Posted , 3 users are following.
I'd like to hear from anyone who has had Gentomicin injections. Did it work to eliminate your MD vertigo? How sick were you while it was deadening your inner ear? Thank you.
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tanney JerseyJill
Posted
Jill, please refer to an earlier thread that includes my comments a few days ago regarding gentamicin injections. The bottom line is...if conservative methods of controlling vertigo (diet, diuretics, Betahistine and intratympanic steroid injections) have been unsuccessful then gentamicin is best next option. In vast majority of cases of confirmed Meniere's disease, gentamicin will eliminate vertigo. In my case there was no sickness or side effects and I had it done 35 years ago when it was a relatively new procedure. It very likely will not eliminate tinnitus and ear fullness....just the vertigo. Common side effects (which I did not experience) are loss of additional hearing in the affected ear (which in some folks will return in a few years) and some balance unsteadiness for a short time until the balance nerve in your good ear compensates for the loss.
Knowing the above, I'm curious to know what treatments have you already been through that were unsuccessful in eliminating the vertigo? Have you been on diuretics...what dosage? Have you been on Betahistine....what dosage? Have you had intratympanic steroid injections....how many? Are you avoiding salt, caffeine and liqueur?
JerseyJill
Posted
Hi Tanney. I have been in diuretics, recent increased to 37 mg per day. Has made no difference. I don't drink coffee or alcohol or eat a lot of salt. I have been in Betahistine/serc 3x a day for a year now. Had halped with severity of attackes until this spring. I can go about a month between clusters but the attacks have gotten more severe again, or some of them. I had the steroid injections you mention, 4 times in total with no improvement. When I tell my family about the Gentomicin they act like I should get another opinion but I trust my ENT, who is with a large healthcare system in Philadelphia. I guess it's worth trying!
tanney JerseyJill
Posted
OK....that's helpful info. Since the steroid injections and Betahistine have not worked and you only take 37mg of diuretics, my suggestion is that you request your doctor to increase the diuretic to 50mg and then to 75mg if necessary. The extra diuretic such as dyazide will pull more fluid from the inner ear and that should diminish your ear fullness and vertigo episodes. I was on 75mg for 3 months and vertigo and fullness disappeared from what was my good ear but which developed MD last August. I now have bilateral MD. After two months on 75mg I am now down to 50mg and holding. It is important to know that when you are on 75 or 50mg of diuretic you will need to have your potassium level and kidney function tested twice/year via blood test....and make sure your blood pressure does not drop too low. I would try the increased diuretic before having the gentamicin injection. If the diuretic fails to alleviate the vertigo then go for the gentamicin procedure....you will be fine after that.
I'll be glad to talk with you or email you privately if you want additional info on any of this, Jill. Just send to me a private message with your questions if you like.
Good luck!
jackie72283 JerseyJill
Posted
I had injection. Didn't help me. But wasn't too bad.