4 times a week

My blood pressure is good - I take no other meds.

I am taking betahistamine tablets - started taking 16mg X 3 times a day, after a few months increased to 2 tablets X 3 times a day.

Didn't make any difference - nearly lost my job as a nurse as could function at work.

4 days ago I started taking 3 tablets 3 times a day. It's early days - but fingers crossed - I'm symptom free.

My ENT consultant / GP have been pretty useless - I've researched MD and it seems to effect different people and drug therapy is different for everyone. You simply have to fight yr corner - trial and error seems to b the key X good luck

Hi, yes I'd agree - I tried all on medication routes that I could - but when my livelihood was in jeopardy I was forced to take the meds. But so far it is now actually having some effect. My coordination is so bad - I am unable to talk, let alone move without severe.nausea and vomiting.

Yes to tinnitus and yes to a hearing aid in my right ear.

if this doesn't work, the next option is surgery for a shunt or having the balance nerve killed off - which means permanent deafness - not an option for me! 

Good luck - it is pretty much hIt and miss with finding an effective treatment.  I managed to get some drugs from France that work a treat - but are not licensed in the UK 

I see from the replies already some good advice. Clear Diagnosis crucial. Have you had MRI and Xray tomography to exclude other causes? Has BPPV been ruled out?

If  available in your country ask to be put on Betahistine (Serc) - from the sound of your symptoms very high doses may be necessary. The leading researcher on this is Prof Michael Strupp in Munich and the drug was developed specifically for Menieres. Apart from a bit of gastric irritation I suffered no side effects from the moderately high dose I was prescribed. I have been symptom free for 20 months apart from residual tinnitus (reduced) and left ear hearing damage, and for most of that time have been off medication!

Good luck.

I get meclizine hci 25 medication, you can buy it over the counter. I ask the pharmacist to order it for me and it costs about six dollars for 100 count .

It's made by rugby and it's a antiemetic.

Hi, Find another ENT if not helpful. You need one who has dealt with MD before and is sensible. I found a good one who unfortunately retired at the end of last year. Problem with getting people with experience. He did diagnose me as probable MD on my first visit, then definitely MD on my second one a month later.  My last vertigo attacks came in the evening april 2015 and lasted 3-5 hrs even with buccastem medication. The next two days i was still dizzy, following day I could walk around carefully and day after that i felt I could start to do normal things again.  If you are not in USA you can try betahistine as I found this has worked for me. I am on 48mg x 3 times per day. Increased dosage by 16mg(1 pill) per week until vertigo episodes stopped. My ENT said i could have gone to 64mg x 3 times per day. I also reduced my salt intake to under 1000mg per day but have recently increased this again as not practical eg no takeaways, no nice meals at restaurants and having a separate diet to my 15, 16 year old boys and my wife. So we don't use salt in cooking and go for low salt options where possible and I am less stressed. Needless to say alcohol does not go well with MD. Something that can alter your balance is not a good thing when yor are trying to avoid this. i was lucky as gave up alcohol 10 yrs ago. I have got used to tinnitus and aural fullness although sometimes I feel I am in a separate universe to those around me. Sometimes this is good as I feel I can take five and remove myself from whatever is happening. The hearing loss in my right ear is a pain and I have told people at work to approach from my left as when people call me I always look for them on my left. Oh and I started running as read that could help. It certainly helps my mood as I feel free, more like I was before MD and it is about as opposite as you could get to how you feel when you have vertigo. The irony of my situation is a year after being diagnosed with MD and being scared out of my wits, spending long days and nights in bed unable to read anything or watch computers or tv and having to hold walls to move around the house while carrying a bucket in case I throw up I am probably healthier at 50 than I have been for years. Last October I watched the final of the Rugby World Cup at about 5am in Auckland, NZ which the All Blacks won. Then my 16yr old son and I drove to the city and ran the 12km traverse over the Auckland Harbour bridge with lots of other marathon, half marathon and 12 km runners. It was a fantastic day and one I probably would not have had without MD.