Need two
Posted , 5 users are following.
i was told by my ENT doctor that you need two episodes of vertigo before it can be diagnosed as Meniere's. I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease on June 29 and had only one episode of vertigo on June 6. I do however have a hearing loss in one ear and have had dizzy episodes accompanied by severe nausea. I usually have a pulsating in my ear when I wake up in the morning. My wuestion is do I actually have Meniere's or are these problems caused by Lyme Disease.
0 likes, 5 replies
Orion411 patvj
Posted
I've had no vertigo attacks in 3 years snice I started having problems with my left ear and no hearing loss at all since that time either and yet my ENT is still handing me a pamphlet for Menieres. So it's really hard to tell what really qualifies it as Menieres and it's equally as frustrating trying to get answers.
patvj Orion411
Posted
Yes it is totally frustrating. I'm afraid that this Lyme Disease is still not cured and that it is causing my hearing loss which is going to be permanent if I don't get some additional treatment. I've gone through the 12 days of steroids and the antibiotics but I think the LS is still causing me problems.
JMJ patvj
Posted
Hi Pat,
It's a long and frustrating process getting a clear diagnosis. I'm so sorry that you're having all of this to deal with.
First they try to eliminate all other causes for vertigo, and then they look at MD. I think that's part of what takes so long for diagnosis. It's probably a good idea to elimate a tumor of some sort first. For MD, I know you have to have vertigo, low/med frquency sensorineural hearing loss in at least one ear on Audiogram, and fluctuating symptoms like hearing loss, tinnitus, or sensation of fullness in at least one ear. I'm not sure if there's a standard with regard to how many times these things have to occur.
In terms of knowing which disease your hearing loss is related to, hearing loss due to Meniere's follows a peculiar pattern on Audiogram: The curve is sloped right to left on one side, because MD patients can hear high frequencies better than low to medium frequencies. If you've had an Audiogram, your ENT should be able to tell a lot from your Audiogram. There are a lot of explanations and diagrams out on the Internet, that clearly differentiate the different types of hearing loss via Audiogram.
I wish you all the best!! I know this is so frustrating because you want to be getting the most effective treatment. Also, did your doctor say that this is an either/or situation? I'm not understanding why your symptoms have to be due to either Lyme Disease or Meniere's? Could you have both? I hope you'll keep us updated.
Take good care,
J-
betsy70690 patvj
Posted
I agree it's s long process and each ENT, Neurologist, dentist may have a different opinion and run different tests. Hang on this site and you will learn a lot, or at least so coping mechanisms for your symptoms. There is also Eustaian Tube Dysfunction that can cross over some of the same symptoms.
lana56327 patvj
Posted
I agree the other replies. You should get extensive testing to eliminate other causes before you are diagnosed with MD. One of the tests I was given was an 'otic blood panel' which tests for a lot of things that can cause similar symptoms. One of the myriad tests included was one for lyme disease. I had been diagnosed with MD 7 years earlier, but vertigo had reappeared after year of relief, so they gave me the blood test. I was positive for lyme and treated with doxycycline for 28 days. They didn't really think that the lyme caused my reoccurance of vertigo, but who knows. Lyme can be hard to get rid of without the right antibiotic and for a long duration. Keep getting further testing!