I am on month 3 of av with some success. I haven't had vertigo since day 4. One time was close but "it" didn't happen. I have been having head pressure and a very full ear for a week. I feels like the big one is building up. I wondered if you guys ever had some of the fullness return when you were getting started on av? Did you get full vertigo with it? I am hoping to continue to improve, I have had some really good days since starting av and would say the trend is up. I just hate these "zags." I am still on 3/day btw.
I've been on 1200 mg Acyclovir for about 10 months now. Each time I go down to 800 I start having problems again. Dr Gacek says some people just require higher doses. I also have some dizzy days and some vertigo but nothing like I had before AVs. Many people get fast and full relief. I don't seem to get there which is why about 3 months ago I added 3000 mg of Lysine daily. I still get periodic fullness in my mm ear. Sometimes I think it's weather related or too much salt. I can tell you the longer I've been on the av the better I feel.
that's how it worked doe me Sharon the longer I am on acyclovir the better I felt/feel. I'm at the point I don't even get dizzy when I get sinusitis and last time didn't even have to increase my dosage, which is amazing to me after all these decades of getting vertigo and dizziness from sinusitis. I don't get fullness anymore vertigo or dizziness. My balance is much better although every now and then I get off balance but that might be due to me eating some of my MAV trigger foods.
Thank you for your responses. Y'all are both so kind. I freak out everytime I think it's coming back/I have a setback. Thanks for your patience and support.
Last week I had a stomach flu, got stung by multiple yellow jackets, and had family visit. Illness, trauma, and stress(trauma!). Haha. Recipe for a setback? It's just that I am still at 3000mg/day so I can't increase. Just have to wait I guess.
I did too in the beginning the Gardengal, its horrifying knowing how good it feels not to get vertigo then think oh no! its stopped working!, antivirals are not perfect, they need to develop a better one. In fact I think they are working on that or at least articles I have read by doctors said antivirals don't suppress hsv good enough. I have always thought of living with vertigo is like being mentally and physically abused, and even if we do stop the vertigo we have something like post traumatic syndrome. The damage it does to us emotionally is hard to overcome.
Gardengal how are you taking the 3000 mg? Every 8 hours? I am asking because its important to keep the av levels up throughout the day and night.
given all the stress you just went through its no wonder you feel as you do. anything that weakens the immune system and you had several things that just did that, will get the virus out of its latent state. But it will pass and I think you will feel better when those situations are resolved.
Stress, lack of sleep, severe noise will still bring some of the fullness back and ringing...which of course makes me immediately think it "could be" the day for an attack. On those days I take an extra valtrex - I am on the 1x day dosage and have been for the past 12 months. Also, for me, I found 3 refills in that one manufacturer of the generic does NOT work for me. When my script was refilled with Milan vs the Northstar the previous three months I had return of symptoms within 2 days. I am fortunate that my pharmacy will order the Northstar specifically for me now to prevent this. (I had it happen one other time and experienced the same thing so it was not a "fluke"!) Good luck!
Nic - I always verify I am getting Northstar bc of your expirience. I don't want to take any chances. Today has been some better. Went out to a restaurant and to Home Depot. Last night it was bad and I stayed on the couch. So some improvement!
Gardengal - focus on appreciating the good moments. Even though I have been doing GREAT for the past 12 months or so I still appreciate every good ear day. I say my thanks in prayer every night for same. On the few days where the pressure is up (which is of course scary) but I don't go dizzy I say my thanks. One thing for sure this thing has taught me is to appreciate the little things - the things everyone takes for granted. Focus on the positives - any positive - because with this thing (for me) focusing on the worst leads to stress which brings on an attack. although many (including doctors) are non-believers, I do notice a difference during extreme changes of weather/storms. Those days when the ear steps up a notch I pop an extra pill. Restaurants a lot of times are so loud that my ear will ring for at least a day...which of course scares me. Clearly everything scares me!
I understand the fear totally! I always try to be thankful, I always thank The Lord for good days. I do feel like I appreciate the little things, I don't take even the most simple victories for granted. Went to big box store and survived. Went to for run. Huge things for our kind! One thing that I am noticing is I start to think things are ramping up and they just never get all the way to rotational vertigo. What a wonderful thing! Maybe the fear will fade with time or maybe we will always remember the horror of the vertigo and stay extra thankful. I so thankful for antivirals.
My fullness didn't go away until around month 6. I kept thinking I'd have a big attack, but it never hit. If I have a stressful week, I'll take 2000 for a few days.
I have been on antivirals for about a year now and the fullness and tinnitus has never gone away. Also take Lysine, and lemon Biflavinoid. But as long as the vertigo stays away I can deal with the rest!
Sharon, I suggest you take Gingko and Vinpocetine for fullness too. I have not had fullness so far, but I understand the two helps. I take entire JOH 2014 revision + acyclovir, just in case. Have been vertigo and symptom free (except for tinnitus which is almost negligible) since March 18th. I am atypical as I have no hearing loss and fullness, but vertigo alone is scary enough.
Serbian, I forgot I do take Vinpocetine 20 mg also. I've only been on the JOH stuff since April so maybe it's too soon. I have normal hearing in both ears also. I have taken diuretics off and on for years but they really deplete my potassium and not much help. I will look into Gingko but I take so many pills now I hate to add more.