I need opinions, tips, help, and anything you can give me. My story starts 7 years ago. When I was 16 I woke up and felt off, kind of dizzy. I went to school and ended up randomly almost passing out with severe vertigo. I couldn't walk straight and had to be assisted to the nurse. The next day it happened again, and continued happening. Eventually I had to drop out of school. The doctors tried to diagnose it as migraine associated vertigo, BPPV. Both of which weren't the case. Seven years later and I still have no diagnosis and no life. I have vertigo everyday. I have a lot of severe, random attacks. And some times drop attacks. I use Antivert & Valium (between 5mg-20mg depending on the severity, to help.) I'm unable to drive. I do terrible with flying, and crowded or loud events. Etc. I've developed severe anxiety and depression which makes the vertigo worse. I don't know what to do anymore. I personally believe I have Ménière's disease. I use the same medications. And have all the symptoms, minus permanent hearing loss. I believe that's because my ENT put grommets in both my ears to drain the mass amounts of fluids, which also helped relieve some of the vertigo and helped me keep my hearing. I am getting them put back in again tomorrow and having some nasal surgeries done. My vertigo has been severe again to the point where I can't do anything and have long lasting attacks for hours almost everyday needing 10+mg of Valium to calm it. I have no idea how I'm supposed to work because I can't drive. And I've never had a job due to getting the vertigo so young and being unable to stay alert and focused enough for a normal job. Which I'm so worried about because I really need to start getting income to take care of myself. Please help me. I am ready to give up. I don't know what to do. As a side note- when this all started 7 years ago I had tests showing I was positive for mono, swine flu, and varicella virus, which I've heard may be linked to Ménière's disease. Again, please help. Thank you... :'(
I hope you will read my post on wondering if it's not Meniere's. I hope you will try any avenue you can to get the correct diagnosis. There are many people on a site on Facebook who were diagnosed with Meniere's and are now symptom free because they actually have TMJ. A regular dentist will not be able to tell you if a splint can help with your symptoms. It is necessary to go to a dentist with advanced education in TMJ. This would be a neuromuscular dentist or GNM. It's hard to find one. You would have to do a lot of homework, but in many cases it has helped to alleviate symptoms. TMJ symptoms mimic Meniere's symptoms. So when I found this out I remembered years back being told I had TMJ, but because I wasn't in pain I did nothing about it. An accident, a hit to the face, a change in your bite due to dental work, etc. can all bring on TMJ symptoms. I hope you will keep an open mind about the possibility.
Hi littlefaz Welcome to the board. I'm sorry that you're suffering, but this board has a wealth of knowledge that you might find useful. Many of us have found total relief with antivirals. Read the paper below and take it to your doctor to get the script. Some doctors are not friendly towards this, so you might have to shop around. Again, many of us have found TOTAL relief within a month or two. Some even more quickly. If you're in Florida, go to the Tampa Bay Hearing Center. http://www.mm3admin.co.za/documents/docmanager/6e64f7e1-715e-4fd6-8315-424683839664/00056616.pdf
I'm so sorry.... what are some of the things you have tried? Changing your diet ( although with the constant vertigo I imagine you prob dont feel like eating much ) - but what do you eat? What supplements do you take ? Have you asked your ENT about antivirals ? Decadron shots? I do hope you are able to find some relief .... this is awful.
Littlefaz, your story sounds so similar to mine in many ways minus the depression grommets and valium and a few other things. I have MM since I am 13 with no hearing loss from it,(I am 63 now) so I know how where you are coming from. I have been symptom free for 3 years because of taking an antiviral. The viruses you mentioned can be involved in causing your Meniere's symptoms. First thing I would suggest is trying to get your dr to give you a script for an valtrex or its generic, if not then acyclovir. Click on the link in my signature for Dr Gaceks study, print it out and let your dr read it. On page 104 are the dose recommendations for antivirals for Meniere's. Since you are getting vertigo everyday I suggests you also click the link in my signature about MAV (vestibular migraines aka silent migraines aka migraine associated vertigo (headaches not required) many of us have both MM and MAV some are misdiagnosed with MM when its really MAV. Don't give up hope many of us have found symptom relief through one treatment or another, it just takes time and trial and error. Hang in there! I got through it I'm sure you will too!
btw my first vertigo attack happened in school too, in the locker room I was changing out of my gym uniform and the lockers started spinning around my head faster and faster, I must have passed out too because the enxt thing I recall I was home in bed. My first attack lasted 2 weeks before I could lift my head off the pillow. I found my way of earning income from home, I tutored for 21 years and for the last 13 years have online stores. Never could learn to drive, gave up flying and taking trips that require flying etc etc. I really do know where you are coming from. HUGS!
you talk about having a lot of congestion. Do you have allergies? Have you been tested? If so have you tried immunotherapy. This would not be the underlying cause but could assist in reducing your symptoms and clear some of the congestion you have up. After about 6 months of immunotherapy my congestion decreased tremendously. I have not found my fix yet. But I made a list of all of the treatments that have helped people on this site and am going through them one by one. Some of them are expensive. But Antivirals are not so I agree that may be a good place to start. And if you have insurance getting an allergy test done. I am glad that you found this website. There just may be a solution here for you!
littlefaz, I'm so sorry to hear you are having to deal with this. It is not fun. I am really glad you have found this place. It is full of good information and support. Keep reading and see what makes sense to you to try. So many of us have found ways out of the misery. Very best wishes to you. I am one of the people who has had remarkable results from anti-virals (Valacyclovir).
Now I see it. Here's the link to make it easy for others to find: http://menieres.org/talk/index.php?topic=1870.msg0#new