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Shingles Vaccine a trigger for symptoms of Meniere's?

Posted , 16 users are following.

patricia69095
patricia69095

For years I rarely had a full blown Meniere's vertigo with uncontrollable vertigo, nausia, etc. About a month or two after I decided to take the shot for Shingles I woke up one morning with one that was so bad my husband had to take me to the ER. Since that time (for over 3 years now) I have had bouts sometimes as many as 8 a month with dizziness, full head feelings, that I can control using meclizine. I read in an article about Meniere's that some people think that Meniere's is related to or possibly caused by the virus that causes chicken pocks and shingles. The shot I had contained a live virus to give me an immunity to getting shingles so I'm wondering if it also caused a flare up of Meniere's. Has anyone else had this happen to them or do you know anything concerning a relationship between Meniere's and shingles vaccine?

0 likes, 35 replies

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  • tim63896
    tim63896 patricia69095

    Edited

    Hi there. Sorry to read about your symptoms. Regarding a viral cause for menieres, I take an antiviral, Aciclovir. I started on a high dose and then reduced after a few months to a maintenance dose. Since I have been taking it, for some years now, I have never had another attack. Worth reading up on the research of Dr Richard Gacek who has trialled and uses antivirals to treat the symptoms of Menieres. There are many ent's ,particularly in the uk, who dispute its validity but none of them can point to any research to support their view.

    • patricia69095
      patricia69095 tim63896

      Posted

      I appreciate your reply. When I asked my present doctor about the possibility that the vaccine for shingles had exacerbated the minere's symptoms, he told me that it wasn't possible. I wonder if he's since seen this doctor's work?

    • jackie72283
      jackie72283 tim63896

      Posted

      I had been on aciclovir for 10 years for shingles when I got menieres
    • bonnie_97384
      bonnie_97384 patricia69095

      Edited

      I personally don't trust the Doctors regarding our diagnosis. I strongly believe the Shingles Vaccine I got caused my illness and they are protecting the pharmaceutical companies 

    • dee5400
      dee5400 tim63896

      Posted

      I sed to work with Richard Gacek at SUNY Upstate. Good guy. Nice too.
  • JMJ
    JMJ patricia69095

    Edited

    Hi Patricia,

    I know that there is at least one forum member who has had great success with the Richard Gacek protocol for MD — I'm pretty sure he still takes a maintenance dose of Valtrex, daily.  I wish I could remember his name, but I can't.  And I have searched the different threads, and I just can't find the one where we had this discussion.  I hope he'll see your question and eventually respond.

    I went on Gacek's protocol shortly after I was diagnosed, but I did not experience any improvement.  However, his study makes a lot of sense to me. And, I can see why you'd make the connection, having just had the Shingles vaccine a month before your symptoms "blossomed."

    I don't know what the underlying cause of my MD really is, but the episodes of vertigo were very severe and very frequent.  I have had to go on intratympanic injections of steroids in order to control the vertigo.  

    I'll bet if you wait a bit, someone will notice your post, and be able to share more about their experience. 

    If you haven't read the Richard Gacek studies, it would probably be very helpful.  I made copies and brought them to my ENT, which is how I managed to get on the anti-viral protocol for MD, early on.

    I'm so sorry that you're having such a rough time.  It's a terrible disease.  I wish you all the best.

    Sincerely,

    J

    • patricia69095
      patricia69095 JMJ

      Edited

      Thank you for your reply! No, I have not heard about this study. Would I just Google his name to find his study online?
    • JMJ
      JMJ patricia69095

      Posted

      Hi Patricia,

      Yes.  And, there are many additional articles out there about his work, as well.  

      Wishing you all all the best,

      J-

  • angela84522
    angela84522 patricia69095

    Posted

    Hi there. I had Shingles last Dec 25 and lasted a couple of months. My Vertigo and all other issues with my MD doubled and trippled. Yes I think your on to something. I have too researched into it. Of coarse mine wasn't the vaccine it was just getting Shingles.

