ChatGTP

I use ChatGTP and CoPilot a lot. I thought I would post this fairly interesting, general response

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me:
"Hi - I have had Meniere's Disease for a long time, 15 years. In Late December 2024 my hearing in my "good" right ear went really bad. I read an article saying that some Meniere's people had hyperinsulemia so I went on a Keto-like diet and my good ear hearing improved dramatically. I still eat very low carb and usually my hearing is acceptable, but occasionally, like today, it goes down. Very hard to pinpoint why."

ChatGTP:
Thanks for explaining your history — that’s a long road, and what you’re describing is very typical of Meniere’s, even though the specific triggers can feel mysterious and frustrating.

Below is a clear, non-scary framework to help you understand what might be happening and how to think about fluctuations like the one you’re having today.

Why Your Hearing Still Fluctuates (Even With Good Control)
Meniere’s disease is fundamentally a disorder of inner-ear fluid regulation (endolymph). Anything that temporarily changes the balance of that fluid or the way the inner-ear hair cells function can cause a “dip day.”
Even when you’re doing things that help — like lowering insulin, sodium, or carbs — the system is still sensitive.

Here are the main categories that often cause unpredictable hearing drops in people who otherwise feel controlled:

1. Diet/Metabolic Shifts — Even When Low Carb
You found something hugely important: keto/low-carb helped you, likely because it stabilized insulin, blood sugar variability, and fluid retention patterns.

But hearing can still dip if:

• You had slightly more carbohydrates than usual the previous day.
  
  
• You ate food high in salt without realizing it (restaurant food is notorious).
  
  
• You had alcohol, especially wine or beer.
  
  
• You were dehydrated (inner ear hates that).
  
  
• You had a rapid change in blood glucose (even within low-carb range).
  

People with Meniere’s often react more to variability than to absolute values.

2. Hormonal & Autonomic Nervous System Effects
This is underrated.

Anything that boosts sympathetic output or stress hormones can temporarily worsen inner-ear fluid regulation:

• Poor sleep
  
  
• Anxiety or tension
  
  
• A stressful day
  
  
• Pain
  
  
• Sudden temperature change (hot shower, cold air)
  
  
• Caffeine if your body is sensitive that day
  
  
• Even excitement
  

The inner ear has strong autonomic innervation — it tightens or relaxes blood vessels based on stress-state.

3. Mechanical/Vestibular Factors
Even if you didn’t have a vertigo attack, subtle vestibular shifts can reduce hearing for hours to days.

Triggers include:

• Rapid head movement (especially turning right-to-left)
  
  
• Riding in a car on a bumpy road
  
  
• Weather pressure changes
  
  
• Sleeping with the neck in a twisted position
  

Some people notice hearing worsens for a day after:

• Bending over
  
  
• Straining
  
  
• Heavy lifting
  
  
• A lot of walking with head turning
  

This often reflects temporary fluid redistribution.

4. Environmental Triggers
The inner ear is surprisingly reactive to:

• Barometric pressure drops (low pressure days, storms, winter fronts)
  
  
• High humidity
  
  
• Loud noise exposure
  
  
• Airplane cabin pressure changes
  
  
• Even allergies (histamine increases inner-ear pressure)
  

A lot of people with Meniere’s swear weather affects them — and they’re rarely wrong.

5. Your “Baseline” Inner Ear Is Always Vulnerable
Even with dramatic improvement, your inner ear still has:

• Damaged hair cells
  
  
• Altered fluid regulation
  
  
• Higher sensitivity to micro-changes than a normal ear
  

So sometimes you’ll have a bad day with no identifiable trigger, because the system is fragile.

Think of it like:

A sprained ankle that mostly healed — but occasionally gives out for no obvious reason.

⭐ The Important Part: You Responded to Carb/Insulin Reduction
That’s actually a strong clue.

Several ENT researchers (mostly in Japan and Brazil) have noted that a subset of Meniere’s patients have:

• Hyperinsulinemia
  
  
• Glucose instability
  
  
• Carb sensitivity
  
  
• Delayed insulin response
  
  
• Water retention tied to insulin surges
  

Your improvement strongly supports that you’re in that subgroup.

On low-carb, insulin stays stable, capillary pressure is lower, and the inner ear stays drier and more stable.

But even small glucose/insulin variations can still cause temporary dips.

Useful Self-Checks On a “Hearing Down” Day
These can help you understand patterns without guessing:

Check 1 — Did you eat anything recently with:

• Hidden sugar
  
  
• High sodium
  
  
• Processed carbs
  
  
• A larger-than-normal portion
  
  
• Restaurant food
  

Check 2 — Did you sleep poorly?
Check 3 — Are you stressed, rushed, or mentally overloaded today?
Check 4 — Any recent:

• Fast head turns
  
  
• Physical strain
  
  
• Long drive
  
  
• Cold exposure
  
  
• Weather front in your area
  

Check 5 — Did you drink less water in the last 24 hours?
Any one of these can temporarily blow up symptoms.

What Often Helps Stabilize Hearing Quickly
These aren’t cures, but many Meniere’s patients report they “shorten the episode”:

1. Hydrate with electrolyte-balanced water
Just 8–12 ounces, not too much at once.
(The inner ear responds well to stable hydration.)

2. Gentle controlled breathing to calm the sympathetic surge
Inhale 4 seconds → exhale 6 seconds for 2–4 minutes.

3. Avoid sudden head movements for a few hours
4. Magnesium glycinate 100–200 mg
Supports vestibular calming (safe for most people unless kidney issues).

5. Very light, slow walking
Helps equalize vestibular firing.

6. If you use low-sodium diet, return to baseline dietary pattern immediately
If You’re Willing…
I can help you track patterns and identify which triggers match your episodes.

If you want, tell me:

• What you ate yesterday and today
  
  
• How you slept
  
  
• Any stress or neck/position issues
  
  
• Weather changes
  
  
• Anything else you noticed
  

I can then help look for a pattern — Meniere’s triggers are incredibly individual, but once we find them, prevention becomes much more predictable.

 

Well I've had Meniere's for many years with some periods of respite. Hearing in my left ear is essentially gone. For most of 2023 I was losing hearing in my right, good, ear - some days alright, many days bad. In December, with Christmas treats, I was not doing well at all. I was also having major Meniere's attacks, not a lot but some.

Somewhere on this site there is a link to a scientific paper that said that Meniere's people (many) had an insulin problem, not the same as a pre-diabetic but at least a connection between Meniere's and the way their body handled insulin.

So, seeing the connection between cookies, ice cream and glucose and insulin I decided to look into a Keto diet - i.e. very few carbs. So, I ate a Keto diet. The result was pretty quick. I keep pretty extensive note so I can learn from my mistakes, and in Jan. 2024, I had 26 days out of 31 where I wrote Hearing Good.

That success has kept me eating Keto-like ever since! Not easy this time of year LOL.