Hi All, It has been 10 days since I stated the Valacyclovir. I'm taking the maximum of 1000g x 3 times daily (3000g daily). I think that the fullness in the ear is gone. I have a little tinnitus in my right ear but it's very low. My hearing is very good. I'm a bit dizzy and it comes and goes. The dizziness is almost gone in the morning when I wake up and go for my run but it gets a bit worse as the day goes on which I think it's normal. I still have about 11 more days on the 3000g. After the 11 days left on the 3000g, should I go down to the 2000g per day as the plan calls for or continue on 3000g until the dizziness is completly gone??? Thank you, Karina
I'd keep taking it and give it a chance to do more. You'll feel better, you'll slip a bit and then you'll feel better. Then you can decrease to 2 mg a day and see if anything changes. At some point you'll be lucky to get down to 1 mg. I'd take that as a maintence dose. Just my opinion. It's great that you're documenting it here! Best of Luck and Hello
Hi Karina That's great news, and another success story among many. It definitely brings hope to a lot of people that antivirals are working for so many folks. I would stay on the max dose until you feel good. Then taper down to 2000 mg. Unless, of course, your doctor won't allow it. Also, you might consider taking 3000 mg of lysine at the same time to really bash this beast. Take it on an empty stomach twice a day.
Happy for you. Could I know what brand valacyclovir you use? Did you get worse before see the improvement?
You can shop around different pharmacies for Northstar. They are pretty helpful in some places. I heard that Costco uses Northstar. But you'll need to check each month, as they will try to give you a different brand if it's convenient for them.
I was taking Lycine before Valacyclovir and it gives me an upset stomach and diarrhea. I don't know why but I read that it's a side effect. I used whatever Valacyclovir Walgreens carries in Weston, FL. I don't think I got worse but I have good days and not so good days (but nothing major cause I'm running and riding my bike). I'm a bit dizzy but it's a different kind of dizzy it's hard to explain. I notice that I get more tired than usual at the end of the day. Foods still cause a reaction so my diet is very strict. A nutritionist friend recommended I use honey mustard to flavor my food. I found a honey mustard that only had 20mg of sodium and no preservatives. Plain food gets old very quick. Luckily, my GP is a good friend of mine and he will let me take the 3000g for a longer time but he's going to give me a blood test to check kidneys and liver. Thanks for all the help and responses. Karina
I use a Shop-rite pharmacy and they had to order it. That made it easy. I'm not sure how many have it in stock with that manufacturer but most can order it.
Karina, check to see what brand you're taking. If it's Mylan, then you're just wasting your time as that brand has been shown to fail. And not just with MM, but also on the shingles and herpes forums.
Good morning. This is my first posting on this website, but I'm "Forever Grateful" that I found this place, where I can ask questions and share with other people who will really understand what I've been living with this last year. After a very significant attack, and after some testing, I was originally diagnosed with MD sometime between 1992 and 1993. Constant Tinnitus didn’t really set in until 2004, along with some hearing loss, but not significant enough to warrant hearing aids until 2010. I have had subsequent significant and progressive hearing loss from 2015 to date. I was quite blessed with virtually no significant vertigo symptoms for the almost 25 years since my initial diagnosis. My thinking was I was one of the lucky ones who would only have one episode. However, in the spring of 2016 repeated days/weeks/months of vertigo, and all that is MD, hit me and hasn’t subsided since. Coincidentally, I stopped taking the 500mg Valtrex daily maintenance dosage (which was prescribed for me in 1999 for Herpes) THE SAME MONTH THAT MY MD VERTIGO BEGAN AGAIN. So that was nearly 18 yrs. I didn’t realize there was any possible connection to my discontinuing my Valtrex and the onset of my MD nightmare. Recently, while doing whatever research I can on this condition, I noticed the Valtrex treatment results. I contacted my internist, who was willing to up the dosage and follow the plan described by Dr Gacek. I started this approximately 5 days ago. Prior to this, for other earlier treatment options, last Oct I went to a specialist at Johns Hopkins, who did multiple testing and prescribed a migraine symptom diet. After 5 months, I have seen no change to my MD symptoms. I also have been in vestibular rehab for several months, yet my symptoms continue. So I’m hooking onto this Valtrex idea. It's so reassuring to see the positive results others have had with this approach. To date, I still have had periods of the day with dizziness and vertigo, fullness in my ears and further occasional near complete hearing loss (even with my hearing aids, though they help) and extreme sensitivity to pretty much any noise....but I am hopeful. Has anyone else been on low Valtrex for long periods, then stopped for months and then start again? I'm praying the window to MD remission hasnt closed since I left Valtrex once and am now returning.
just started Acyclovir. I see the manufacturer is Heritage. Does anyone know if that's a good one? Wishing you all the best.
I just checked with the pharmacy and they have a few manufacturers but NON of the ones they carry are Mylan thank god. I'm using the Valacyclovir manufactured by Ranbaxy.
I'm now on my third week of Valacyclovir 1g. The mild dizziness I had last week is even milder this week. I haven't experience any fullness in the ear. Some minor weird noises for a few seconds and then it goes away. My hearing is very similar on both my good and my bad ear. I still feel that my bad ear is a bit sensitive to loud noises or talking on the phone using that ear. I just wanted to give the weekly update. keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks, Karina
I'm now on day 8 of my Valacyclovir treatment plan. My question this morning is: Is the roaring tennitus I'm currently experiencing a part of the healing process? It awakened me again at 5am, yesterday at 3am. Thank God it vacillates during the day, bringing periods of lower level sound. But for the last two-three days in particular the noise level is to the point where I wonder if my eardrums will burst from the loudness in my head. My MD is bilateral, so my normal tennitus pitches have always been different from one ear to the other. However, when they both go into this raging rant it causes alarm. Opinions please.