Hi this was a second dose. Had one the week before as well with no effect. However 6 days post second injection I stated feeling lighted headed and now 10 days after suffering with moderately severe vertigo so it obviously had some effect despite me swallowing Good luck with yours
Hi There. Thanks for your input. I had 1 gent shot 4 years ago with great results. No vertigo and the fullness and ringing were down to about a 1, with 10 being the worst. Just delightful! However, in the last 6 weeks, all fullness, ringing, and vertigo have returned. The vertigo is nowhere as bad as it was before the shot, but it's enough that I had to leave work. I talked to my dr. and we're going to a 2nd gent shot in 2 weeks. Do you feel, that after 4 years of having the 1st shot, that this 2nd shot will be a quicker recovery? And, do you feel that it'll last longer. I know it is just an educated guess on your part. It took me about 2 weeks to recover after the 1st shot.
Hi Margie Did you ever get any answers to your questions (above)? I’m curious too. And how are you doing now?
How soon after each injection did you feel the effects? How bad was it? How long did it last? And how are you doing now?
It's been nearly 5 years and I'm still doing well. I don't really think about Menieres any longer. My bad ear is nearly totally deaf but I rarely feel any sort of dizziness. There have been 1 or 2 episodes over the past year that were minimal at best. The nerve is probably regenerating a little, but nothing has happened that would make me need another injection. It's good to know that I have that in my back pocket though should it get bad again. The anxiety of Menieres is totally gone. best of luck to everyone marc
Just found this forum and I so appreciate your detailed experience. Thank you for taking the time and effort to be a resource for others. I have had Menieres for 10 plus years and am finding it more and more debilitating. I have a pattern of dealing with it for 6 months or so and then it going away for a year or two. However, in the past two and a half years I have had it more consistently. Right now I believe I am dealing with both Menieres and BPPV vertigo. I have good weeks and bad weeks. I am on the fence about the gentamicin because I do have some good weeks. The thought of guaranteeing a few hard weeks is hard to face. But I love that you said if you are on the fence, to do it. I think that is the right move.
Hi Marc. I just got my second injection yesterday. I had a series of 7 injections 2 years ago and was vertigo free until a few months ago. I think this one will take care of it. I am happy with the results. Do you still watch your sodium level? I seem to be able to tolerate a lot, but my doc really went after me to reduce sodium.
Its been about 2 1/2 years since my shots stopped all the vertigo. Ive been getting bouts of dizziness the past few weeks. They dont last long, but I think I may be due for another round of shots. The wait for the ENT can take a while, but will update when I get some news. Good luck everyone.
Hi Marc. I just got my second injection yesterday. I had a series of 7 injections 2 years ago and was vertigo free until a few months ago. I think this one will take care of it. I am happy with the results. Do you still watch your sodium level? I seem to be able to tolerate a lot, but my doc really went after me to reduce sodium.
Nikkio I swallowed a few times after the injection and the doctor re-injected about 10 min after (hard not to swallow) I have been recovering for about 4 months , still have constant balance issues and blurry vision and consideringa second injection. Steve
Thank you Marc, for the initial post and your updates. They have been really helpful for me to read. I have a similar story - 6 years suffering, with periods of nothing, but severe attacks when they come. Just the last few months, nearly daily, but milder. And then the drop attacks started, and I knew it was time to do something. I have the injection booked for next week, and have been a bit unsure, now am thinking, why did I wait so long? As you say it is the anxiety, the fear of impending attack that is nearly as debilitating. I want to be free of that, and get some of me back. I hope mine works out as well as yours. It is so helpful to hear how it may pan out, especially that the attacks try to come but don't make it, that is very reassuring.
Thank you, Marc, for complete explanation of your journey, which sounds EXACTLY like mine, and to all who have shared their ear injection experience. I had my first steriod injection last week, receiving the 2nd tomorrow. Within the week I can't say I have felt any relief with this first injection. I have had 2 major vertigo attacks about 2 days apart where I could do nothing but sleep. The vertigo never leaves, it's just manageable at best, all the time. I will receive a total of 3 injections of the steroid, will then move to the Gertamicin. No expectations = no disappointments. Therefore, it was good to know what to expect when this happens. I can handle the hearing loss, the constant tinnitus, the ear/head fullness, but the vertigo has got to go! I had vestibular rehab a year ago, which seemed to help at times, so I'm sure the exercises will be of benefit going forward. Was anyone told to use a hearing aid in the good ear? Just curious. thank you!
Yes I have been using hearing aid for past 5 years (am now in my 40s and still have perfectly good other ear) I found the hearing aid quietens dine the tinnitus quite well but barely have any hearing left to aid in reality!
Thank you Marc for sharing your gentamicin experience. I was diagnosed with Meniere's almost 3 years ago and my attacks seem to be cyclic with the disease being active for 3 months and then inactive for 3 months. I have tried steroid injections that seemed to help some, I've tried dexamethasone which helped for almost a year by decreasing the number and severity of the attacks, and I take a water pill daily. I have been on betahistine that seemed to help at first but the vertigo attacks resurfaced. The episodes last anywhere from 4 to 24 hours and sometimes more, and at this time average 2 to 3 times a week. I recently had VNG and VENG testing and my first gentamicin injection will be in another month. The delay is so I can take care of pertinent business before surrendering to the down time needed to recover from the injection. I was very apprehensive about the injection due to some bad experiences I found on the web but your experience confirms that I need to go ahead and do this. Anything to be rid of the horrible vertigo I have been experiencing would be a blessing. Thanks so much.
Please do keep us informed of your experience. I have just experience my first drop attack.Very scary. I have a follow up appointment with my ENT to make a decision on the Gentamicin vs. complete inner ear removal. At 72, with 70% hearing loss, he believes, given my age, vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss, surgery may be the best option for me. He is a young dr. whose specialty is with Cochlea implants who explained everything I was experiencing before I even needed to tell him. Reading the experiences of others who have provided extensive information is helping with my decision. Best wishes to you.
Hello.. it happened quite suddenly, within seconds. I stood, walked maybe two steps, then the next thing I knew I was looking at the ceiling from one corner to the next and was on the floor. I was unable to catch myself as I do when unsteady. This same scenario happened twice in 1982 when the vertigo started. Since then, after years of intermittent vertigo, vertigo was joined with hearing loss, tinnitus, and full head feeling. Meniere's testing 2002 followed a severe vertigo attack. The past two years the symptoms and attacks have been constant, with a very severe attack in November, but never falling. This was quite out of the blue and very scary.
I had what you describe at 3:30 AM a couple of months ago. Fell flat on my face. Luckily it was in my bedroom and hit the carpet. You have no control so you could land on something solid and wind up dead. Since then I have been having small attacks like that that last only a few seconds. I call them little seizures. I went to a neurologist and he put me on Acetazolamide which is a different diuretic than what I was taking 250mg twice a day. Also put me on Gabapentin 100mg three times a day. I think Gabapentin is for epilepsy. It has been one week and no seizures so far and I was getting them daily. Crossing my fingers. I have appt with Dr Fife in Phoenix end of March. He deals only with dizziness and vertigo. I have had Menieres for over 30 years. I call it Menires even though the ent in Tempe AZ says I do not have Menires. I am hoping the meds keep on working.
