I have had Meniere's for 6 years now. I have been a bad flare the past year. My intense ear fullness and ringing was constant with vertigo every couple of days, to a week. I have pestered my neurotologist a lot lately. About two and a half weeks ago he said he wanted to try a different route and start treating me for MAV. He wanted me to start taking magnesium 2x a day and B2 2x a day. I was very skeptical, but tried anyway. By the end of the next day my ear fullness was way down and my tinnitus barely noticeable. Here I am two and a half weeks later feeling really good still... and I haven't had any vertigo! Seems like its working... but only time will tell I guess.
Been wondering if I may have Mav to go along with my Menieres my mom suffered from migraines as my sister does also. I have some Mag laying around and can pick up some B2 pretty easy would like to knock down the ear fullness. Thanks for the post.
I’m on magnesium and B2, both 200 mg twice a day; and coenzyme Q10; all for migraine prevention. I think what’s really helped is being off alcohol, caffeine and chocolate (check out “Heal your Headache” by dr. Buchholz). I still get a neck/tooth/earache with our severe barometric changes, and often that’s when I get vertigo too (though they also live separate lives too).
I had been in vertigo remission for the past nine months but all good things seem to have to come to an end. During my remission I had not been looking at these posts regularly, so a delay in my reply here...but I also found great relief from taking 200 mg of B2. I only take once a day. I seem to suffer from vestibular migraines and menieres. The only thing I want to note is that I had been taking high doses of B6, the neurologist who recommended the B2 to me told me B6 exacerbates the migraines, so I reduced my b6 vitamins as much as possible. I am also on the JOH regime.
Do you follow the vestibular migrant diet? Was just diagnosed with this? Wondering how well it works.
Sorry, I am just noticing this query. I have been really out of it with almost daily vertigo attacks for the past month. I have a lot of food allergies...gluten, egg, dairy and sensitivities- sugar, night shade vegetables...except potatoes. So I try to follow a migraine diet as best I can. I don't eat/drink caffeine, chocolate or any of the things I mentioned above. Also have a moderately low sodium diet. I basically eat to live, not much food pleasure anymore. Main diet--- rice products, roasted chicken, fish, roasted vegetables, a lot of soup, apples, pineapples. Generally only drink water, on a rare occasion will have an herbal tea. I have menieres but when I became perimenopausal now have mav as well. Best to you. Bonnie
I really hope not to jinx myself but here is my update 4 months later. I am still doing great! No ear fullness, just light pressure at times. No roaring in my ear, just faint high pitch ringing. Also have not had any vertigo since.
Hi redbird. Thats great news. Are you taking anything else with the Mag and B2? Like JON or anti-virals? Or just the Mag and B2?
I just take a diuretic, Magnesium and B2. I have taken the diuretic for a few years, seemed to help a little at first and then not at all. I am afraid to stop taking it though.
He wanted me to just start with the Magnesium and B2 and see how I do with that. I think that is his first line of treatment for migraine. After that he would try a migraine preventative medicine, but I am doing so well with just the Magnesium and B2 there is no need to try those at the moment.
Great to hear you're doing well, RedBird. In reading your post I was going to ask you what the key differences between MAV and Menieres are. Instead, I googled it. The following is a partial quote from mvertigo.org: "So one of the things that will often be asked is whether or not you experience photo or phonophobia – both central issues. That combined with test results showing peripheral problems points to migraine. Of course Meniere’s is associated with hydrops and progressive hearing loss in the low ranges, however, migraine can also produce hearing loss. It’s not always clear cut and some may have both MAV and Meniere’s … or perhaps they may even be two branches off the same tree: Prof Timothy Hain: There is some thought that Meniere’s and Migraine are two faces of the same indistinguishable condition. This may be indeed the case in a substantial number of people. About 50% of people with Meniere’s also meet the criteria for Migraine, and for this reason, it is often a good idea to try the large repertoire of migraine treatments in persons with Meniere’s disease. So the take home message is that if it’s not clear, the first point of call is to treat it as though it is migraine and see if you can kill the symptoms that way first. Migraine lifestyle (see The Survival Guide) and a migraine medication." I copied the above section in case there are others like me wondering if the Mag/B2 treatment may be worth a try even if you believe that your vestibular issues are Menieres caused. Sounds like it may be worth a shot.