1. Get our daily digest email where we email the latest new topics from our Strictly Health forum to keep up with the latest developments! Click here to subscribe.

Possible MM?

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by antibus, May 3, 2021.

  1. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Short story: About 10 days ago I had an SSHL in right ear of low frequencies (125, 200Hz). I got cortisone for treatment. Tests at home confirms I still cannot hear as good as left ear those frequencies but at some times I can hear those frequencies better. At ENT the audiogram was fine again. All other frequencies are fine. Before this and even now I have fullness of left ear. And yesterday I had mild dizziness attack with tinnitus in right ear.

    I'm desperate as I'm thinking it is actually MM! I'm a father of two kids, one is not even 2 years and I'm afraid I cannot be for them and for my wife. The stories I read sound horrible and I don't think I could handle this. I'm terrified right now! As I'm afraid I actually have it in both ears!! As fullness is in left ear but hearing loss and tinnitus in right ear.
     
  2. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    First, sorry you have had this experience. Keep in mind though you have had symptoms of MM, it does not mean you have MM. Was your dizziness true rotational vertigo? (A spinning sensation affecting visual field as opposed to the type of dizziness people experience when the get up too quickly; i.e. orthostatic hypotension). Fluctuating hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, the sensation of fullness are all suggestive of possible MM, but other things could cause some or all of those symptoms--labyrinthitis, for instance. If the cortisone helps (usually prednisone is the first drug in the arsenal of anti-inflammatory meds they use), then all that confirms is you had inflammation.

    Try not to stress about it as that could exacerbate your symptoms. If you exercise, continue doing so to the extent you are comfortable. Try to limit salt consumption, take allergy meds if you have seasonal allergies (highly correlated with MM), avoid caffeine and nicotine as these are vasoconstrictors and are not good for the inner ear. Also, meclizine is available over the counter and can help if you have vertigo. Docs also can prescribe valium which sedates the inner ear and can help with anxiety associated with MM. Good luck.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Thx for your kind words Jim. But
    If it is labyrinthitis, the ENT should have recognized it by looking into the ear or? I also wouldn't know where it came from?

    I don't know how rotational vertigo feels like so I cannot tell. But it was not really different from other dizziness I got in the past.

    Just curious what other reasons my symptoms can have?
     
  4. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Also I read that Labyrinthitis has pain as one symptom which I don't have.

    Also I got cortisone 3 days and seemed to help with hearing. But after that I got worse again.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2021
  5. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    I am not an ENT, but I'm not sure one can always make the labyrinthitis diagnosis during his exam--there are too many other conditions that present with similar symptoms--MM, viral infection, autoimmune ear disease, migraine, (with or without headache), etc. This is one of the vexing things about inner ear disorders--hard to determine what underlying condition is causing the symptoms. Meniere's itself is idiopathic--medical experts don't claim to know its etiology. Some guesses include allergy, inner ear morphology, "bad luck." Take care of your health the best you can (my comments above about exercise, avoiding too much caffeine, etc.) and if your symptoms persist or worsen, try to get back in to the ENT quickly. If whatever he prescribes does not ameliorate your symptoms, you could look for a neurotologist, an MD who specializes in inner ear disorders. Take care.

    PS: on a personal note, my symptoms began in my late 30s when I too had 2 small children--MM is NOT a death sentence and it doesn't even necessarily substantially incapacitate a person. Most people function well with periodic flare ups. Many of the people you encounter here will not be representative of the general MM population--many have come here because they are affected more than the average MM sufferer. I have MM, the origin of which is AIED, and I am one of the worse cases my docs have ever seen, yet 30+ years in, I still had a successful career, I still--at 69--hike steep mountain trails, drive, and, with hearing aids, function well. Again, I am one of the worst cases. Please do not become discouraged.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    So, I just woke up in the middle of the night (2 am) with tinnitus (which is a little louder than usual I would say) and dizziness. No noticeable hearing loss. The dizziness is not very strong but noticeable. Walking around is good for me (mostly with reducing stress) and I can stand on one leg with eyes closed and bring finger to nose. Not sure if this is a real vertigo attack?
     
  7. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    "...can stand on one leg with eyes closed..." very good sign your vestibular system is still working. When your eyes were closed did the world appear to be spinning? "Walking around is good for me..." Keep doing that as much as you can. Any exercise is good.

    Remember, there are lots of causes of dizziness but true rotational vertigo would be more of a spinning sensation. Many report the spinning is worse with eyes closed. Is yours?

