Not sure that this has been specifically addressed from searches I've done on past threads. I've had meniere's for 14 years with many ENTs, Neurologist, Neurosurgeon consultations and many non-effective treatments. Have not had an actual vertigo attack for 4 years now, thank goodness. But still have all the other classic symptoms.....fullness, hearing loss, horrible tinnitus and brain fog. Had been able to deal with it fairly well until a few months ago when my balance started getting much worse and still is progressively worse. Feels like I am staggering drunk and this is 24/7 and nonrelenting. Am being told to stop stressing by the ENTs I've seen. Am sick of dealing with experts who really don't know what I am feeling and think I can control it myself. I've tried that...doesn't work. Am currently just starting some vestibular physical therapy to see if my balance problem can be helped with that, although I've done a lot of that on my own in the past with limited success. Guess time will tell. My question is this......can gentamicin injections be effective for other than just vertigo? From everything I read it usuallt talks about vertigo episodes that it helps. I do not have vertigo attacks nor the spinning sensation of it anymore. I have a horrible balance/unsteadiness problem that is causing me a lot of distress and is effecting my ability to even walk well. Doctors are telling me it is vestibular and related to my having meniere's for so long. At this point I'm willing to do most anything. I can deal fairly well with the other horrible symptoms of meniere's...but this balance problem is making me almost home-bound. Has anyone had the gentamicin injections for balance problems that are NOT vertigo related? If so...did it work? Like I said...my problem is not intermittant....it is 24/7 and seems to be gettting worse. THX.
Let me ask this... 1. is your menieres single-sided? 2. if so, how much vestibular function remains in the bad ear? If this only affects one side, then gentamicin may be an option as destroying the vestibular function of the bad ear will eliminate the constant bad signals the brain receives from the faulty system. I ask how much function is left because after many years, menieres can destroy most of the vestibular function on it's own. If you still have a good % left, gentamicin may be a possible solution. In my case, the constant unbalance and slight dizziness was eliminated after the 2nd round of GENT. Your brain is confused with one ear bad and the other good. Getting rid of the bad allows your brain to totally compensate for the bad and essentially function quite well with one nerve.
Well--please check out my recent posts. I am dealing with balance issues--not as bad as yours, but daily dizziness and head pressure. I can walk 'ok' but have to really concentrate and focus and not turn my head quickly. I have issues when first getting up from a chair or bed so stand still a few seconds. Also have realy problems in grocery stores, malls, etc. Visual moving things like TV can cause me to feel very dizzy and nauseated. I just started back to Vestibular therapy. Am working on training my brain to 'stop thinking dizzy is normal' as the therapist says. I have not had vertigo in almost 5 years--after shunt surgery on the one affected ear. However, my good ear is not really going down in the quality of hearing. I have 'mild tinnitus' but ongoing. And this 24/7 dizziness (only relents when asleep and when reclining in my chair--the chair doesn't always relieve it either. But sleep does. But--you can't sleep 24/7. I keep busy but have to give in and just let my head rest. Hoping this new round of therapy helps--alot. Let us know how yours is progressing. I see my Ent this week--he may suggest Gent injections--but I doubt that. He doesn't really subscribe to them.
my mm is in my right ear only. left ear is still normal. hearing in right ear is low and varies but not good. have had 2 series of hearing and VNG tests...once in 2008 and again in 2013. Both were positive for meniere's. i have horrible fullness and tinnitus (tinnitus seems like a 'kind' word since my sensations are more like a roaring jet engine or police siren 24/7....unrelenting). have done balance exercises on my own with little success and have just started professional balance physical therapy. Keeping hope alive but still some doubt that this will help much. balance problems have gotten so much worse over the last few months. have had brain and spinal MRIs a few weeks ago and have seen neurologist and neurosurgeon who are telling me this is not neurological but has to be vestibular probably because of the length of time i've had meniere's........14 years. one ent mentioned the gent treatment a couple of years ago but told me it was just for controlling bad vertigo episodes. i don't have vertigo anymore.....just this constant worsening balance/unsteadiness that feels like i'm drunk. i'd be willing to do the gent infusion...or just about anything if it would help. that's why i'm wondering if anyone on here has had the gent for balance problems and who, like me, did not do it for vertigo. last vertigo attack i had was 4 years ago, thank god for that. but coping with this balance thing is really hurting my quality of life. the fullness and tinnitus are really bad too so if gent might help those also would be a big relief, but the main problem i'm trying to 'fix' is this balance situation. the last ent i saw a couple of months ago told me to stop stressing and just enjoy life. you can imagine what i was thinking when he said that. if he had this i wonder if he would be stress-free. most of the doctors i've seen seem to just want to get rid of me. jeez. thx for all comments.
I 'sort of' get the same impression--most Ent's seem to have heard this so often and some people have adopted-so to speak--and those of us who are really 'struggling' have our concerns reacted to as if we are just 'not trying hard enough to 'adopt'! I don't let this keep me from doing anything--but singing in the choir (the loss of this in my life has been really hard). But even though I 'go and do', I sometimes spend 'alot' of my time where I am 'dealing with my side effects of this condition' and looking at folks (smiling, trying to not show how I'm feeling) and wishing--the entire time I had 'my life back'! I do understand--folks here understand. And we all keep hoping and praying, one day we'll feel better--and I have to say I have some days that are much better than others. But 'never' a day that I'm symptom free from dizziness/head pressure and sometimes nausea. Guess it has to do with how the brain responds to whatever is going on. Anyway, I do see my Ent and of course another round of Vestibular therapy--so hoping to get some answers and encouragement. I'll post when I do. I do hope you find some help and will do the same--stay in touch here. Folks are always suggesting 'new things' to ask our doctor's about or to try--and just encouraging each other too.
I had bad balance before the two gent shots I've recently had. My balance has not improved but seems to have worsened with the shots. I'm assuming this is because the shots initially damage the balance further and I'm still learning to compensate on my left side??
thx for the replys! i have decided to see a specialist in otology/neurotology. this guy is 3 hours away from here but i am willing to do whatever i can to get another opinion....this time possibly a last ditch effort? at least it will be with someone who should have more knowledge and experience with meniere's and vestibular problems than the countless ent doctors i've seen who, at best, just conduct expensive tests to validate that i do have meniere's and then tell me to just deal with it or shrug their shoulders when i ask what more can be done. i'm not expecting a miracle and it could be that i'll still be told that nothing much can be done. but i can't simply give up! there has got to be a reason why my balance has gotten so much worse recently after almost 14 years of being able to deal with it fairly well. perhaps risky procedures may be needed? so what at this point? i'm almost 70 years old and need to at least try to get some kind of 'life' back if at all possible. also, this doctor is young and has extensive residency and fellowship training in vestibular medicine. all of the ent's i've seen have been older doctors who may be so stuck in their ways that they can't change. from what i've discussed with them......i know a heck of a lot more about meniere's than they do. and i've now also got neurologist/neurosurgeon who have told me this is not neurological and has to be vestibular. time to move UP to a hopefully more educated, experienced and interested doctor. time will tell. good luck to all of you. we need to just 'keep on keepin' on'....and not let the dimwits get us down.
Please let us know how our visit turns out and what type of treatment your new doctor recommends. We may all benefit. Thanks