Dr Gacek and Cochlear Hydrops

I heard from someone that Allegra is the bomb for MM. I take it and alternate between that and a generic for Claritin. No idea what impact this has really but not stabilzed long enough to take any chances. I had a wee setback as the rains moved in with a bit more tinnitus and fullness but no enough to stop me

 

I've been so busy now that I have energy and am not interrupted by dizzy and/or vertigo spells, that I've been checking in as often. So I'm just catching up a bit. Holly, I am so glad to read your great news!! I'll be very interested to hear how the hearing test goes.

 

wonderful to hear bythebay!

 

Yea well I had a setback yesterday. Headaches and roaring ears wet together. Dialed back the stimulus and today much better. I am beginning to discover the edge where it is best to just-do-it-anyways and when to say too much.

Hearing fluctuates so I give the hearing test only so much credibility. Mostly I want to soar to prove to my sceptical MD that this s--t works!

 

Holly, I am a new member, and this thread is now 5 years old, but how are you doing? Any advice to a newbie who only as of right now has the dreaded fullness?

 

Antivirals if you know it is CH and not a middle ear thing.

 

Yes I too am new and would love to know how you all are doing now with the antivirals

 

Zyrtec caused episodes of total deafness in me. Antivirals cured my distortion.

 

3 years on AV’s and one bad episode that lasted about 3wks because the pharmacy changed brands on me.

 

Thank you for replying so promptly. My ENT suspects CH after my middle ear infection cleared but has left me with a clogged up ear for the last 11 weeks. He is sending me to a Neurotologist, but I can’t be seen until July 3. I have Valtrex on hand when I get a fever blister so I have been taking 3000 grams for a week. Maybe a tad better, but I have only been them on a week so I realize much more time is needed. I wonder if my ENT jumped the the gun in suspecting hydrops. I sometimes wonder if it is a viral inner ear infection that was caused from my middle ear. I am surprised my ENT didn’t try antivirals with me. I am seeing my primary tomorrow in the hopes he will give another prescription for Valtrex.

 

Just wondering how you are doing today? This fullness feeling drives me crazy.

 

I wonder if you are tak8ngthe dose of valtrex recommended for hydrops. I tis a pretty strong dose and yes it takes a while, improvement is gradual, two steps forward and one back for me. Good luck.

 

Hi June! I have been taking 3000 mg for about two weeks now plus the diuretic, I am seeing a huge difference. My primary didn’t want to prescribe the antivirals since that was not his specialty even though he gives me one for my cold sores. I respect that. He is a great doctor and a personal friend. I called my ENT and they phoned in a prescription for me so I can continue until I see the specialist. I have not formally been diagnosed yet, and to be honest, I wonder if I don’t have Eustachian tube disfunction. I have been reading about that and someone said they had gotten good results with vitamin A. I looked at my last bloodwork, and I was at the very bottom of normal. So... I do have malabsorption issues so I added 10,000 mg of vitamin A and lo and behold, the next day, I blew out something that I believe has been blocking the tube since I had a cold and middle ear infection in March. I got immediate relief from the fullness. So... that’s where I am now. I am about 80% better. My son who is a neurology resident seems to think I might still have some inflammation in that area. He doesn’t think I have Ménière’s, but he will quickly admit that is something for the Neurotologist to diagnose. I am going to keep taking the Valtrex, diuretic, and vitamin A until I see the Neurotologist. If it is hydrops, I am praying I will have the same results as you have. I also am having allergy testing next month as I used to be on shots. I want to thank you for being such a thoughtful and valuable member of this group. I am sure your prompt replies are surely appreciated by everyone. I know I sure do.

 

As the day has worn on, I seem to be a little more stuffy or full... so I can’t say I am 80% better now.

 

I am not familiar with that drug. Tonight, after taking another 10,000 units of vitamin A, I am much, much better. I have not been formally diagnosed, but my ENT suspects Cochlear Hydrops. He is sending me to a Neurotologist so I won’t really know anymore until I see him after July 3. My primary earlier suspected Eustachian tube disfunction, and I have been reading up on that. I discovered that vitamin A might help with it, especially if one was deficient. I am on the lowest point on the range of vitamin A so I thought I would give it a try. To be honest, I don’t know what is wrong with me. It all started the first of March with a cold and middle ear infection. After antibiotics and a round of steroids and an incision in my eardrum, he started thinking hydrops because that clogged up feeling was still with me. He put me on a diuretic on May 7. I started myself on Valtrex about 2 weeks ago, took antihistamines, and an occasional Valium for my anxiety over this issue. Something is working...is it a cocktail of drugs??? I don’t know. I do think the vitamin A helped though which leads me to think it has been Eustachian tube caused fullness. I am also a big believer in prayer! Thank you for replying so quickly.

 

Do not expect it to be an on off switch. Think of it like mono or other herpes diseases. You dont just take a pill and its like you never had it. It takes a while, a zigzag route. All that said, for me it seemed like a perfect storm of several things, viral, allergy and previous surgery on the other ear that came to gether in the bad way. It takes a while to unravel things. Be patient, keep observing and trying. Good luck.

Ps menieres is a diagnosis by exclusion so it is hard for any dr to say right off the bat it IS or IS NOT hydrops. Just keep working on it.

 

Well that better feeling didn’t last long!! Today pretty stuffy in the ear! I am not a big alcohol drinker, but I do like a vodka and lemonade occasionally. I had two last night. I might have to give that up. Low to no salt, no caffeine, no alcohol, and no sugar seems to the the suggested diet for Ménière’s. Goodness..that’s awfully stringent. We enjoy going out to dinner, and that would be a hard diet to follow. Even my ENT mentioned that. Maybe in time and with the Neurotologist’s help, I can get a more definite diagnosis.

 

Thanks June. It is a process!! I ended up having a good Friday night and Saturday. In fact, last night, I felt 95% better. This morning, I woke up with a stuffier ear. Definitely not as bad as it has been, but it is worse than yesterday. I do have a very, very subtle hissing in that ear that started after taking the diuretic. It can cause tinnitus. I have been tempted to stop it to see if that slight hissing goes away. Right now, I am scared to stop anything until I see the specialist.