I am curious if those of you on here have anxiety/depression issues (I do). And if you do, did you have anxiety/depression issue prior to being diagnosed with Ménière’s or did it come after. In my case these issues kind of shifted with the diagnosis, however they were there long before. I’m wondering if there is a correlation between the two. If you are predisposed to Ménière’s if you already have these issuesz
I had anxiety prior to MD due to life events and hyperthyroid condition. However MD doesn't help or make my anxiety any better, there are days where my ear controls my mood for sure. Not being able to speak as loudly as should because of my hyperacusis or having to plug my ears during normal conversations because it hurts my ear. The fullness can cause anxiety for sure. I see it more of a snowball effect. Stressful times + MD = MORE STRESS and Anxiety and depression. Working out helps tremendously to elevate both my depression and anxiety.
Joney, I can relate quite a bit I got Menieres on Jan 6 2019 I have suffered from anxiety/ depersonlization for 36 years Hard to explain but DP puts your mind in a safe mode type place to protect you from the panic attack you had, in my case it was a bad trip on weed at 20 years old. DP means that the world and yourself seem unreal. Your mind is trying to help but it's very frightening. Anyway, I was sort of in an acceptance state for many years. Was able to start a business, get married, had kids etc etc Problem with Menieres is the brain fog can cause some to feel depersonalized because everything looks so weird so you feel disconnected. So now I feel like I had a major setback. I have had 3 straight days of no brain fog, dizziness so maybe JOH and antivirals are working, but the resurgence of DP anxiety for me has been tough. So Menieres came first, , then the anxiety, DP. I'm praying for peace of mind right now. Sorry for the long post..kind of venting here.
Let me rephrase, Menieres did not come first but it exacerbates anxiety /depression if you do suffer from that...At least for me it did.
Rgv-I am exactly the same and I know that one of the medications that some on here use is Valium. That’s what got me thinking that there may be a correlation between anxiety and MD.
I struggled with depression and anxiety before Menieres. Menieres just took it it to a whole new level... at one point I was very close to being admitted to a psych ward. Remeron worked very quickly to restore my sleep and appetite enough to avoid hospitalization. Now anxiety and even death wishes don’t seem so much “mental illness” as just a rational response to The Beast! That’s also part of what has finally made me willing to do whatever it takes to kill the vertigo for good. I’ve got lots of tools in my box now to cope with the great slow down that occurs with illness. Not fun, but manageable.
Great book to read is "Finally, a life" by Paul ? Really makes you understand anxiety, panic ,dp and how to cope Its 9.99 on Amazon Almost 5 star rating too
I know there are a lot of people with anxiety and depression who don’t necessarily present with Meniere’s symptoms, however just wondering if this is maybe where it starts. I’m currently reading Heal Your Headache by David Buchholz, MD that someone on here recommended. He suggests that there is no such diagnosis of “Meniere’s”, but it is actually migraine instead and migraines can be brought on by stress and anxiety...I was just curious if this is where it all begins.
I get you. Was just adding a wrinkle. I subscribe to the Ronnie James Dio dictum which states, "The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming."
Another observation... I've often had varying levels of just feeling twittery, pressured, etc most of my adult life. But after a vertigo attack settles, and I'm full of yummy Ativan or Clonazepam I tend to be quite happy and relaxed! Maybe it's also that having an attack relieves me of any responsibilities... but that's a 2-edged sword - can be a relief, or make me feel really sorry for my purposeless self. (Stress probably makes my Meniere's worse, but not consistently so; Meniere's has added to my anxiety/depression/stress stew.)
Anne, I've been on klonopin for 20 years. It definitely takes the edge off anxiety and has been even a bigger help since I got Menieres. Can't live on it but I'll take it when needed. Its been so long for me know, withdrawing would be extremely difficult.
Hi rgv So what dose range and how often do you take it? I also want to be careful not to get hooked... but maybe I can be easier on myself and take it a bit more.
Ok thanks I was just curious. I have .5 mg tablets and sometimes just nibble 1/4 -1/2 the tab. I try to only take it for vestibular symptoms, but of course that overlaps with anxiety.
I had depression/anxiety issues prior to ever having Meniere's, due to life circumstances. The Meniere's exacerbated the anxiety/depression. My thoughts are this: Depression/anxiety=stress. Stress exacerbates Meniere's symptoms. Meniere's symptoms exacerbate anxiety/depression, etc. It's a vicious cycle.