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Menieres? Or something else?

Posted , 11 users are following.

sam00437
sam00437

5 months ago I experienced vertigo attacks that left me very shaken.  I also had constant diziness, amongst other things. The diziness was the same every day with often peaks of Vertigo that felt like I was dropping... But didn't actually fall...

About three and half months of that and many trips to the doctors where they told me it was just 'Vertigo' and possibly Labyrinitus and that it would go away.

It did for a while, although the diziness lingered but wasn't so severe.

Two weeks ago I started getting tinnitus in my left ear... At night.... But then It stayed during the day... I had another bout of vertigo last Saturday and the diziness has stayed. And today my hearing seems to be off.... Like I'm occasionally being submerged under water.

I've had no sickness at all..But a constant dizzy foggy head...

ENT appointment is in a few weeks... 

This sounds like Menieres to me... Any thoughts?

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • JinaMarie
    JinaMarie sam00437

    Posted

    That is somewhat how mine went...ENT said I had an inner ear infection that caused minor hearing loss and had left me with some balance issues. Sent me to vestibular rehab...only thing was it seemed to bring back my vertigo and my hearing and Tinnitus kept getting worse. Got a second opinion from just an Ear specialist and after all these tests he diagnosed me with Menieres. From what I gather it seems that the gradual hearing loss goes more along with Menieres. Still researching though...only had the dx about a month. Good luck!
  • 1946Gent
    1946Gent sam00437

    Posted

    Hi

    I have been diagnosed with Menieres and my symptoms are as you describe but I vomit when I have the Virtego.

    Fortunately for me my attacks come infrequently. They are followed by weeks of woozy headaches and poor hearing but eventually go away, touch wood.

    Betahistine seems to control the symptoms and if you can get your Doc. to prescribe some hopefully your foggy head will go.

  • DizzyDora
    DizzyDora sam00437

    Posted

    Hi Sam it does sound like it could be Menieres, I am violently sick when I have my vertigo attacks, some people don't suffer from the vomiting so much.  You won't be 100% until your ent visit, usually you will have a scan which will help the doctor with your diagnosis. There are however other conditions where you get these symptoms, I also have another condition which has these exact same symptoms, so it's best to wait and see how your ent visit goes. Good luck with your appointment. 
  • robert31613
    robert31613 sam00437

    Posted

    Hi given the duration of symptoms it could well be Menieres. I was diagnosed 17 years ago and developed drop attacks. There are tests that differentiate between different balance disorders.

    It is also important that they rule CNS Involvement usually with an MRI scan.

    Hope ENT appointment is soon.

    Best of luck

    Robert

  • Aj1970
    Aj1970 sam00437

    Posted

    It sounds like what happened to me. It first started in 1993 then after a lot of Ent visits it went away only to rear its ugly head in March of 2013 so bad that I fell off a table into a wall and over a chair while at the dr. I have constant ringing in my right ear sometimes left ear hearing loss in right ear finally got a new Ent and was diagnosed with meiners, put on Valium to control it and I take it 4 times a day just to function. I can't even sleep on my right side haven't in years can't tilt my head to the right either. This disease has caused me to loose my job of 20 years and be on disability. I'm only 45 and they gave me two options cut the nerve loose all my balance on the right side with no guarantee my left side would compensate for it and no guarantee it wouldn't move to my left ear so I chose the meds. Please feel free to ask me any questions. I do sometimes feel like I'm falling through the floor as well.
    • shawn45888
      shawn45888 Aj1970

      Posted

      Just wandering how you were doing.my problems came back about 2 months ago. can these symptoms mess with prescription glasses,now I get off balance quick right when I put them on.
    • Aj1970
      Aj1970 shawn45888

      Posted

      My glasses don't bother me, the off balance issue still persists but that's bound to happen. Still on Valium it helps to a certain extent. Still can't lay on the affected ear for over 3 years and my head leans to the left all the time so it doesn't mess with my right ear which is my affected ear.
    • shawn45888
      shawn45888 Aj1970

      Posted

      Well my symptoms started with messed up lenses in my glasses.My eye doctor has remade them 5 times,each time they craze.So they made me a pair of trivex lense with no coating.The symptoms got really bad.The symptoms yall describe are exact,the only symptom I don't have is the vertigo (spinning).I've only had 4 or 5 bouts of it in years,but they only last 1hr or so.

