New Here.... just started using the Meniette Device

Sorry I do not have any experience with the Meniette. I have found some relief (quite a bit actually) with anti virals.

I will say that stress and lack of sleep are both triggers for me

Good luck.

 

used it no avail years ago; best of luck to you!!! company was good about returning

 

You need to bring your doctor into the 21st-century:
http://menieres.org/talk/index.php?topic=557.0

--John of Ohio

 

I keep ear plugs with me at all times. Loud areas really bother me. (Surprisingly they actually bother me less now that I have a hearing aid for my bad ear...but still have them and use them at times)

 

The presumption that each and every MD is acquainted with, uses, and promotes all of the most recent treatments and therapy approaches to every disease is common among us lay people. Doctors are doctors, after all, and they are the only ones who really know what’s medically best for us, or what’s the most recent therapeutic successes.

All of that is dream land stuff. Medical practice, for decades and a century or more, has simply been resistant to new, alternative, innovative, and different approaches to medical therapies. Conventual, archaic viewpoints are locked into the status and structure of recognized medicine.

Think not? Who, might you suppose, so dramatically opposed Pasteur and Lister in the germ theory of disease? The best, most accomplished, most successful physicians of the era. Check the story, for example, of Semmelweis and physician hand-washing (http://explorable.com/semmelweis-germ-theory). It took decades, a generation or more, of physicians to embrace modern germ theory.

“Yea, but that was back then. That couldn’t happen today. Modern docs are so much more intelligent and so much better trained.” And therein is the modern problem, particularly as it relates to our condition, Meniere’s. Our physicians are, indeed, so much better trained than doctors of old. But during their training (and on the board certification tests), they were taught to claim that Meniere’s is simply idiopathic, the whatever causes the disease could not be known, nor effectively treated. Just smack the symptoms (low-salt/diuretic, steroid injections, and destructive surgeries) and hope for the best. In the end, how many of us have heard this, “We’ve done all we can. Learn to live with it.”

Sadly, modern physicians aren’t, or don’t have the time or interest to pursue new, “knowledge-negating” therapies, even those that have published success data, as with Dr. Gacek and antiherpetic therapies against Meniere’s Disease. What they learned back in med school was enough. Nothing more could now be known. Nothing new could possibly appear under the hazy sun of Meniere’s. It’s idiopathic, and that’s the end of that. Let’s just smack some symptoms. Next patient, please.

I marvel at the accounts presented here when commoners on this board set Dr. Gacek’s antiherpetic Meniere’s therapy before their physicians. Fortunately, an increasing number recognize the efficacy of the therapy and consequently prescribe antiherpetics. But still, the greater number summarily dismiss the information, stating in various forms, “Well, I just don’t believe that this can help you. I don’t think Meniere’s symptoms are caused by herpes viruses.” End of that discussion.

Physicians are not medical gods or priests. They are quite human, and all of us are skeptical about new and apparently un-tried things — understandably. Accepting and applying new, unknown therapies can be hard for anyone. But Gacek’s paper proves the safety and efficacy of appropriate antiherpetic therapy. It is unscientific and unethical to dismiss this information — just as it was unethical to castigate Pasteur, Lister, and Semmelweis in their promotion of microbial hygiene. Things haven’t so much changed, sadly.

 

I am so grateful that my Oto was not only receptive but had extensive knowledge of antiviral treatments before I even requested it.

That being said, she didn't offer it to me as a solution until I requested it. And that with only a phone call from me.

I can't say if she uses the antiviral treatment with her other Menieres patients but I'm wondering if she was up to date with new treatments, why aren't the majority of other Drs.
I know that she goes to conventions and maybe that is where she obtained her information.

I just wish more Drs were as informed.

Thank You John. You are a Godsend here. All of the information you put up is so useful to the newbies. That you take the time for this is generous of you.

I guess that's what this forum is all about.

 

The Godsend is Ray Solari, who underwrites and supports this entire Meniere's website. Without his continuing support of this website, many hundreds of Meniere's sufferers would continue to be afflicted and debilitated, as they were in the last century. With this website, virtually all of the newest and most productive Meniere's therapies can be made known to both laymen and physicians.

In fact, Ray himself has devised and posted a high-dose vitamin C Meniere's therapy of remarkable efficacy. Problem is, it's just too simple and cheap. By any conventional perspective, it just shouldn't work. Ask your physician if you should give it a try (after letting the good doctor read the protocol and results postings), and see what happens. The most useful physicians will say, "Hey, give it a try. I can't see how it could work, but the information looks promising. Do it, and keep me posted."

