Hello all I've been taking Valtrex 3000 mg/day +JOH for the past 10 days and still no improvement on my aural fullness. The fullness comes and goes every 2-3 days just like before I started on the Valtrex. Since I started on the Valtrex, I notice each morning when I wake up, my brain and left ear feel so heavy and the aural fullness seems to be subsided (not completely gone) as I feel more and more awake throughout the day and my ear would get plugged up again once I fall asleep I suffered from aural fullness + tinnitus in my left ear for the past 9 years with symptom free period of 2-3 years between each attack. I've tried the diuretic, serc and 300mg of sodium a day and nothing seem to work! I'm beginning to suspect it's not Meniere since I'm just not responding to the meds. My doc said to continue to take Valtrex for 3 more weeks and if it doesn't do anything he wants me to stop since it is an indication that Valtrex is not working for me. At this point, I just don't know what else to do. The fullness is driving me nuts. I feel so defeated to the fact that I am not responding to any meds....
Your dr is incorrect - you need to have him reference the protocol. It takes longer than 3 weeks to show effect for many. Plus one thing to keep in mind is that while a/v help many with the fullness, ringing etc I believe their "goal" is to prevent vertigo. I was on the 3x day for two months, then 2x day for a month, then the 1x day.
Bluntly, your physician is wrong, in believing (upon no clinical evidence whatsoever, contrary to the published information of Dr. Gacek), that if no relief is obtained by a short 3-week course of Valtrex, it will never work and it should be stopped. Most unfortunate. Multiple and copious cases of people on this antiherpetic who didn't get relief for one, two, or more months --- but finally, did. And, no, because you've had the fullness so long, normalized fluid levels in the inner ear simply won't appear in a short period of time. It can take many weeks or months before the accumulated fluids can normalize. Damaged tissues don't heal and resume normal physiology in just a few days or a week or so. Persist. And, I'll make this prediction. If you stop the Valtrex when the good doctor indicates you should, he'll soon thereafter tell you that you will then need expensive inner ear surgery of some sort, which he will perform, of course. It's not in the physician's financial interest for your Meniere's symptoms to be relieved with a mere prescription he writes. Few $$$ in it for him. Ten days on either my regimen or the antiherptic drug is clearly not enough time for things to start to turn around. None of this is an aspirin knocking down the fever of a cold. Relief takes time. Persist. --John of Ohio
It is not unusual for antivirals to cause things to get worse for the first few weeks before they get better. Last ditch effort by the virus, it seems. I wouldn't stop taking the max dose until it works, or 6 months has gone by. Also, make sure you're not taking a brand that is known to be ineffective.
Thanks for all your input. Your comments definitely gave me hope again and lift my depression! One question- since the antiviral' goal is to treat vertigo which I don't have yet (knock on wood), does it mean it's not helpful in treating aural fullness?? ??? I will persist and keep on taking Antiviral and JOH.
The a/v for me did help with my fullness and ear ringing. I pointed it out because I think that since most doctors focus on the vertigo aspect vs the other symptoms I believe that is their primary focus. Unless someone lives with the 24/7 fullness I think it is hard for them to understand the impact on our life. But key is to make sure that your dr lets you try for at least 6 months before giving up.
Antivirals do not directly treat or prevent aural fullness. They stop the activity of herpes viruses, which causes inflammation which results in the fullness. It can take time for inflamed inner ear tissues to heal after the viral activity is suppressed. --John of Ohio
My ear fullness improved within days of starting the anti-virals. 1.5 years later it has not gone completely, but I never go days completely unable to clear my ear anymore.