Hi, Quick recap. Menieres for 7 years. Bad symptoms started 18 months ago. In May of 2015 started Valtrex (brand name) 1 gram a day alng with full JOH regime. I got better and went into remission about 6 weeks later. I stayed on valtrex and JOH daily. In Feb of this year it all came back hard. Ended up in the hospital with a broken arm and concussion. I get violent vertigo that comes with no warning. I was off work for 6 weeks. I had the Valtrex upped to 3 grams daily, and Lysyine at 4500mg daily. I also had 4 steroid injections, but continued to have vertigo weekly, along with bad tinnitus and fullness. The ENT would only prescribe Valtrex for 3 weeks - as per Dr. Gacek regime. I kept getting major attacks and finally talked the ENT to do 10 weeks at 3 grams. Well by first 4 weeks I had only 1 bad attack. Then after another 4 weeks the tinnitus finally started getting better and by hearing was noticeably better. Things were going great. The one thing I always say is I do not know when I will have an attack, but I know when I will not have an attack. When I am feeling really good and have little to no tinnitus I know I will not have attack. Well this morning that all changed. I had a super bad vertigo attack. Luckily I was lying on the floor playing with my 4 yr old son. I was able to get it stopped by staring at my thumb about 18 inches from my face, but I was extremely ill for hours after. As I lay on the floor I was trying to understand how this could happen. I was feeling really good, no symptoms, and them wham. That had never happened before. Yes, sudden attacks without a warning, but I was always feeling bad and had loud tinnitus. The one thing I did different this morning is the following. I had two small sores, one on my legs and another on my arm, I believe misquito bites. I applied an ointment for bug bites. 50 minutes later the attack happened. I thought this could not have a connection. Later when I was able to move I looked at the tube. It has Sodium Bicarbonate as the medical ingredient. Has anyone heard of a person having an attack after applying topically Sodium Bicarbonate. I of course researched online. One of the rare side effects can be dizziness, but no where did I read vertigo. Interesting, out of all the attacks I have had in the past since I have had Menieres I always have tinnitus bad for days / weeks before, during, and after attacks. But today I had no tinnitus. 9 hours later I feel great again. This has never been the pattern fo me before. Thanks for letting me vent verbally. Travis
Travis I am sorry I cannot help you with that. I.can empathize with an attack when you thought you were in the clear. I might be headed for steroid injections, so.I.was really sorry to hear it did not help you. Also, I.was surprised.at the order.of your treatment. First steroid injections then anti-virals. I hope.me anti-virals work, because then.it's steroids. If that doesn't' t work it gets really invasive and drastic. Good luck.
Hi, I was on Valtrex for a year before the steroid injections. My ENT views the injections as pretty standard and not that invasive.
My doctor almost guarantees the steroid injections will work. I pray I don't get to that point but certainly no further.
If they do work it will only temporary, I was advised a week to 10 days at most. I go to a clinic and they have some pateients that go monthly for injections. They did nothing for me, but I would encourage others to try them before something drastic. The injections are quick and not that painful.
I have not heard they are 95 percent successful. The dizziness clinic I attend in Toronto told me it would be 50/50 at best to provide some help. A number of people on here have used them and can give you their own experience. I had 4 shots over a number of weeks, with no benefit. But I would try them as I believe there are many different reasons for the cause of Menieres, and many different remedies, but some with work for some people and some will not.
Hi tdoak, has the doctor considered that you might have allergies or MAV? I don't know much about them, but it sounds possible.
I am thinking the bug ointment with sodium bicarbonate had nothing to do with my bad vertigo attack. The challenge is I cannot understand why I had an attack when I was feeling so good and no tinnitus. I could always count on not having to worry about an attack when I had no other symptoms, which is not very often. It takes a level of confidence away I had at very few times of the year.
Tdoak - was the attack shorter than normal? Could it have been BPPV? Maybe that's why no real warning?
I understand the feeling. I still have PTSD from this crap. But on the positive side, you've had many many months of goodness. There's no reason to suspect that your good streak will end forever. How long had it been since you tapered down from the 3 grams? Perhaps bump back up for another 4 weeks if your doctor agrees? It does seem to be helping.
In regards to it possibly being caused by BPPV, I have never had those symptoms before. I was Latrell's lying still when it hit, no head or eye movement.
You know it could be as simple as the common cold. My doctor said that if I caught the flu, I could expect it to overwhelm the antivirals. I take high dose vitamin C daily to combat that.