I am just such a basket case right now, I had the low sodium, while I was in hospital, the dr told me to cut back on Prozac 60 mg to 20 mg because it can cause sodium loss, after I got home I became so down and I thought I made too drastic of a cut from 60 to 20 so I took 40 mg and then I blew up at my husband became anxious etc etc, panicked and took the full 60 mg, then I became dizzy again! I am trying to go back to work! My work involves driving my car, I don't feel safe driving yet, now I just read about MAV and think I may have that instead of MM, what kind of dr. should I be seeing, am I just being over anxious, I live in a very small town with out a lot of specialists in it. I just need to blow my steam on here, thank you for letting me.
Just remember that this bad day will pass,sounds like you have a lot going on,then not being sure what you have adds more crap to the soup so to speak.Many people have both mm and mav,many people think that mm and mav are the same thing.Any way you look at it it's all part and parcel of the same disorder. You want to stop being dizzy.With mav I usually think of dizzy as opposed to full blown vertigo. But if you do get quick vertigo(not lasting for hours),not dizzy it could very well be mav,mav is more day long off balance and wobbly crap. A good neurologist maybe even a smart gp might be able to tell what you have. If you can try some migraine meds and you feel better that is probably the way you need to go.It would probably take a few weeks for them to kick in. You could also follow the migraine diet and see what happens,that takes time and effort. I want to add that many people with mm respond anyway to meds also used for migraine.Remember it is not just a headache but a whole neurological disorder which can manifest any many different ways including mood changes and irritability. There are many migraine meds out there.What has worked for me and many others is Verapamil bp med,combined with Amitriptiline which has been safely used for decades. You might want to get the book ''Heal your headache'' David Buchholz you can get a used copy on amazon really cheaply. If you haven't checked out the 19 page thread in the old data base here is a link to it. It gets bogged down at one point with bickering ,so you can pass through that section! http://www.menieres.org/forum/index.php/topic,29072.0.html I hope you soon find some relief and are feeling better.People do get better!
thank you James, I tend to fall in the pity pots kinda easily. I have had both, full blown vertigo and then like today it is just off balance, but that might be sodium loss, maybe I should just make an appointment with a neurologist, nearest one is 300 miles away, but we have family there so that is not a problem.
Linda, if you have to travel, you should start with having your normal doctor that you see order the different ENG/Vestibular testing. That way you would already have those results in hand before you see anyone else. The ENG/Vest testing would help to rule out anything else - can't necessarily confirm that it is Meniere's. Will your dr agree to writing you a week supply of medication for migraines that is in the "abortive" family (not preventative). My dr agreed to try for me when I had a significant headache lasting for days of unknown origin. He said that if the abortive med doesn't stop the pain within 24 hrs than it is not a migraine. Not sure if the same would apply to MAV but it may work for you. I agree with James about Amitryptiline as well - many here have found success with that drug, and it is also in the anti-depressant category (my mom was on it for years) so could be a good one to try for a double whammy! For me stress is a MAJOR trigger so I try hard (easier said than done) to try to keep calm. On a day where I am off balance (not full vertigo) Meclizine does help a lot for me and that is available over the counter.
Thanks Nic, actually my ENT over a process of a few years has tested me for just about everything. If the ENG/Vest testing is where there see you if you get dizzy, I didn't get dizzy, but that was probably in 2012 or 13, and I wasn't having any dizzy spells except for one which lasted about 4 hours, just full ears, high ringing in right ear, low ringing in left ear and the low ringing is the same pitch as most people's voices and really interferes with my hearing. My ENT has always suspected MM, he sent me to an Otolarynologist last May who agreed that it is MM. Then......the dizziness started, which turned out now to be low sodium, although I have a few of the vertigo attacks before, just not frequent. The otolarynologist is the one who gave me a pamphlet about Meniett device and recommended it for my hearing, and other material from him is where I found out about this site. Since I was dizzy and have fluctuating hearing loss, I begin to panic because I am 63, two more years until Medicare and I need to work until then for insurance, but I will confess working wears me out, I sleep a lot and have no energy at home. Now I am hopeful that my Family Nurse Practitioner will be receptive to some of these things that have worked for other people, I see her on July 22, there just seems to be so much information to gather and give her, first place I better start is with new ink cartridges for my computer, I didn't work all last week or the first 2 days of this week and I had better get a move on, because if there is no lightheaded feeling tomorrow, I am going to try and go to work.
If you're feeling light headed or even just a little off, go to the ladies room and take a little break. Funny thing, I find that if I run my wrists under cold water it helps. Good luck to you tomorrow and with the Dr visit!
Hey Linda, Sounds like you are on the right path. Stress as you know is the worst and being 2 years short of Medicaid I totally understand makes you anxious.You said you were sleeping a lot,this condition will wear you out.But try to move every day.It's important to force your balance system to adapt.Even if it is just a walk to the end of the driveway.Also important to keep your blood flow good,so the ears get a good supply. nicmger mentioned migraine abortives,I don't think that would work to prevent dizziness.Timing is very important with those to get them to work. Many people myself included may have basilar migraines and the abortives are not good for this type of migraine and can be dangerous to take. I hope you can make it back to work soon.Good luck with your nurse practioner!
Thanks James for the support, I did go to work today! Yaaaay! I drank power ade for the low sodium, I did start to feel lightheaded and slightly dizzy around 3:30 pm, I usually work until 5 pm, but I took an Ativan and stayed until 4:30, there was a storm moving in which may account for some of the dizzy, the ativan did help relax me, I came home and rested for a while, then decided to eat dinner and lay down again, no nausea and my appetite is good. Just a little rest and I plan to work again tomorrow! My nurse practitioner called me today and wanted me to see a regular MD, she thought with my MM, low sodium, and weaning down from Prozac, and my history of simple partial seizures she would feel better, but there are not too many here, one is full and then is going to be gone for 2 weeks, one is full and is going to be gone the month of August, and I couldn't get in until October. I called my NP back and said I need to keep my appointment with her and I have good faith in her.
That's great you made it through work,read some of your other posts,didn't know you had been through so much. Relaxation is key. Good luck with the NP,it's great to have someone you believe in.