Is there any point in seeing a doctor/neurologist if you’re on JOH?

If you have already been told that nothing more can be done, and you are making progress doing what you are doing, IMO it would be pointless to see a neurologist or any other doctor at this time.

 

Brother of Nool
Where do you live? Maybe someone here can suggest a good otoneurologist or neurotologist in your area.

My understanding is that the steroid injection is sometimes temporarily helpful. If medications and supplements don’t get you vertigo-free within a few months to a year... if your vertigo becomes debilitating (affecting work, quality of life, driving etc) there are definitely other treatments that a good Menieres doctor can offer you. It may take some time and trials to find the right doc (I’ve seen 5 specialists over about 10 years) so keep on it.

Don’t let the disappointing doctors prevent you from finding the ones who are worth their weight in gold.

 

Yes, I agree with Anne. Don't cut all contact with mainstream ent doctor because you may have severe episode that you want the drugs they offer. I am experiencing that right now, presently having severe attacks often and my ent gave me two steroid shots in the ear. Though still having episodes, the steroid shots seem to help a bit.. I try to do things as holistically as possible with JOH etc but sometimes I seem to need something more to function.
Also I didn't keep up with the neurologist, so will be treated as a new patient and then by the time you can get an appointment, you are (hopefully) over it all. Best to you. Bonnie

 

Cochlear hydrops is another way that some doctors refer to Meniere's.

 

Hello,

Since I have been having attacks more regularly and can't really go into work have been reading these threads more closely.

I read in your post here that you are getting the Olive leaf extract to back up the lysine. Since this statement can be ambiguous, just want to make sure you read John of Ohio's post from February 13, 2018 about taking lysine and OLE together. (You probably have, but just in case.) Bonnie

 

After 18 years I finally started having Vertigo attacks. I largely ignored the Meniere's.
Now I can't. Meclizine (as needed, not every day) has helped me stay vertical during the last two attacks.
I am sure without it, I would have been on the floor.
After my first attack, I called to get an appt. 3 1/2 months to get in. I have an appt. July 10th.

Jim

 

The answer to your original question is - it depends on the doctor and it depends on whether you are open to learning.p more or think you have all the answers you want or need.

 

Have you taken antivirals? They address the virus, if that is the origin of your problem. If you take antivirals you dont need the supplements aimed at viruses. Antivirals are a quicker route. Not all doctors will prescribe them though. Sometimes the family dr is the best chance, sometimes an ENT will prescribe them. I personally do not subscribe to the kitchen sink approach although if i could not get antivirals such as acyclovir, famvir or valtrex, i probably would try lysine. The problem with the kitchen sink is that you never really know what worked and you never really know what is causing side effects if you have any.

The other thing that helped me was allergy treatments. They take a long time, years, but they also helped me. The dr i saw who did both was Dr Derebery at House Ear in Los Angeles. It was my family dr who first prescribed acyclovir though so that i knew antivirals were the key for me.

Good luck! I expect you will find something that works for you.

 

Also, you said neurologist. Do you suspect migraine? That is a whole other approach which is significant for some people. I dont have that so i cant speak to it but many here can.

 

Thank you for mentioning this, as I am considering trying some of these things. I had not seen JOH's post but looked it up.

When I try something new, I prefer to try one thing at a time for at least a couple of months before before adding something else or moving on to something else. My feeling about it is that doing it this way will give me a better idea if what I am doing is helpful. If I am doing multiple things at one time and get a good result, I'm not going to know which thing was helpful.

 

Antivirals are quicker. JOH might weigh in here but i think the antivirals kill it, the lysine just creates an inhospitable environment and encourages the virus to give up or something along those lines. If you can get the antivirals i would go that route. as long as you dont have any kidney or liver issues they are pretty benign. Diretics and low sodium help some, never did a darn thing for me except make me faint.

btw, my well respected neurotologist had told me there was nothing more he could do for me (i was already permanently deaf and had no balance in one ear before I got CH in the good ear so they didnt want to operate). My family dr knew this is where the ents were at, and only then did she feel like she could do a little experimenting without stepping on toes i think. She gave me the antivirals when i told her some people on the internet claimed they worked. I was not really begging for them, just through it out. She saw no harm it giving them a try and did not see them as very risky. They rx them for cold sores and shingles and chicken pox ... when they worked but not 100%, i went to Dr Derebery in LA because she was known to rx them sometimes.

 

So suppress it for 10 or 20 years, like with chicken pox, mono etc etc. They are herpes viruses. No one knows which one (s) of the human herpes viruses are involved with menieres, they just know the antivirals cure some people if taken long enough in sufficient dose. I havent taken antivirals for years. I have not had a recurrence.