Hi Everyone, I have been feeling a lot better. Today is the beginning of week 12 on Valacyclovir. I took 1g (1000mg) 3 times daily for 10.5 weeks. Last Wednesday I reduced to taking 1g (1000mg) 2 times daily. I still get dizzy but it doesn't last as long. The good days are almost symptoms free. I have a lot more good days than dizzy days. I can't call them bad days because they are really not that bad. Today I will be going to a new ENT that comes highly recommended. I will inform him about the usage of antivirals and that I'm getting them through my general practitioner. I'm bringing Gacek's research for him to read if he's not aware of it. The reason for visiting this new ENT is because I think I have MAV also. I will update on what he says and prescribes. Have a great day. Karina
That's great news! It typically works like that... slowly but surely. I bet in 6 months, you'll feel even better!
So the new ENT happens to be really good friends with my Univ of Miami ENT and they follow the same medical procedures. He told me not to change anything that I'm doing but just to up the betahistine from 8mg 3x daily to 16mg 3x daily. He said that he has read about the virus in the ear beliefs but doesn't prescribe antivirals. He's ok with me taking them through my regular practitioner. I had a hearing test done today and my bad ear is as always just a little bellow normal. Oh well.............
Karina, been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. Thanks for the update. Keep 'em coming. Glad to hear you're doing so well....and I trust that Scott Tom is right about continuing to improve. I"m hoping for the best for both of us. BTW, I did the MAV diet strictly for about four months. I'll say it was challenging at first, but I did get use to it. By itself it didnt do anything to improve my condition. However, I still do a modified version of the diet along with my antiviral and JOH treatments. Figure it cant hurt. Good luck!
For those of you taking antivirals, diet is important, especially with regard to lysine. Avoid high arginine foods. Here is a list: http://www.sandiegohomeopathy.com/downloads/Lysine_Arginine_Foods.pdf
I'll double down on what Scott said. I've had some unusual dizzy symptoms (short duration, vertical rotation) a few times lately and it usually followed a serving or two of cashews.
I wasn't sure if I should hop on the bandwagon and start my own thread about Valacyclovir. I've been battling MM since 2010'ish and I've been through several rounds of steroid injections, an endolymphatic shunt, two rounds of Gentamicin injections, and the regular run around we seem to get. I started with a new ENT this February since I was at the end of my previous ENT's regimen. My new ENT has a different protocol. He started me on a diuretic again and Serc. Serc was never an option with my previous ENT. I've been on Serc since the beginning of March but wasn't able to get into my regular doctor for a prescription of Valacyclovir until April. (When I mentioned anti-virals to my new ENT he just shook his head and didn't say anything. No surprise.) It's been two weeks of Valacyclovir and I'm feeling pretty good. I also started the majority of the JOH regimen in March as well. I know it's not just the anti-viral that's helping, but the combination of it all. For the most part, my daily nausea and seasickness have subsided. The only residual symptom has been the pressure. Both aural and around my temple. Last weekend did bring some discomfort and seasickness, but we had a helluva weekend of storms roll through Indiana. These storms and pressure fluctuations would normally have me in bed for the weekend, but things were able to be pretty normal. I did have some sinusitis last week. I was actually relieved to have a normal sickness that could be controlled. Sorry for rambling, and sorry for hi-jacking this post. I am rapidly becoming a firm believer in the anti-viral route. While it may not work for everyone, if it works for some, that's a good start. Good luck to all.
That's great news. JOH is also an antiviral approach as well with the lysine and Vitamin C (although the doses he mentions for C are quite low).
Hey Scott! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those of you taking antivirals, diet is important, especially with regard to lysine. Avoid high arginine foods. Here is a list: http://www.sandiegohomeopathy.com/downloads/Lysine_Arginine_Foods.pdf --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions 1. Won't the 3000mg of Lysine I take offset the food related stuff? 2. I noticed the author says to take the Lysine with food. This is contrary to what I have read and what I am doing.
1. No, it won't. The arginine will offset the lysine, rendering your doses useless. Virus loves arginine. 2. The author is half correct. It is ok to take with food, but better to take without food. JOH provides a strong reasoning for this. In fact, my bottle also says to take without food.
I take some extra Lysine before a meal that I know will be higher Arginine or if I'm going out and have less control over what I eat. I think it helps.