I'm fairly new to this forum, and I've gotten some great information from all of the posts. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm simply having a bad day. I started the day with vertigo and had to call in sick to work. 2 hours later I felt fine. It's so frustrating. My vertigo attacks are increasing, and a couple have come without any kind of warning. It's almost like someone has pushed me and and then I go into the spins. I never feel nauseous and I always feel fine around 2 hours later. I want all this to end. But I don't want the docs to destroy my ear to end it, because what if it's not really Ménière's?? Lately I've been afraid to drive but I've been driving anyway because I have to work, take my kids places, and so on. I'm so mad at this disease. I'm tired of the constant ear ringing/pulsing. I'm tired of wondering when the next attack will come. I'm tired of watching my sodium. I'm tired of my daughters having to see me in this weak place. I'm tired of missing out on things I want to do for fear of spinning. My kids are finally old enough for my husband and I to leave them and have some adult fun and then this comes along. And I'm frustrated that nobody knows how to cure it! And there's my rant. Please tell me it gets better.
Make sure that your doctor orders all of the testing that will rule out anything else that could be causing your vertigo. My attacks typically have little/no warning (for sure nothing that could be counted on as a warning); I had several attacks start "violently" in that my body jolted and it was like someone hit me. I can tell you that for me that are days where I have had to go late into the office after an attack; days where I was driven home and later in the afternoon felt "ok" to go back to work. For me once the attack is complete, aside from the total exhaustion I know that I am o'k and so alot of times I power through and go back to work. I would print out the articles/studies that have been posted here on anti virals and talk to your doctor about trying those at full dose regimen for 3-4 months. Typically if they are going to help you should start to feel it by then. Today was a bad day. Tomorrow most likely will be better - focus on those days. If you focus on all of the good things in your life it will make dealing with this thing more bearable.
We wish you Well! Keep reading as many posts as you can. There is hope! You will in the end choose the right path for you. We all suffer/have suffered the same things you are suffering through now. Some of us have had success making our lives better. Some so much they don't even come back to the forum. Many stay around and offer encouragement to new folks. Together we will beat this!!
Thanks everyone for reading and/or responding to this. I did end up having a great week. Watched my youngest daughter sing in a district choral concert, had some great days at work, and learned that a foundation is giving an insane amount of money to the school where I teach. However, I had an interesting appointment with my OTO. He was sarcastic and rude to me. He did admit that since my symptoms started with a sneeze, there is a possibility that have a tear in my inner ear. This is what I've thought all along. But then he asked me facetiously if I wanted him to explore it. Of course I said no because of the rude way that he asked. He quickly dismissed that diagnosis because he claimed that I wouldn't have rotational vertigo, I would be dizzy all the time. Check my charts, doc, I felt dizzy for over 8 months. He berated me for "going on the Internet". After all was said and done, he gave me a diagnosis of MAV, in addition to Ménière's, two prescriptions and sent me on my way. All I can do now is throw my hands up in the air and move on with my life.
What did he prescribe? Probably one was a standard diuretic. He probably told you to also eat a low salt diet. All of that is standard first-presentation "treatment" --- which so seldom brings any lasting relief. Fortunately, there are other self-treatment modalities you can scrutinize. Read closely everything on the Database thread here: http://menieres.org/talk/index.php?board=3.0 It may productive to seek another physician. Even your GP can be more helpful, using this approach: http://menieres.org/talk/index.php?topic=557.0 --John of Ohio
I'm already on a diuretic and low sodium diet. He prescribed amitriptylene for MAV and Xanax for when I have rotational vertigo. My concern is that it's neither Ménière's nor MAV; it's a fistula, and I don't think any amount of supplements will fix that.