    Tinnitus is an interaction between brain and inner ear and nobody is absolutely certain what causes it. Can be made worse by things like caffeine or aspirin. Isn't always a sign you are losing or have lost some hearing but could be an indication of that.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    I wouldn't call it spinning but just some dizziness. Hard to explain actually.

    Mine was more or less constant. Even shaking head left and right didn't change dizziness much.
     
  9. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    But also rules out labyrinthitis right?
     
  10. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    Not necessarily.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    From what you are saying, this does not sound like classic "vertigo," though your dizziness could be how your brain interprets the faulty signals from the ear. Again, there are many causes of "dizziness" and vertigo originating in the inner ear is just one of those.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Hi Jim, thanks a lot again for your encouring words. I was wondering, just in case I have it, how did you manage to be this active and successful with the random fear of vertigo attack with vomiting etc.? I imagine this is the worst. If you would know in advanced you could prepare yourself and drive home or something. But if it happens at work or while shopping or flying on an airplane it sounds embracing and horroable to just think about it.
     
  13. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    I had vertigo off and on from 1990 to 2015. In first dozen years, often very violent vertigo--only vomited a few times. I always carried meclizine and valium with me. You are correct to assume there is anxiety associated with having an attack, especially while driving or when I was hiking on a steep mountain trail. I went as long as 3 years without having an attack. Fortunately, in all those years, I only had an vertiginous episode 4 or 5 times while driving and only once when hiking (a dry lake bed, so it was flat). As soon as I felt it coming on, I pulled over to the side of the road and waited for it to subside. Again, the fear is always there in the back of your mind, even if you are feeling OK--thus, the valium and the meclizine.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  14. Biffer

    Biffer Member

    82
    9
    8
    Aug 6, 2020
    You will know real MM vertigo if and when you get it... believe me. But seriously, don't panic. Even if you do end up getting real attacks not everyone suffers to the same degree. There is a lot of information on this forum pertaining to remedies that work for different folks. If I were you I would go onto a diuretic and check out the John from Ohio regime. It can't hurt and, if you do have Meniers it could lesson the symptoms.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Thx again! I read that fluctuating hearing loss is also a symptom of MM. I'm wondering how is it for you? Does your hearing only reduce when you have an attack or is it more random?
    I do hearing tests using this site. I usually test 120Hz and I'm not sure, but it sounds like my right ear is still a little worse than the left even 14 days after the SSHL. It also feels like over day it is sometimes a little better. It is just noticeable when I try to concentrate really hard. But still!
    So, what exactly does fluctuating hearing loss in MM mean? Does it purely mean during an attack hear worse and after it is better again or is it more random like how I explained it?
     
  16. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    Just a short test, as my previous post has not been approved yet!?

    Also another question: is it normal that you can control the tinnitus by contracting the neck muscle? I can reduce or even start the tinnitus by doing this. Does this point to MM or something else?
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2021
  17. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    If you can affect your tinnitus by contracting your neck muscle, that is a strong indication it is external or objective tinnitus. By contracting the neck, you may be affecting the carotid--if that action starts or stops tinnitus, then it is very likely circulatory. Google "external tinnitus" for more information.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. antibus

    antibus New Member

    13
    0
    1
    May 3, 2021
    OK, another question I have. Do you know if it is normal about 14 days after SSHL to still hear slightly worse and a little distorted in the affected ear? About 7 days ago my ENT said my hearing curve is fine again. But still tests at home confirm that it is still not as good as the other ear and hears a little distorted.
     
  19. Jim Long Ago

    Jim Long Ago New Member

    9
    7
    3
    May 2, 2021
    Third stone from the sun
    Fluctuating hearing loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of MM, though it is not a definitive as a diagnosis for MM. It means your hearing fluctuates--for indeterminate and/or varying amounts of time. You could have a dip for only a few hours or it could last weeks.
     
  20. Biffer

    Biffer Member

    82
    9
    8
    Aug 6, 2020
    I think different people have different hearing loss symptoms. I can only tell you that my hearing loss (which is always in my left ear) can come on fairly rapidly, usually over the course of two or three days. It is along with a "fullness" not unlike having water in my ear. It gets steadily worse until I can hear nothing, and I mean nothing, at all. For me that does not always mean I will have a vertigo attack but I have yet to have an attack without having the hearing loss first. It always takes a lot longer to regain my hearing than it did to lose it, usually weeks or even months. Also, over time the overall hearing in my left ear has deteriorated so "normal" is not what it used to be.
     

Share This Page