    • patricia69095
      patricia69095 angela84522

      Posted

      I hope that you are doing better now, or did the extra amount of the symptoms just stay?
    • angela84522
      angela84522 patricia69095

      Posted

      Well honestly I feel like I am just barely getting by. I am dizzy a couple days out of the week still but my major attacks of vertigo have decreased significantly. I am taking lysine for the shingles virus everyday. Same Virus gives you Cold Sores too. I had one had one in college many years ago. I am 47 now. But I had cold sores start to surface 6 months before I had Shingles. If I dont stay on Lysine I will get another one. Since this Vertigo episode is only a couple years old for me I am really wondering if there could be a connection. I am sure there are many things that cause MD. But I can see a significant connecting my case. I am going to do some more research. Thank you for asking.
    • JMJ
      JMJ angela84522

      Posted

      Hi Angela,

      I can't imagine a worse combination than having Shingles along WITH vertigo!!! Arrrrgh! You poor thing!

      I had Shingles about 2 years before my MD, so I have no idea if one resulted from the other. However, when I read Gacek's studies, I found them to be convincing.... and it's a very low-risk protocol. I wished the Acyclovir and the Lysine worked for me, but neither thing did the trick. I'm so happy to hear that the lysine helps you!! I say, if it works, keep doing it! 😀

      Take good care,

      J-

    • patricia69095
      patricia69095 JMJ

      Posted

      I talked to my doctor about taking an antiviral medication and he gave me a prescription for Acyclovir 800mg 4 times a day for 7 days. He figured it couldn't hurt I guess to humor me. He was familar with Gacek but didn't know about his use of antiviral meds for MD. Do you happen to know what dosage and frequency Gacek recommended? I took one pill this morning and ended up with a lump in my throat and tingling around my mouth...side effects? I'm afraid to take more. I took it with a banana and didn't experience any nausia (which is a more common side effect.) Now I'm not sure what to do.

    • JMJ
      JMJ patricia69095

      Posted

      Hi Patricia,

      I took Valacyclovir, 1 Gram 3 times a day for 30 days.  The plan, as I recall, was to reduce to a maintenance dose of 1 Gram per day, but I was still getting so sick that my ENT abandoned the protocol and referred me out to an Otolaryngologist who treated me with intratympanic steroid injections.  

      I didn't experience any side effects at all, with the Valacyclovir.  But they didn't help, either. I know however, that they have helped a significant number of people.  

      As with any other drug, if you suspect that you might be having an adverse reaction to the drug, then it's always safest to simply stop the drug and call your doctor.

      I'm so sorry that you're having such a hard time.  I really do know what it's like to be willing to try anything in order to feel better!  It's so frustrating because it's really impossible at this point for anyone to identify  the cause of MD in all people.  We just don't know.  What they do know is that MD is typically progressive.  Some people go huge gaps of time without any symptoms, and then out of nowhere, the symptoms  come back and really incapacitate them.  With others, it's more of a chronic thing, that never goes away, but gradually increases in intensity...There seems to be no single pattern to the progression.  

      Just don't lose hope!  If you can't take the Valcyclovir because of a bad reaction to the pills, there are still other options for you to explore.

      I wish you the very best.  I hope you can find an answer and feel much better, soon!

      Take good care,

      J-

       

    • patricia69095
      patricia69095 JMJ

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply and your good wishes for me.
    • bonnie_97384
      bonnie_97384 angela84522

      Posted

      Whether Shingles or the Shingles Vaccine I believe caused our illness and doctors are protecting the pharmaceutical companies 
    • bonnie_97384
      bonnie_97384 JMJ

      Posted

      You mentioned Lysine, did you read somewhere that Lysine can help with Labyrinthitis and or Vestibular Neuritis?  I have wanted to try acyclovir but never thought of Lysine
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