I just wanted to start by saying thank you! I have been reading this forum for a week and have gotten SO much info from all of you and I feel so much better to find people like me ??? hahaha My name is Tracy and I have had 2 acute vertigo episodes this year. One being just 2 weeks ago. By acute I mean spinning room, falling to the floor, non stop vomiting while having to sit on the toilet as well :-[ Both times I have been woken up at night with nausea then the vertigo takes over within minutes of me getting up. The last one has left me slightly dizzy at times every day, more pressure and ringing in my right ear (which I was having occasionally but very mild) and a "white noise" at times, as well as being tired. I went to an ENT today and he said I probably had Menieres. He told me to eat a low salt diet, keep a food diary to see if I can find any triggers and let him know if I have any "ahh haa moments" for these triggers and that was basically it!! I did happen to ask him about some sublingual anti-vert and anti-nausea for the acute episodes and he wrote a script for them (again thanks to this forum!) The last thing he mentioned was that he could refer me to a vestibular ENT when I was ready. Of course I said I was ready !!! I have to wait for them to contact me, hopefully tomorrow. The audiologist did a hearing test and said I was border line for low noises in my right ear. Does this mean anything to anybody? I am on edge all the time that another one will come. I keep up on all the housework, laundry, bills, pets etc so I know that if I am laid up for 24 hours, everything will be fine. I am still scared to go to sleep at night though. Do any of you carry an emergency bag/kit with you just in case? If so, what things do you have in it? Thanks for your help and thanks for being here
Did your doctor send you for any tests to rule out other causes (MRI, Balance tests etc) As for food triggers, if you do have Meniere's, stay away from foods that have more arginine than lysine. and if you do have MM I would suggest you try an antiviral, many of us have an HSV causing our symptoms for MM and antivirals give symptom relief. I have been vertigo and dizzy free for over 2 and a half years due to being on acyclovir. The favored antiviral is valcyclovir at this time. Check out our databse and when you go to the vestibular ENT bring a copy of Dr Gacek's paper supporting a viral cause for MM http://www.mm3admin.co.za/documents/docmanager/6e64f7e1-715e-4fd6-8315-424683839664/00056616.pdf
He ordered no other tests at all ! He mentioned the other Dr. would do tests. Frankly, I don't know how he could come to this conclusion so quickly. Thanks for the heads up on the anti viral, I will take it with me. I am not familiar with the arginine/ lysine foods either. Thanks
If you do have MM and if an HSV embedded on the nerve in your inner ear is causing your symptoms, antivirals suppress the virus and so does lysine but arginine promotes HSV that is why you need to eat foods higher in lysine than arginine.
Low tone hearing loss is consistent with menieres. That along with vertigo usually confirms an endolymph imbalance in the inner ear. Do you think there's a chance you may have TMJD or an upper cervical neck issue? These are two things you may want to consider ruling out.
The vestibular ENT he is referring you to (although that is interesting as the vest specialist I saw was specific to that) will run the different vest/eng tests. Note that those primarily are done to rule out anything else, not able to necessarily confirm Meniere's. Most will also run a MRI to rule out other causes as well. Definitely try to get anti-virals prescribed, be it thru ENT, your general dr...who ever. The earlier one is able to start them the more likely it it is to be effective and to minimize damage. Hearing - during each active attack I typically will lose all hearing in the lower registers which can continue for at least a week or so after. Then I do get hearing back, but it never returns to the previous level. So every attack further damages my hearing. Ongoing dizzy vs full vertigo spins. For the rare times that I am simply dizzy/off balance without full spins, Meclizine has worked for me. In the US it is available over the counter, also as generic, and very low cost.
Vicki, thanks so much for the info. I will ask for the antivirals. Mustang 89, I am makiing an appt with the chiropractor next week. TMJD will cause all of these things also? I do grind my teeth, I will look into it as well. nicmger, the ER gave me meclizine 25mg, after my first acute episode. I did not know you can get it over the counter. Is it a smaller dose? I resist taking it when I have dizziness /off balance because it will make me so tired. Sometimes I just need to take it though.
Your chiropractor should be an upper cervical chiropractor. Do a search fo NUCCA chiro. An ENT won't admit it but yes TMJD can cause ear symptoms.
For me, Meclizine does NOTHING for the acute vertigo. I have Ativan 1mg that I put under my tongue at the start of an attack (room whirling). The Ativan shortens the vertigo attacks from 4+ hrs to 1hr or so. Shortening the spinning also has a corresponding reduction in my vomiting. In the US Meclizine is available over the counter - I found this out right after diagnosis and that was the first drug I was given. I went to fill the prescription and the pharmacist walked me over to the counter drugs and told me to buy it that way it is cheaper. Believe that it is available in 12.5 mg and 25mg OTC.
Emergency kit. ginger lemon tea, I carry this in my purse at all times and often a plastic grocery bag when I am traveling just in case.