Hi, I have had a miserable 3 months, following a total remission of 7 months. Nothing is helping. I am considering strongly the EDB surgery since non destructive (I hope) and may well also do the vaccine thing. However, I have always taken 1/2 an antiviral in the mornings for Herpes and have once previously upped the dose and then got much worse and badly dizzy and then improved. That sounds bizzare but true. So, I am wondering how often people have gotten worse on antivirals and toughed it out and then got better. Is this common? I know this has been talked about before, but difficult to search it. I have a lot of Valcyclovir on hand and could greatly up my dose but dread getting worse than I am now.
I can't speak to the avs, I have only been on them for 1 1/2 wks. I wondered what vaccine you are talking about?
Some people have reported they got worse when started an antiviral, it is a sign the AV is working. For me that did not happen, but if you search the old forums archive you will find many threads/posts http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,37682.0.html http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,37429.0.html http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,37233.0.html http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,36325.0.html http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,37609.0.html and there is more
dwaynehoover if you took the recommended doses of valcyclovir for Meniere's and got any improvement, which you said you did, maybe you should try again before opting for surgery or "the vaccine" from which I hear "the vaccine" takes a long time to work, a year or 2, if it even does. I am curious as to why you stopped the antiviral protocol for MM once you got improvement?
God, you are an angel Vicki! Thanks again. I upped the antiviral dose actually a couple times to 2000mg valcyc and once to 2500 and both times hearing in that ear wiped out and next day or few days later dizzy, then improved. But I figured it was the dizziness and "release of fluid?" the caused the improvement but that could be wrong and I never had the guts to continue. I always get temporary improvement after a prolonged dizzy spell (although due to partial burnout, I don't get true vertigo anymore but almost vertigo and not fun). Now, 2 days ago I took 1500mg Valcyc, yesterday I was partial dizzy half the day , drove car and difficult to turn my head (or the world would move a bit) then by night time hearing was quite improved and no dizzy. Woke worse like always but still hearing is some and no dizzy. I am chicken to take high dose today, but I will read the links and try to get support from that or your comments to come.
It was explained to me by Dr Gacek that in the beginning of starting an antiviral for MM sometimes the virus releases nucleic acids and that can make a person feel worse in the beginning but it should pass in not too long of a time and move on to improvement.
The first dose of the AV I took caused a minor vertigo attack an hour later. lol That to me said I was barking up the right tree. ALL the vertigo I had after that was not as bad as it was before I started taking them. In total, I've been on the anti-viral for @2-3 months. And I've not had any vertigo for over 6 weeks. *knock on wood* I feel pretty certain that there is a lot of merit to Dr. Gacek's research and clinical experience. At least, I think it is working for me.
I started on valacyclovir, 1000MG, 3 times a day. My insurance wouldn't cover the stuff though, so I switched to acyclovir, 800MG 3 times a day. I'm down to 800MG twice a day. And if all continues to go well, I'll drop to 800MG once a day in another week or two.
Dwayne, the correct dosage for valcyclovir for MM is: 3000 mg a day-for 3weeks-then decrease if symptoms are controlled to: 2000 mg a day for 3 weeks-then decrease if symptoms are controlled to: 1000 mg as a maintenance dose If when you decrease, symptoms return go back up and try to decrease again in another few weeks.