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Antivirals

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by AmyLeigh, Apr 11, 2019.

  1. Dnrpn

    Dnrpn Member

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    Mine is not pulsating though, it’s a constant stream.
     
  2. Svines

    Svines Member

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  3. Svines

    Svines Member

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    Hi June! Sally again!! I am seeing a Neurotologist on July 3. I am pretty sure he will diagnose me with cochlear Hydrops. My first ENT thinks I have Hydrops after treating my middle ear infection. It cleared up, but my fullness has stayed. When he put me on a diuretic, I developed the tinnitus. After a month with no improvement, he told me to quit taking them. He is the one who recommended the Neurotologist. I went to a second ENT who just happens to have Ménière’s himself for another opinion. He did maybe a more thorough hearing test, and it showed mild low frequency hearing loss.... said I wouldn’t even notice it. ( My ENT had just done a hearing test a few days before, and it was normal.) He is very old school. He just scowled at antivirals!! I had already started them because my ENT went on and prescribed them to me. He couldn’t diagnose me! Said it was a toss up between a Patulous Eustachian tube and mild Ménière’s. ( Heard His audiologist tell him she thought it was Ménière’s. ) He, too, wants me to see the same Neurotologist. Sorry this is getting long, but I have been taking 3000mg of Valtrex for a little over 5 weeks. I “think” there has been some improvement, but about the time I think I am getting better, the next day, it doesn’t seem that way. Should I continue taking 3000mg? How long can I take that large of a dose? I also am taking 3000mg of Lysine. It is mainly the fullness or the stuffy ear feeling that is so maddening. The last two days I thought I might should drop down to 2000mg, but I feel a little stuffier today. I really have tried to cut down on my sodium to 1500mg to no more than 2000mg for the last week, but not so sure that is helping... maybe a tad. This is so hard to figure out. I am praying that when I start the allergy shots, I will recover as you did. Advise please and to anyone who would like to respond... what has worked for fullness??? Thank you all for anything positive you can share. Blessings to all!
     
  4. June-

    June- Well-Known Member

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    Svines, I would say the allergy shots helped more for fullness. No matter how many neurotologists (and there were several very well respected ones) told me, all menieres/ch and showed me tests and explained how they knew, it sure did feel like there was some middle ear thing too to me. Whatever ... the allergy shots did a lot but .... they take a long time. Months, years even for full benefit. But as Ann Landers would say, the time will pass anyway, might as well have the benefit down the road. I am sure glad i did have the allergy shots. All that said, the most horrible part for me was the distortion, the tinnitus and the progression towards vertigo and the antivirals fixed those things. For me, it was always two steps forward and one back with antivirals. It was not a straight line with every day better than the last. I would say as long as your dr thinks it is safe for you, keep taking them. I do not know the dosage for valtrex, i never took that one for my ears (took it for shingles though). Good luck!
     
  5. Onedayatatime

    Onedayatatime Active Member

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    Your ENT actually used the term "Dangerous"? This is exactly the kind of rhetoric that would drive me to find a new ENT. I'd call him on it and ask him to justify his remarks. Then, find a new ENT and document it all in an online review of his services.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. June-

    June- Well-Known Member

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    Agree with Onedayatatime. Antivirals are very benign compared to drugs they use without a blink like steroids not to mention destructive surgery.
     
  7. Svines

    Svines Member

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  8. Svines

    Svines Member

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    Emily, the ear fullness is about to drive me crazy!! I have very mild tinnitus at this time, but I have got to get some relief with the fullness. I have been on 3000mg of Valtrex for almost 6 weeks. Maybe a little better.. as June says two steps forward and one step backwards. Are you still having the fullness? If not, what do you think helped it. Thanks so much.
     
  9. EmilyP

    EmilyP Member

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    Hi Svines,

    I do not have ear fullness any longer, my symptoms are mostly tinnitus. Which now is subsiding, it is bad day every other day .

    I think the JOH regime & the B 5 & 6 have helped me . Have you read any of the JOH article? Also the B 5 is 125 mg B 6 100mg . I take them first thing in the morning.

    I sure hope this helps. Hang in there....
     
