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Injection treatments

Posted , 7 users are following.

michelle11012
michelle11012

Hello, I have Menieres. Have been diagnosed about 8 years now. I have looked in to the injections. My insurance will not pay for this so I was told. I have only tried Shea clinic. Can anyone tell me if your insurance covers? Is it worth doing? Was told this is a lengthy treatment also. TIA

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • james84727
    james84727 michelle11012

    Posted

    I have also been to Sea Clinic, I also would like to know about these injection everybody is talking about.
  • eleftherio33095
    eleftherio33095 michelle11012

    Posted

    I do not understand why your insurance does not cover this, but intratympanic steroid injections has been shown to work in a significant percentage of cases as it goes direct to the problem.

    Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD FEAN

    Clinical Neurophysiologist

    Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

    • eleftherio33095
      eleftherio33095 michelle11012

      Posted

      This way, they clearly show that they do not know about this medical field.

      Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD FEAN

      Clinical Neurophysiologist

      Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

  • JMJ
    JMJ michelle11012

    Posted

    Hi Michelle,

    My insurance covers 80% of injection procedure plus office visit.  And it terms of whether it's worth doing, I can honestly tell you that the injections saved my life.  I had very debilitating symptoms for a year prior to beginning the injections.  It took several months (one inection every 4 weeks for a few months, then every 6 weeks, then every 8, etc...) until I experienced complete remission of symptoms. Many people do not take as long as I did - everyone seems to respond differently.    I experienced steady improvements over the months that I had the injections.  Then at some point there was a shift, when the effect seemed to be cumulative, and I got better very fast.  Everything cleared:  The vertigo, the dizziness, the loss of balance, the nausea, the foggy brain, the fatigue....I'm so very grateful for the injections.  

    I hope you'll appeal your insurance company's decision.  Perhaps a letter or phone call from your doctor would help?  I'm not sure how you go about it, but I do know someone who was initially denied, but she appealed the decision and won.  And now she's covered. 

    I wish you the very best of luck!

    Sincerely,

    J-

    • michelle11012
      michelle11012 JMJ

      Posted

      Thank you. i am going to call my insurance. i found out a ENT in my area does them in the office. it may have been the clinic i checked with.
    • JMJ
      JMJ michelle11012

      Posted

      That's wonderful!  I hope you'll keep us updated!

      Take good care,

      J-

  • Bluesmann
    Bluesmann michelle11012

    Posted

    My ent did them one per week for three weeks straight theybehlped but then went away after a few weeks

    I read someone else though who got one injection every four weeks and they seemed to have much better results than I did I most say that mine cleared things up for a short period but when I asked my ent about more injections he said no you only get them once per year I am looking into seeing another soecislist

    I also had to pay for the medicine $80 dollars but they covered the injection itself go figure

    Good luck to you

    • mistibluey
      mistibluey Bluesmann

      Posted

      Hi Bluesman,

      you might be interested in rials are taking place of a new longer lasting gel steroid injection called oto 104. It's not available to the public yet but they may still be recruiting for the clinical trials, and when it is available perhaps your insurance will pay for it as the treatments are less frequent.

      Good luck and best wishes

    • Bluesmann
      Bluesmann mistibluey

      Posted

      my ent did tell me about that and is very exicted for it as his thoughts are the injections stop working shortly after they dissipate.....the gel is supposed to sit there and keep workinkg...if yo hear of any trials please let me know....

      Thanks!

       

    • mistibluey
      mistibluey Bluesmann

      Posted

      Hi again

      The "ordinary" injections do last for a while. Have you looked at jmj's thread about her experiences with them?  She did get a relapse  after 16 weeks but her doctor is working out a programme that will hopefully keep the attacks at bay.

      Trials of oto 104 are taking place in the USA at different sites but I think they are in phase 3 now.  I can't give you a link as they will delete my post but you should find it if you google oto 104 clinical trials.

      Please let us all know if you manage to get in a trial?  Wishing you good luck and good health.  Misti

    • JMJ
      JMJ Bluesmann

      Posted

      Hi Bluesmann,

      Are you in the US?  I can't believe an ENT told you the injections can only be given once a year!  I wonder what that's about?  I'm the one who got them every 4 weeks, and my otolaryngologist administers them that way until you have significant decrease in symptoms, then stretches out the intervals between injections by one or two weeks each time, until you taper off of them entirely.  In his (and my) experience, this yields great results.  I wonder sometimes if doctors, like patients, give up if they don't see instant results.

       I've had to accept that Mneiere's is a long battle, and one that you have to fight on several fronts!  The injections, the diet, avoiding respiratory infections, managing stress...etc..etc.... While some people are fortunate to get rid of the symptoms by simply eliminating salt, I don't think that's the case for most of us.  I think most of us require a more complex treatment approach. 

      I'm also looking forward to trying the OTO 104, but until it's out, I think the standard Deximethasone 10mg every 4 weeks protocol, is a safe bet and a wise way to proceed...  It's getting to the heart of what's going on inside the inner ear, rather than just treating the symptoms.  But I'm guessing that the OTO 104 will result in patients having to have fewer injections overall, and probably more lasting effects.  

      My longest run between injections, and without any symptoms at all (not even a hint!) was 16 weeks.  But the flu, bronchitis and pneumonia seems to have contributed to a relapse, although there's no way to know for sure.

      Wishing you all the best,

      J  

    • Bluesmann
      Bluesmann JMJ

      Posted

      Yes am in the U.S.  I often wonder if certain doctors only have the ability to administer so much medicine?....i am going to a mennieres specialist at WVU in may.  I was ok for a bit then flu, sinus gsave me some dizzies.....prednisone seems to have helped.  Im hoping the spciailist will try the program you were on....it seems my first injection did well and gerttign one the next two weeks didnt make any difference so i likew the every 4 week process.....thanks for your response
    • JMJ
      JMJ Bluesmann

      Posted

      Yes...I'll bet the flu and sinus really did set you back...My symptoms came back with a vengeance after the flu.....But I'm glad the pred seems to have helped.  

      Wishing you all the best with your new doc at WVU.  Keep up posted on how it's going!

      Take good care,

      J-

       

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