Hello In my last post I was so please that my audiogram had shown real improvement in my hearing bringing it back to normal after 2,5 months of being on Valtrex. My ENT told me to stop the Valtrex, which I did, and I was still feeling fine for about one month after that. Then I started having again lots of work, travelling, adding back stress of a "normal" working mum life, etc. Unfortunately, a month ago, I had a relapse in my discal hernia (I had an herniated disk at the beginning of the year, around the same time I had my sudden hearing loss), which got me bedridden again now since 1 month. I then started to notice increasing tinnitus, again echoing sounds (which had disappeared) and a feeling a clogged eared. I then knew that my hearing had deteriorated again, which was confirmed by an audiogram (again -40db in the lowest frequencies). I am of course very frustrated about this and I started to wonder whether the hearing test I did two months ago was not accurate, whether I just pressed when I heard the slightest vibration and so was "fake" in the end.... I so much wanted to believe the the Valtrex would be the answer, the cure to my hearing loss... I have now started again a course of two months at 2g a day... Fingers crossed that it will again bring my hearing up Thank you for having read my post and sorry for the rambling... Best vaita
antivirals do not cure Meneire's. Antivirals are taken to suppress the virus if your MM is caused by one which is appears it is. I would not consider what happened as a setback exactly since you were not on the av. Once off antivirals the hsv can become active at any time especially if your immune system is weakened by any factor because nothing is suppressing it. Some of us stay on a maintenance dose long term to keep the virus from causing MM symptoms.
Thanks for your reply Vicky. As I understand it is possible to have improvement of the hearing while on antivirals and then a downwards fluctuation again when stopping AVs. Had I stayed on a maintenance dose the probabilities of having a downwards fluctuation would have been reduced?
Adequate lysine, taken without food, can be a useful "maintenance" substance to continue suppression of herpes activity following a proper and adequate course of an antiviral drug. I touch upon this here: http://www.zoominternet.net/~kcshop/JOH.pdf --John of Ohio
most likely yes, but there are times when our immune system is weakened even on antivirals, like stress, fatigue, illness allergies etc that's it is best to increase by a dose or 2 depending on severity while that situation is occurring then go back down to maintenance dose once the temp situation is resolved.