  10. Svines

    Svines Member

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  11. Svines

    Svines Member

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    I will be seeing the Neurotologist in two weeks. Two ENT’s aren’t sure what is going on with me, but both suspect Ménière’s. ( One mentioned it could be a Patulous Eustachian tube. ) I have been waiting to see if the antivirals work. It’s been almost 6 weeks since I started taking them. Still doing 3000 mg of Valtrex...maybe a little better. I have allergy testing coming up next month so to answer your question, I have not tried JOH because I am waiting to see what the Neurotologist finds with all of his testing and seeing what allergy tests reveal. I used to be on them years ago, but I was never tested for food allergies. This time I will be. My only symptoms so far are the fullness and a very subtle tinnitus.
     
  12. Joney

    Joney Active Member

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    Okay, thanks for the advice, I do appreciate it. I have been taking 3000 mgs of lysine since the end of April. I take 1000 mgs three times a day on an empty stomach. I had no reaction to the lysine. I started taking Olive Leaf Extract a few days ago. One in the morning and one in the evening. I just found out yesterday that these too, should be on a empty stomach, so I just add them to my nighttime and morning time lysine. I realize now that I should have started with one for awhile, as you suggested, but I haven’t had any issues with it so far, so I’ll just keep going. Not adding anything else yet. I do keep a clean diet, no gluten or dairy and I try to eat organic when possible. Also, staying low sodium. The only issue I’ve had for the last month or so is tinnitus, which hasn’t been all that bad (it’s livable). I can’t really say that I am dizzy or off balance, but there is something going on in my head...the only way I can describe it is it feels buzzy. But I found when I take my glasses off, it’s much better. I just got new glasses at the beginning of the year and thought that was the problem, but had them checked and they assure me they are fine.

    Someone else on here suggested Mind Over Meniere’s website and they offer other possibilities besides a Meniere’s diagnosis. There is something called binocular vision disfunction, which I scored a 33 (15 or higher suggests you have it). This will be something else I will explore if I reach dead ends with some of this other stuff. All of this to say, I don’t know if the antivirals are the answer for me, but I have to give it a shot. This whole thing with having to explore a million different possibilities and so many in the medical community are useless because they don’t know enough about this. So you’re left on your own. Sorry for the long post.
     
  13. clearing

    clearing Guest

    you are on the right track. I will message you to get some more details.
     
  14. EmilyP

    EmilyP Member

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    hey could you please explain what die off is? thanks
     
  15. EmilyP

    EmilyP Member

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    Thanks, I will look up what you have suggested. I have been on Acylovor since Late January with L Lysine and hav e had no problems taking these.
     
  16. Dnrpn

    Dnrpn Member

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    Hi June, I went to an allergist today and was positive for dust mites only. He said he doesn’t think my symptoms are related and sent me home with a sheet on minimizing dust at home.
    Do you know which allergens you tested positive for regarding your allergy shots? Thanks :)
     
  17. Irishstu

    Irishstu Member

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    Hi DPRN, interested to see if you are still taking Valtrex and if you have seen any relief of symptoms yet?
     
  18. Irishstu

    Irishstu Member

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    Hi Svines, just checking also to see if you are still on anti virals and if you are seeing any improvement?
     
  19. David Ash

    David Ash New Member

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    Hi are you still taking the acyclovir and lysine, if so is it still helping. I have been on valacyclovir (3000mg a day) and lysine for 3 weeks now. No attacks, but it has not as yet helped other symptoms. I would say its been tough, I had a shingles aoutbreak (never had this before) 2 days into taking and then I had a vicious infection of my glands on my MD side which was so bad it put me in hospital. I would say now I am starting to feel good again, and wonder if the problems I have had have been related to the herpes fighting back against the valacyclovir. I am due next week to drop dose to 2000mg a day. I have also taken Olive leaf extract but when I became ill with the gland issue stopped as I could not take them making me sick and trouble getting them down with my swollen throat.
     
  20. Irishstu

    Irishstu Member

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    David. Have you tried the JOH regime and B5 and B6? I am on that about 2 months now and have certainly gotten some relief from ear fullness and dizziness but not so much tinnitus.
     

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