How do you know if the gentamicin has worked?

Went to church this morning. Music was very loud, even too loud for Hubby. Flickering lights from light coming through ceiling fans. Thought I was doing ok. Standing Chatting with a friend after, and suddenly felt like I was being pitched forward. We sat, and then I had a 1 second clockwise vertigo. I’m scared it’s the Menieres breaking through, but hoping it’s just gentamicin #2 taking care of business.

I guess I still need to be careful of triggery places, resist the temptation to just jump back in full force, for now.

I’ve also got my weird clicking noise in my right ear - not fluid crackling, but what I think of as kind of a nerve induced clicking. Haven’t had that in awhile.

Nap time.

 

Joney
Yes Hubby and I will invest in discrete ear plugs, and use what we’ve got for now! I do want to save my good left ear.

Saera
I feel wonkier this morning, so let’s say it’s the gentamicin! But yes, if it was Menieres, that’s a drag, but 2 seconds is better than 2 hours.

I changed my mind on the VNG. I saw a study that showed imperfect correlation between the VNG (after gentamicin) and likelihood of vertigo returning. Dr. H did some fast head turn maneuver on me last time, and said “oh yeah” which I interpreted to mean “yes the gentamicin did it’s thing”.

And Nathan
Our walking lovechild of Shakespeare and Einstein! Thank you for your entertaining shares - glimpses into an awesome mind!

 

One week since the second shot. (About 7 weeks since first gentamicin.)

Lying on my stomach with head facing left or right gives a subtle counterclockwise spin. Able to drive but Felt pretty gross at the grocery store- mini tilt, walking down the aisles challenging. Getting more off balance and jumpier eyes as the day progresses.

If I can still drive tomorrow the priority will be to stock up on knitting supplies! Gotta be ready for lockdown! Hopefully my last.

 

Hi Clare
Thanks for checking in on us! Cautious optimism... hopeful that this will make life more manageable, but aware that if the attacks break through, that it’ll be surgery time.

Saera
I’m impatient too! I had a couple good weeks, but now that Gent 2 is kicking in - bit of nystagmus with eyes closed, but nauseated with activity - I want the better times again. But hey, it’s summer, so at least I can get outside. And this is still better than having random vertigo attacks... I have to remind myself of how bad that was, and be glad we are on the journey to freedom from it, whether the gentamicin works, or if we have to go surgical... we are on the right path.

May the force be with us indeed! Patience young Padawan.

Or, as Brene Brown says, embrace the suck.

 

More off balance. I’ve had a couple of one second tilts, that felt like the beginning of a vertigo attack. They are always when my neck is bent over reading etc. That freaks me out, that maybe the gentamicin isn’t fully working.

Fighting anxiety and depression. Gotta get into some routine, which is tough with Menieres and gentamicin! Fake it till I make it, I guess.

 

Ah wouldn’t that be lovely Saera?! Where do you live? Maybe on my travels sometime we can meet up. I almost got to meet Marta of England... next time we visit Hubby’s family there I will do it!

Knitting - doing lots. I wound up sending away for some supplies from Amazon. I’ve used my driving to get to my 12-step meetings - they help ground me.

 

Minnesota. I’ll let you know if we ever are road tripping there!

That’s a good sign, I think, that you are forgetting about your balance sometimes!

Today is 2 weeks since my second gentamicin shot. Things are a worse again compared to yesterday (the world wobbles with walking, oscillopsia while chewing, a bit nauseated) but nowhere as bad as 2 weeks after the first injection. My hearing seemed to be lower a few days ago, but then was better yesterday.

I had about 6 momentary clockwise vertigos in church yesterday, so I left early. Too much strobe effect flickering lights.