So after 12 years of trying everything... I am going in for low dose gent tomorrow morning. 7 days in row of vertigo including yesterday while driving the kiddos. Game over. I’m a little nervous. I am basically hoping it stops their vertigo and allows me time to make bigger decisions. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Thanks in advance. Mac
Let us know how things go, MAC! It seems like the logical next thing for you to try. Do you have warnings with your attacks? Each day, are you sick for hours with attacks? I certainly hope this is your answer!!!
Mac you have suffered long enough. I will keep you in prayer that this will be your answer out of the misery you are experiencing. My only advice is keep as active as you possibly can. Activity will help the process along. Best of luck to you
I had a stretch where I wasn't having much vertigo. about 2 years...Just dizziness. Now the vertigo has returned...full throttle. My ear feels full and I know it's coming. Like clockwork all week. I cant put my kids in danger so its a no brainer.
I know just how you feel, I had a major vertigo attack a couple of years ago, I was walking my granddaughter back home from school and had my younger granddaughter in a buggy, it was so scary, I was lucky I had the buggy to hold on to but my 6 year old didn't know what was going on all she said bless her was 'will you still be able to get my tea nanny'. It is ok when you have to cope with an attack on your own but when you put your kids in danger it's horrible. Good luck with the Gent and hope it helps, my doctor will not prescribe it for me for some reason.
I had good results from the low dose gent. Attacks stopped but dizziness, which the doc said would start to increase after a week and last a week or two, started instead after a month and lasted three months. I guess my brain is a slow learner. It was worth it to be rid of the vertigo attacks and now, nine months post-perfusion, the dizziness is mostly gone. I’m very glad I did it. Now the MD has continued its dreary march by going bilateral with hearing going downhill in the formerly good ear. But I have no reason to connect that to the gent. I’d do it again to stop the attacks. I should add that the perfusion seemed to have little or no effect on hearing in the bad ear where it was performed.
I was very nervous for my first low dose gentamicin- it didn’t help that I’d had to wait 5 months after the decision to finally get it. Check out my thread “how do you know if the gentamicin has worked “ for an overly detailed experience! Saera’s experience is similar, though hers was a high and prolonged dose. So far, it’s working very well, close to 6 months now. If you haven’t had it yet - I’d suggest taking some Tylenol for the momentary discomfort of the procedure. If you don’t need any vestibular testing done before the shot, maybe take some Ativan or gravol to keep you calm and steady. Not necessary... I’m just a wimp, and didn’t want to get a vertigo en route or during. The procedure itself is up there with getting a filling done at the dentist. Not terrible, but not fun. It was hard to not swallow for 20-30 minutes after the injection. I was glad for mindfulness meditation skills to get me through the boredom.
Got the shot yesterday morning. Had a 2/3 moments where vertigo was about to start yesterday but stopped in like 30 seconds. All of the (fake vertigo) instances happened when my eyes were trying to track something. I definitely feel it in my eyes already. As for my balance...I was chronically off balance prior to the injection...so just more of the same so far. I will give you an update in a few days...thanks for all of the nice notes! Have a great Thanksgiving.
It has been exactly one week since my low dose gent injection... here is the update: I felt it pretty quickly...some people say it takes 3, 5 even 7 days....I felt it day number 2. I was off balance 24/7 before the shot. I have the same feeling now...just more intense. On a scale of 1-10 it went from a 5/6 to 8/9. I am trying to walk as much as possible (weather pending). Staying on my feet around the house with the kids. I even did some local drives in the town but those felt weird. Almost like I was driving on ice the whole time...if that makes sense. Watching some things on TV is tough. I am able to sit at my work computer pretty well...I just take more breaks to rest my eyes though. I have had 3/4 times when I know I was about to have a vertigo attack but it did not come. It was like the brain started rumbling but the earthquake never came. My hearing has not been affected so far. I actually feel slightly less fullness in the ear as well...who knows if that lasts...ha. So in conclusion… I am dizzy as heck... hearing is flat so far... and no full blown vertigo attacks. Have a great day.
Thanks for the update Mac! Sounds like a lot of progress. Anything is worth it to stop the vertigo. Fingers crossed you continue to improve every day! May I ask what doctor you are seeing and who performed the procedure? I am contemplating this as my next logical step. thanks so much, Mary
Hey Mac Good for you! Eat lots of healthy fats, omega 3s etc to help your brain heal and adjust. Find that balance (ha!) between keeping moving, and rest, to allow your brain to figure out this new normal. Sleep more, if you need to. So glad to hear that it seems already to be stopping your attacks. Awesome.
My experience (3 times now) has been that the unsteadiness lasts for a few months after the shot and gradually wears off. I have not noticed the hearing loss until maybe 12 weeks later, but then it is noticeable. I swear by these shots though, they've been a lifesaver for me. My biggest advice is get out there and walk. I bought walking sticks and just took my phone with me whenever I went out, but I got out to walk 2-3 times per day starting a few days after the shot. Your system needs to retrain, and you can do that with input by moving around.
Hi Melissa Thanks for the encouragement... I'm getting more determined again with my exercise. When was your very first shot? How often have you needed repeat shots? And what made you go back for another shot - was it just hints of almost-vertigo, or full-on attacks? I've been vertigo free for the 6 months since my shots. I see my doc in February. I've had two times where I felt like a big vertigo was about to happen, but it didn't - just maybe a bit more nystagmus for about an hour. So I wonder with that, if that's enough to do another shot when I see her.