I have read many postings about the negative impact of stress and MM.....but today I lived it. I have been doing wonderfully well this last month. Been on full dosage of Valcyclovir and JOH for 4.5 months. Really noticed a big difference these last couple of weeks, feeling normal again and returning to doing almost all the things I was able to do prior to the spring of April 2016. I've been elated. BUT today, my MM hit me again. Not as hard as I've experienced before, but hard enough to experience severe nystagmus/diarrhea/nausea which put me to bed with phenagren. The stress part that correlates is us being in the beginning stages of moving. It has been a stressful week, but the Contract was ratified earlier today and I spent the morning tackling various required tasks. As you can imagine the tasks are monumental. The straw that broke me was when my computer stopped functioning. This was the icing when my hell broke loose again. Once I awoke from my sleeping it off, I've taken it easy, though the tasks at hand are still facing me. My point is.....stress DOES trigger this stuff. I guess I"ll try to slow it down and trust that it all will work out ok for our settlement in 4 weeks. It's just a huge setback with what I felt was great progress. Thanks for letting me vent my frustration and appreciation that I have a place to turn to for support.
To my mind anything that has a negative impact on the immune system is a potential trigger. Stress is huge, but others like lack of sleep, rest, exercise, poor diet etc. can all detract from your inner ear “battleground resources”, whether singly or in combination. Top tip is to try and limit the number of times you move and get divorced!
Sorry to hear about your stress and subsequent symptoms. I too have been feeling ok for months then a week ago I think job stress and poor diet led to to severe headache and vomiting. So I redoubled my efforts to manage stress - prayer, meditation, slowly back to exercise (that includes housework too, right) and got back to cooking. I listen to a meditation on you tube by Belleruth Naperstek. I think for many years I didn't take care of myself well and weakened my immune system but it's never to late to start. Oh, I also applied for a different job; one I think I'd enjoy.
Positive lifestyle changes are often overlooked in favour of the more obvious quick fix solutions that our modern society demands. A new job that you can enjoy? Now that is immune system boosting, heart uplifting healing in action!
Stress? Stress is the confusion created in ones mind in an effort to overcome the bodies desire to beat the crap out of some idiot that desperately deserves it. Stress is bad for you; don't do stress.
I agree stress causes MM to flare as well as other issues. After 35 years of running hard and burning the candle on both ends, my body is telling me it is done. As I prepared for my upcoming week of vaca, it seems everyone knew and dumped all they could on me. Is started telling people to #Si. 1097 days until retirement. But who's counting.
Having said that stress inhibits the immune system, I was wondering how that fits with the Hiro Theorem. Some superficial reading indicates that stress causes the release of hormones that cause blood vessels to constrict, increase heart rate and thereby to raise blood pressure. My question is -Is it that same constriction of blood supply to the inner ear that can push a Menierian from a state of blissful remission back over the dam wall? Is that why exercise is good for Meniere’s?
It was and is still great progress! Always look at the trend, however gradual. Compare month over month, quarter over quarter, which way is the trend? If it is going in the right direction for the most part, you are making good progress.
Stress matters. One time I was pretty dizzy. My cocker spaniel wouldn't stop scratching (his seasonal allergies...his constant scratching was driving me crazy), and he wouldn't go outside to use the bathroom, and I needed him to, so I could go to bed. I'd put him in the yard, and he'd run back in. He kept doing this. The last time he tried I got so angry I picked him up and tossed him into the yard about 4 feet. He landed fine. But he froze in the position he landed, and the look of shock and confusion on his face, and my sudden terrible guilt that I just threw my sweet dog....put me in an immediate spin. I had to rush and stumble upstairs and fall into bed. P.S. Me and the dog are reconciled now and going on our 12th year of marriage.
I think this is why benzos are so popular with MM suffering. They eliminate the feelings of stress for a little while. It's a shame they are so addictive and destructive when taken too often.
For me, even with the meds I take, stress is the trigger for my fullness and loud sounds symptoms. The body does not do well with autoimmune diseases of any kind, when stress is piled on. No, I did not say Meniere's is an autoimmune disease (JOH ;D), But it beats me up like one. I notice a hot day and the stress it brings is another trigger for me. Drew
I'm pretty sure that stress was the tipping point for my two recent attacks: I'm a sound engineer, and had attacks just after coming of tour... twice. During the first tour I was angry most of the time, due to stuff going on with our business and questioning if I wanted to take on the role of running it, after my husband retires, with our business partner who I struggle to work with at the best of times. I was also angry as we were short staffed and I had to do far too much, every day, under pressure to deliver in my role, in a high end performance. And every night, it's loud, tons of flashing lights, and often days in a row of early lobby calls, so not much sleep. The second tour, my cat got sick, was dying, (he hung on till we got home so I could say good bye) and the same under staffed issues and pressure. I'm now doing the last two shows - one offs, and we have hired two guys to help me, one who can step in and mix monitors if it all goes to custard, and I end up on the floor clutching my head! and I leave directly after the show, no packing down etc. The first show is tomorrow. In light of all this, it's really made me think about what I'm doing and if I really want to continue punishing my nervous system like this. I have already decided to not run the business: working so closely with someone who you want to punch in the nuts on a daily basis would be like being trapped in a bad marriage. Sorry for the long winded comment: it really helps to get this stuff out. In a way these attacks are maybe....a blessing as it's made me really think. Bird
Birdy, sorry, wow, yeah, that's a bad situation for someone with MM. You gotta get out. What a great phrase, "going to custard". Funny. On a side note. When I've been at concerts and the sound is awful, I look at the soundboard techs in the center of the stadium and wonder why they don't fix the sound. Why they don't even attempt to make it right. The sound will obviously be too loud. So that it all just sounds like fuzz. And the techs are just standing there like it's all ok. Well, this was mostly back in the 80's, when it was the "thing" for hard rock bands to be as loud as possible, and to hell with clarity. Now some concerts sound almost too perfect, too pristine. Ahh but look at me, always calling for perfection. Insatiable.