Hi to all I have joined hoping to get some new ideas about how to handle having everything that is enjoyable ripped from my life, and also to share some of my limited experience. I have all the classic symptoms including the horrible drop attacks. I have had Meniere's for 8 years and unlike most sufferers, I am 100 % certain of what caused it. It was damage from a heavy metal concert. A night etched in my memory forever which makes me feel sick and depressed just thinking about it. I have tried serc and diuretics. I believe the diuretics made things worse. Serc may help marginally, but who can tell? I have tried JOH for 6 months and I am one of the apparent few who found it useless. The whole idea of the JOH regimen makes no sense to me to be honest, but I tried it because I was at the end of my tether. I am currently undergoing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and the doctor believes he can fix the dizziness but most likely not the tinnitus. I told him I don't care about the tinnitus but if he could fix the dizziness he would be a genius to me. If that doesn't work i'm going to a neurotologist. I'll never give up trying but I don't hold much hope. Life is no longer fun. All I look forward to now is sleep. I'm a 40 year old man and I feel like i'm 90.
If you are 100% sure that your MM was not caused by a virus, you probably will not see relief from JOH or antivirals. I would go to a neurotologist sooner than later. First, your diagnosis needs to be confirmed. There are other things that can cause the same symptoms and some of them can require immediate treatment. If the diagnosis is confirmed and you are certain there is no virus in the mix, the neurotologist may offer you surgery to end the vertigo.
How long after the concert did your symptoms start? I had also wondered if mine was a result of damage from a specific concert which literally caused pain in my ear but my doctor said one concert wouldn't cause Meniere's or even permanent tinnitus. It was probably at least 12 years after the concert that my symptoms started.
I also did some inner ear damage due to the concerts I attended in my youth. The tinnitus in my right ear I attribute partly to this damage. My MD affects the opposite ear which used to be my good ear until a year ago. I don't believe the MD in my left ear is related to concerts from my youth, but heck, I'm sure I did plenty of other stuff that was not kind to my hearing. If it was the loud noise, there may be something correctable happening with the ear rather than the nerves. It's certainly something to pursue as you know your own body better than anyone else will.
I doubt a rock concert would cause Menieres. You should get tested for PLF, SCD and all other possibilities.
You sound a lot like me....except I am 63. Bilateral. Deaf both ears (laby L ear). Hang tight man. There is still a lot of life. You are right about different treatments on this board. My docs say that its ok to try anything that won't hurt you. But most "non medical" treatments just buy time....and that most MM patients with no treatment at eventually have diminished symptoms....end up with impaired hearing in the impacted ear. Some call this burnout. So some think they have found the miracle cure even though its just mother nature letting it run its course. Key is a great doc with a progressive plan in place. Here is a post I just did for someone else.....maybe it will be of help to you.... Get under the care of an otolaryngologist (ENT) or otoneurologist that specializes in dizzy-balance disorders. Get a full work up which includes many tests (Hearing, Caloric ENG, MRI, Rotary Chair, VEMP, etc) All of which are required to diagnose MM (and to rule other stuff out) Once confirmed then sure try anything that won't hurt you. But get your care through an MD not on this board or via that friends aunt who thinks she has MM. Here is a great article which has many links you can chase. http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/menieres/menieres.html Good luck