Found you!

Oh Bless you!!!

 

My audiologist was worried about the same thing. I have terrible hyperacusis and my hearing fluctuates so much that they said that hearing aids at this point wouldn't be very helpful. They hyperacusis is what literally makes me crazy. I want to live in a silent bubble! I pretty much wear an ear plug 24/7, but I wish there was something else I could do! I miss music, socializing, going to the movie theater, concerts, etc.

 

mbgphoto79, Jimmy, TLB, I do share that there could be some relation to inheritance. My dad was always on forward head posture and had arhythmia, so do I. But he doesn't have any MM, hearing loss or dizziness. My mom has had unilateral hearing loss since she was 60.

I can relate that I've inherited similar cervical shapes and arterial characteristics.

 

Bythebay: Outside settings work much better for me when socializing but hard to get sometimes in restaurants. Weirdly birds chirping is overly loud with my hearing aids and it freaks me out sometimes. I can hear them distinctly and precisely--with my horrific hearing? I don't get it. I hear the same distortions with or without hearing aids, but I am becoming more dependent on them just to get by and hear television and what people are saying. I do not wear the hearing aids when walking as cars and other noise are too much to take. I am getting more adjusted to my hearing aids after wearing them for two months...but hearing distortions are still bad with them. I have a lot of trouble with phone conversations...so distorted sometimes it is painful, but the speaker phone helps. Dizziness not helped one bit by using them. There is so much to learn as I try and resume a normal life--I am still not there and pretty much of a recluse. I get so sad about this sometimes I feel like I have been punched in the gut and have no hope....but then I just get up again..... One final note, I have not been able to enjoy music for four months now....will this ever come back anyone? I hope so..

 

Thank you for the answers, Jimmy. I hope more solutions come together for you soon.

 

Jimmy, I can't tell you how many times I make that exact statement, "sick of being sick!" Always accompanied by copious amounts of blubbering. Sometimes you just have to let it out, whatever that means to you. Over the years I've lost many friends because...well, all the reasons mentioned above. The bonus side? I've made new friends, often dealing with their own ailments, and they understand the concept of true friendship, and sometimes that neccitates making allowances FOR EACH OTHER. These rare gems are difficult to find, but so worth the wait/search.

 

So typical of the doctor to want the expensive route rather than try something new. Call around to other doctors. Don't forget, any doctor or nurse practitioner can script it. Doesn't need to be an ivory tower ENT.

 

mbgphoto79,
I'm another one who can attest to the apparent effectiveness of the A/V's. After 25 years of intermittent vertigo attacks, hearing loss, tinnitus, and fullness I began to lose the vertigo but picked up constant disequilibrium. I was basically seasick 3-5 days a week. All the other symptoms were still present including almost complete loss of hearing in my bad ear.

I began the Northstar brand valacyclovir (1000mg X 3 times daily). After a couple of weeks I was dizzy free. My hearing was improved and really the only thing remaining was the tinnitus but even that was much reduced.

I went down to 2000mg daily after a couple of months and life remained good. Then the prescription ran out and my insurance coverage changed and they began sending me other manufacturer brands (Mylan, Cipra) and one other that I cannot recall. After a few weeks I was back in misery. Dizzy frequently, hearing back down, tinnitus roaring. I finally was able to get back on the Northstar brand on 22 June and have felt great since 10 July.

I know this disease is a fickle beast and it's hard to predict, but I'm not a big believer in coincidence. Northstar Val worked - I went away from it - back to symptoms - back on Northstar and symptoms magically disappear.

I relayed all that so that you not only fight for the prescription but that you remain vigilant to the exact medication you go on if you get it.

All the Best.

 

ENTs hate AVs because they can't get paid that route. Gotta keep up those huge mansions, cars and trophy wives, ya know.

Glad someone was able to script it for you! Avoid Mylan generic brand.

 

Hi Matt from Greensboro, I'm Joe from Raleigh. Welcome to the group (though I usually only visit these forums occasionally these days).

This forum was my lifesaver when the MD started for me eight years ago.

 

Good luck! and don't be afraid to stay at the high dose until you get relief.

 

Why not, indeed! Exactly the approach my family dr took. In fact, she was more enthusiastic than i was in the beginning. To that full of himself ent, dr derebery at House Ear in LA prescribes them, but then he is smarter than she and a legend in his own mind I guess. If you run into insurance problems again, i will say i had my first and definite success with acyclovir which is generally cheaper. There is a trick with that, spread it out very evenly 5 doses a day as it does not persist in the system like the others. Also famvir is good but usually expensive. Good luck! Let us know how it goes but dont expect much for a month.

Good luck! Remember, it is not an on/off switch, progress is likely tombe two steps forward and one back, just look for the trend in the right direction. And to this day, despite outstanding success, caffeine is an issue for me.

 

Famvir generic is cheaper here than Valtrex generic. About $5 a pill.