I don't know if I have Menieres Disease or Tinnitus.
Posted , 8 users are following.
It started with noise in my left ear starting about a year ago. With this I have also had roughly 5 Vertigo incidents. Today I have noise but also abit of brain fog. Not always super stable in my walking either, especially when the noise is really loud. The worse part for me is a substantial loss in hearing in the same ear, likely because of the tinnitus (noise). It has been really hard lately. I thought I had habituated and was dealing with it.
Is anyone else ever confused as to whether they are suffering from Tinnitus or Meniere's?
0 likes, 12 replies
maria77273 suzannet
Posted
tanney suzannet
Posted
Susan, have you been to an ENT doctor for your condition? Only an ENT can accurately diagnose your symptoms. An ENT will have you take a hearing test as part of diagnosis. Miniere's Disease has 4 specific symptoms: hearing loss in LOW decibel range, vertigo lasting at least 20 minutes, tinnitus and ear fullness. If your doctor does determine that you have MD they will most likely tell you about diet changes you need to make and most likely put you on a diuretic to pull fluid from the inner ear giving you some relief from the vertigo. If that does not work then doctor will likely put you on betahistine which is normally pretty effective for most folks.
glennmorr suzannet
Posted
My understanding is tinnitus doesn't have hearing loss but Menier's does. Sorry but hearing loss and tinnitus and vertigo and the brain fog sounds like Meniers but a Dr. Should diagnose it with a specific test. Good luck.
Willow4 suzannet
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dan40016 suzannet
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Hello Suzannet, my name is Dan. I have had tinnitus for a life time. If I could track time, the noise has been with me for about forty years. Started in right ear and a few years later went stereo. I have learned not to listen to the noise. There is no useful information to be heard. My hearing stinks.
I was told I had Menieres by several doctors. They were all wrong. I probably never had Menieres. I was having frontal lobe seizures. Very similar symptoms. I was given an EEG test at the V,A. (Get this test).
Brain seizures are treatable. My dizziness went away for lots of years. I had many good years. Still the noise - I have learned to live with the noise.
I am in my seventies now.
My balance system went strange a few years ago. It was and still is necessary to learn to walk again. Some days I am "way out there". Don't know how to describe the feeling. My head knows how to do some strange things.
My point --- do not believe the doctors. Get diverse opinions.
Many years of untreated brain seizures is probably at the root of my problems. I have no memory now. That is my biggest problem. With no memory time has no importance. I can't remember past a few days.
I wish you good luck. You can deal with the noise. You can deal with the "brain fog". Concentrate on the good things you have and work on the problems. Remember Merle Haggard -- " I have always been crazy but it has kept me from going insane"
Dan
chris48595 dan40016
Posted
I get vertigo a lot since my 1st stroke. I also have a shunt in my right ear and it’s been 20 years now and my ent thinks it is moving and caused a tear in my ear. I’m going to have exploratory surgery. My fear is the vertigo is coming from strokes not my ear but I guess I have to try it.
Sometimes when I can’t get out of bed from the vertigo and can’t move my head or I’ll throw up I feel life isn’t worth it but I guess we can’t give up.
getting very tired of doctors but I guess we need them. The key is finding the best ones. Good luck and take care! Chris
NeddyO suzannet
Posted
The key is proper diagnosis. You need full assesment by an ENT and/or Aural physiologist to exclude other causes.
For a Meniere's diagnosis to be confirmed all of the following need to apply:-
1. Attacks last no londer than 24 hours.
2. severe vertigo and vommitting.
3. Ear fullness leading to progressive hearing loss mainly in the lower register.
4. Tinnitus.
If you are lucky enough to be put on an adequate dose of betahistine for long enough you should get a reduction in the tinnitus and may recover some hearing. A high enough dose should stop all other symptoms, and taken for long enough lead to remission.
Statistically 70% of us get better.
Good luck.
chris48595 NeddyO
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chris48595
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suzannet NeddyO
Posted
Thanks Neddy I appreciate this. I have come across this forum and it's been so helpful. I have read of so, so many posts of different people with so many different diagnosis and symptoms. I feel blessed to have what I have and it not be worse. Some people have such debilitating effects of MD. I feel awful for them and pray for them. But prayer helps. People don't get what hearing loss and noise and fullness in the ear is all about. But God does! I go to Him alot and want to point to Jesus for all the other sufferers out there. Maybe He'll just take this all away some day. He may have allowed this so that I can understand how people with MD, vertigo, hearing loss etc. is like. So that I can be a sounding board and an encouragement for others. I'll never stop praying.
With that, I have all of the above symptoms except the vomiting. Though I think that I would vomit if I weren't able to get to my bed and lay there with my eyes shut until it passes.
My husband and our kids built a super cool restaurant down in Haiti called Lafito Grill (see youtube). We pulled in 2 shipping containers from PAP and turned them into a burger (and much more) place. Our daughter runs and manages it. We like to go down there and help when possible and my husband is there now because we are so busy. We employ at least 12 Haitians. I am nervous about going down there again in case the vertigo comes back. I may not be able to travel there alone again for obvious reasons. I hate not being there right now but also suspect that alot of this began with all the plane travel. There are many, many loud noises in Haiti too. Any travel tips from people would be welcomed.
Also I keep reading about the betahystine. Not one of the many docs I have seen have mentioned anything about it to me. Wondering about the side affects. But I will be looking in to it.
Other than my hesitation to go to Haiti my life hasn't been too affected. I can't hear very well and am learning to live with the noise. I hate the spinning but it doesn't happen too often. I am distracted and pretty forgetful but want to try some relaxation or mind training to help this. I am 59 and otherwise in great health.
Also I plan to ride Iowa's RAGBRAI. A week long bike ride across Iowa and am abit nervous about that too. But am riding it with a dear friend.
Thank you for your reply and all the other's who post. I have been so tired of talking to people who don't understand this ( and how could they?) that I decided to look for a this forum.
Thank you again.
NeddyO suzannet
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NeddyO suzannet
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Betahistine, sold under the brand name Serc among others, is an anti-vertigo medication. It is commonly prescribed for balance disorders or to alleviate vertigo symptoms associated with Ménière's disease. In the UK it is available on prescription as 8mg and 16mg tablets and is commonly taken three times daily. If you are in North America it is not licensed but can be obtained from compounding pharmacies if prescribed by your physician or ENT.