A search here came up with a few references within posts, but nothing all that substantial. For the past few weeks - as alluded to in a separate thread - I've been having problems with a sensation of fullness / pressure in (what basically feels like) the left ear. I've had one unusually strong vertigo / dizziness episode (actually the worst ever), and another - more mild but still different than the usual - the other night. My ENT has had me on a corticosteroid nasal spray the past 3 weeks and it does seem to have helped significantly but not eliminated the problem. I reported to him the most recent episode and so now he has prescribed a dose pack of Medrol 4 mg. I never heard of this before and so had to look it up. When I saw him a few weeks ago (following the severe episode and feeling like my left ear was completely blocked), he said he was hesitant to try any stronger steroid than the spray due to possibly interfering with the development of immunity from my 2nd moderna shot about a month ago. Thoughts or advice? Thanks...
I have bilateral Meniere's and Cogan's syndrome which required me to go on steroids years ago. I also have RA. Oral steroids are no longer a standard treatment but I have found that short term higher doses of oral steroids has helped in Meneire's flares when the dizziness/vertigo became disabling. Now the standard are the injections in the ears. These are not an option for me due to a septic reaction after the first injection into my more active ear. I have been reading about the suppressed immune response of those on steroids that can affect how the COVID vaccines stimulate your immune system. Since I have been on steroids so long, I do no have the option to not take them before my vaccines. I would think that now you are a month out from your 2nd COVID shot, your immune system has had time to start the process of building an immune response. Of course I am not a doctor and there is still so much they don't know about how the vaccines may be affected by things like immunosuppresant drugs. You did not indicate the length of the medrol dose pack but they are usually short term and should not have a long term affect on your immune system. I hope you find something that works. I know when I have a flare I would take anything offered to stop the vertigo/dizziness.
JBR...thanks for the reply. The medrol pack was 7 days - a course of 21 tablets. It ended yesterday. I don't notice that it really did anything and today the sense of pressure and blockage in the ear was worse than it has been, so I contacted the ENT's office and they want to see me again on Monday. No idea what he might have in mind. As to the immune response, as you indicated, he also thought I was far enough post-injection so as not to be an issue with taking the steroid. I like this doctor better than a few others I've seen at this practice, but if there is no resolution to this fairly new problem, I'll go elsewhere. Maybe it's all just a new phase of the meniere's, but it'd be good to rule out other possible causes.
What's the nasal spray? My ENT has recommended Flonase (fluticasone) in the past. Have you talked to your ENT about dexamethasone injection? Feels like that is the normal treament. But those questions aside: I'm currently taking a medrol dose pack for unrelated reasons, and I haven't noticed a change in my Meniere's symptoms, which is mainly tinnitus at this point. I hope your fullness improves; a low-sodium diet has been the most effective thing I've tried.
The uses of Medrol are various, for example it works against autoimmune diseases and as an anti-inflammatory. As each Meniere may have a different cause than other Meneires it is possible that Medrol works for you and not for others and vice versa. If your doctor has prescribed it for you, try it, you are lucky to have a doctor willing to prescribe and try things. Most of us are given sedatives for episodes of vertigo and they tell us "get used to living like this, if you don't get used to it we will give you injections or surgery that will destroy part of your inner ear, maybe it works or maybe not."