I have had problems for about 10 years and for the last 5 years have been doing well.At the end of January I had sudden hearing loss in both ears. My right Meniers ear is already pretty much dead.The doc gave me a 10 day round of steroids. Went back to the clinic for hearing test and hearing had returned but lots of sick people coughing. A couple of weeks ago I started having problems hearing again.Thought maybe I had been exposed to some kind of virus. Started high dose vitamin c. Last Friday hearing still feeling off. Got my GP to give me steroids. I am on day 4 today and this morning my hearing is still in the toilet. Have an MRi scheduled for Monday next week as the ENT said that acoustic neruoma could be giving the same symptoms. Had one about 10 years ago when it was negative. I have also been having some slight vertigo when moving positions in bed at night.I know I don't have much balance left in either ear but have done vestibular rehab. I am due to retire at the end of May and wouldn't it be nice if I could just frigging make it through till then? So frightened this morning that I will be deaf.I can't hear music very well. Yesterday my boss told me the date of my retirement party. I told him I was having problems with me ears and said yes to the party if I can hear. I am an old dancer and the party will probably have performances etc.It' making me very sad and frightened as the ENT docs are about as useful sometimes as going to a Tarot card reader. Just wanted to vent and maybe hear from some other people on how they have coped. I don't have many classes to teach right now which is a good thing but my plan to help support myself in my old age is that I have opened a small Pilates business and have invested in a lot of equipment so I can see around 8 people a week privately. I hope I can make it through the next couple of months. So has anyone had hearing come back later in the steroid treatment? Don't know if this latest round was started too late and if the first one was not long enough. My Gp gave me the steroids and is pretty much letting me do my own dosage.I can probably take them longer than 10 days this time. I will go through the lack of sleep whatever if I need to take them longer. Would just like to hear some encouraging words. Thanks James
Have you tried antivirals? Not for the kind of virus that cause colds but for the kind of,virus that causes cold sores, chicken pox and mono, which are all herpes viruses? Many of us have had success with antiviral drugs and in my case my hearing was restored. Good luck.
Thanks June,I tried Acyclovir years ago. I am going to try acupuncture If I can get in with this guy. I also started taking L-Lysine again as a precaution.
It really sucks that this is coinciding with your well-deserved retirement. Keep in mind the story of the Little Engine that Could and keep on trying. Best of luck to you.
Thanks Clare! I will keep on pushing through. I feel bad for all the people who get this crap younger. We need some solutions besides no salt.
Salt. Yes, a slice of pizza will absolutely do me in. But because of the low salt restrictions, I learned how to use the grill, make bread from scratch, grow tomatoes and preserve them, and cook dried beans instead of canned. A little silver lining of Meniere's. Pollyanna aside, I agree we need so much more. In addition to vertigo and imbalance treatments, I'd love to see more ways to address hearing loss, which is so terribly isolating.