But most will terminate any consideration right at the start, pretty much telling you to never bring in any such amateurish and untested stuff again. Gotta stay with the 20th-century approaches. They are the only ones known to be (slightly, if at all) effective. Everything else is dangerous or useless.

The real advantage here is that both detailed protocols for new Meniere's treatments are posted and can be copied and distributed; but just as important are the postings from new protocol users telling exactly how (or if) the new stuff worked.

That's what we all want to know. Does any of this stuff offer any real hope? Does any of it really help?

For my regimen, which I devised near the turn of the century, and then later posted (and improved upon) here (http://www.zoominternet.net/~kcshop/JOH.pdf), I've kept detailed accounts of regimen users accounts (postings and emails), documenting successes and failures (presently with 260 accounts, with an 88.08% "success" rate). None of this would have been possible without this continuing forum.

When I"m asked, does your stuff work against Meniere's, I can say, yes, it does, for over 80% who diligently try it. Try asking your physician his documented success rates for any of the therapies he administers or prescribes? Does he even keep track? Does he have any idea how many of his Meniere's patients get substantial or continuing relief? Or, is he just guessing, presuming that whatever he does just has to be the best thing possible, given the recalcitrance of this disease against useful treatments?

The greatest resource here is the database pages, where all the useful protocols and therapies are discussed and documented in detail: http://menieres.org/talk/index.php?board=3.0

Nothing like this on all the world's Internet. No other place has such a density of useful Meniere's treatment information -- all because of Ray Solari. He's the real hero.

--John of Ohio

 

John,

You're right, of course. Ray does deserve the credit for the website.

However, it's the people who post all of the useful information that makes the forum productive.

You're right about Drs. I always print anything new posted.

I will say since I've moved and tried to see other Oto's close to home I've found I know more about Menires than they do. That's why I travel to see my Oto. It's sad when you ask a Dr. A question and the answer is vague, then they ask, "do you understand?"

Laughing to myself I think, "yes, I understand, all you're good for is removing wax!"

 

In my small town we only have one ENT office and they are still stuck on the lso diet, diuretics, and SERC. When I told the Dr I was using antivirals he looked totally blank. Thank God my Internist was willing to work with me when I talked to him about Dr Gacek. In fact he told me I probably know more about mm than he does, which is pretty scarey! I give this site all the credit for anything I have learned. People like JOH, Vicki, Bumblebea and of course Ray have given me hope that I may actually get my life back yet! I'm up and down even with everything I'm taking but I'm having more good days then bad for the first time in two years. So thank you to everyone who has shared their stories and ideas here.

 

I am so thankful for this board. I would never have known to ask for AVs if it wasn't for this group. I have had a good/better 17 days. I cannot believe it. I am hopeful for the first time in years. Sharon - how long have you been on av?

 

I've been on Acyclovir since July 2014. I added 2000 mg of Lysine just two months ago as I was still experiencing some dizziness but no severe vertigo. After having a dizzy day yesterday I am increasing my Lysine a little. I take 1200 mg Acyclovir daily.

 

Those taking antivirals, please keep in mind to avoid foods higher in arginine than lysine, or at least limit them.
List of foods highest in arginine lowest in lysine
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000089000000083000000-w.html
List of foods highest in Lysine Lowest in arginine
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000083000000089000000-w.html

 

Vicki, do you think those of us taking high doses of Lysine along with our antivirals still need to avoid arginine foods?

 

It depends, if you are taking more lysine mgs than arginine mgs then no, but if you are eating foods with more arginine that lysine you are taking then yes. Arginine can wake up the virus from its latent state that the AV's and Lysine puts it in, if you eat too much food with high arginine and the arginine mgs are more than the lysine mgs you can very well get symptoms.

It all depends on how much arginine mgs you are ingesting

 

For example, look at this page pertaining to nuts and seeds (this is just an example of what I am referring too)
http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-012089000000083000000-w.html?maxCount=21
If you eat macadamia nuts 100 gram serving which is about 3.5 ounces
Nuts, macadamia nuts, dry roasted, with salt added
Arginine: 1380mg Lysine: 18mg

then you eat other foods during the day higher in arginine than lysine you can easily ingest more arginine than the 2000 mg of lysine you are taking.

 

Thanks Vicki, your example on the nuts make sense. I have given up a lot of things trying the MAV diet, including nuts, so I guess I may have gotten negligent in paying attention to the arginine. Some days I would kill for a pepperoni pizza again!