John of Ohio

Of course, a viral etiology for Meniere’s is still not widely accepted by medical professionals. “Idiopathic,” of unknown cause, is the prevailing dictum. Try to treat some of the symptoms, typically with the LSD (low-salt, diuretic) approach.

However, thousands of cases have been successfully treated by suppressing the activity of herpes viruses. My approach (in my regimen) was one of the first to use the common amino acid lysine (along with several over the counter supplements) to suppress herpes activities in the affected tissues and organs of the human ear.
Since then, a number of physicians have successfully prescribed antiherpetic drugs, such as acyclovir and its relatives.

Several points with either of these treatment approaches.

First, to answer the question, does chronic (long-term) herpes activity in the inner ear cause permanent, un-treatable damage? Very clearly; but probably as an outcome of the inflammation the viruses cause. Viruses are not even alive. They are packets of DNA or RNA that take over the genetics of a host cell, instructing it to make more viral genetic packages. Of course, this disruption of cellular physiology can be lethal to virally-infected cells. But the inflammation this causes also activates immune responses. Those can be destructive to cells and tissues.

So, yes, try to nail the involved viruses as early as possible, before tissues are irreparably harmed. In my case, Five to eight years of Meniere’s (while I devised the regimen) destroyed the hair cells in my left ear; am totally deaf on that side. But fortunately, I devised and took my regimen soon enough to stop the infection from migrating to the contralateral ear. I hear perfectly in my right ear, thankfully.

So, how long does it take for either prescription antiherpetics or the elements in my regimen (lysine is the one that nails herpes viruses) to fully suppress viral activity and allow normalization of inner physiology? Longer than we’d like.

That’s because viral reproduction (the forced making of new virions, virus particles) is not a rapid process. Can take days or weeks; and apparently is often self-suppressed for periods. On and off.

Bacterial antibiotics are chemical poisons for bacteria. They enter a bacterium and bind with essential proteins, and the germ dies; often within hours or a few days. Not the case with viruses and antiherpetic drugs or lysine. Each of those, also, bind to chemicals facilitating new virus production. When the drugs or lysine are active, viral replication slows or stops. But understand: it can takes days or weeks for the full effect. Various people using my regimen have reported no symptomatic relief for even several months. Then, finally, symptoms began to subside.

Some (or all) of the relief results from healing; the restoration of normal inner ear cells functioning normally; after the involved viruses have been chemically disabled by the drug or the lysine. Takes time.

Worse (as many, here, know), herpes viruses tend to become reproductively activated when confronted with an antiherpetic drug or lysine. The exact mechanism of action prompting this is (to me) unknown. But perhaps in the majority of cases people taking antiherpetic drugs or my regimen note at the beginning, in the first week or more, that symptoms have worsened — exactly opposite of what’s desired.

But in every case of this that I know of, where things at the start of treatment got worse, eventually things turned around; the virus was suppressed and symptoms abated. The initial worsening of symptoms indicated that the treatment would eventually work.

So, don’t give up; no matter what. It seems that it can take as long as four months for the viruses to be suppressed. (If after that period symptoms continue, it’s likely that suppressing viral activity will not be a successful treatment. Symptoms have some other etiology (cause).

 

Most impressive of the good doctor’s knowledge certainly was not of my Meniere’s treatment regimen. It’s not in any medical textbook or taught at an med school (at least yet). But the fellow prescribed drugs for the Meniere’s. He was either open to that upon suggestion, or knew of it.

In fact, the ability of lysine to disrupt and terminate herpes virus activity is now rather widely known. People with cold sores (caused by herpes viruses) have been successfully treating them with lysine for over a dozen years.

But the doctor was willing to entertain (or knew the idea) that a herpes infection of the inner ear is a frequent direct cause of Meniere’s disease. Recognition of herpes viruses as the root cause of many (well, most) Meniere’s cases is still absent in most medical practices. As mentioned, presumed to be idiopathic; no known cause. This fellow, intelligently, entertained the thought of a viral etiology — and prescribed antiviral drugs.

One last point. There is no harm in taking both the elements of the regimen along with the prescribed antiherpetics. They do not conflict; they almost certainly mutually support viral activity. Together, both may speed healing.

But, as mentioned, except in infrequent cases, it can take some time for either treatment approach to work. Be patiently diligent (and, in a few weeks or so, post how things are going.)