      I used to try to go to bed when I was 12 and everynight when I lay down vertigo would set in and then I would get up and look at something and it would shake left and right.

      It would actually start hurting in my head until I shook it off.But now the symptoms that are described like yalls,I'm wandering if xanax had caused some of the off balance.I was taking .50 of xanax to get to sleep.None during the day.Only if I had a bad attack.But just wandering which is best Ativan or valium.

    • Aj1970
      Aj1970 shawn45888

      Posted

      I've seen several ent's and Valium is a vestibular depressant and it helps they all said Valium plus I developed anxiety and panic attacks scared I never knew when one would hit. Other options are to cut the nerve in that ear so no balance on the right side at all and it could take sometime for brain to allow left ear to compensate with no guarantee that it wouldn't move to the other ear, a lot of ppl have bilateral meiners. I choose no surgery with those opinions. I don't want to be wheel chair bound and btw I'm only 45. Started first time when I was 25 but the realigned the crystals in my ear and I was fine till 2013 and like a semi I got hit hard everyday for 7 months straight then went on Valium and it's reduced it tremendously but still if I watch a fast action movie or traffic moving while I'm stopped crossing in front of me I tend to close my eyes and I get a jolt telling me stop watching the movie. By jolt I mean like I get a shock sensation. Oh also still get unbalanced while showering try not to open my eyes.
    • shawn45888
      shawn45888 Aj1970

      Posted

      Thank you.I'm the same if a train goes by,I can't stand it.I got into a motion ride years ago,I thought I was going to die.
    • jennifer343434
      jennifer343434 Aj1970

      Posted

      I'm almost speechless...It sounds exactly how I feel.  Ive been getting it almost daily for the last approx 8 months.  All those things trigger me also.  Whats wierd is I completely know what youre talking about when you say a jolt.  I always wondered how to explain it.  I can only take Valium when Im home and able to sleep so Im trying to find out other ways to prevent it. Ive had Menieres since 2011 and it just keeps getting worse.  I am 40 and this is no way to live.  Im still too young to be living this way sad
    • shawn45888
      shawn45888 jennifer343434

      Posted

      Is valium better than ativan.I've had symptoms for years,but now they are unbearable.Sometime it gets so bad I think and feel like I'm going crazy.
    • Aj1970
      Aj1970 jennifer343434

      Posted

      I'm on 20mg through out the day and it has never made me tired. I take 7.5mg am 4 hours later 2.5mg 4 hours after that 2.5mg the 4 hours later at bedtime 7.5mg. I maybe one of those ppl it has the adverse affect but I get up at 5:30am take pills at 6:30am and then the schedule above. You might try 2.5 and work up but it does help tremendously
    • jennifer343434
      jennifer343434 shawn45888

      Posted

      Thats me.  I feel like screaming at times.  I would think that exercising to make myself more healthy would make me feel better but I got vertigo last night just for moving too fast.  I only take the lowest dosage of Valium and since I have low blood pressure it puts me out.  When I dont take the Valium I feel more dizzy when I close my eyes to make myself sleep until its over.  When I take the Valium it doesnt make it so bad.  Ive tried Ativan before and it made me vomit all day on the lowest dose. Im going to House Ear Clinic in L.A. this Thursday so hopefully they can give me more options. I  here about Betahistine a lot on this site but its not available in the United States.  Im from Southern California.  So believe me I completely understand.  I was about to go thru with a Labrinthectomy just to cut out the vertigo completely.  I dont care if I lose all of my hearing in my left ear.  Ive already lost 65-85% of it. But true it can go to my other ear and I dont want to bo wheelchair bound...
    • jennifer343434
      jennifer343434 Aj1970

      Posted

      I think I might possibly try that.  When I do take 2.5 it does help.  I need some type of maintenance.
    • Aj1970
      Aj1970 jennifer343434

      Posted

      You can take it when feel you need it it takes 30 minutes to kick in.
    • shawn45888
      shawn45888 jennifer343434

      Posted

      I was wandering if you have ever had this symptom.It's 830am right now about an hour ago I got that very warm good tired feeling,so I tried to lay down but once I did it was almost like I was to tired and couldn't go to sleep,very uncomfortable feeling.Then when I did fall asleep,I startled right up with adrenaline.
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