Information from Tokyo specialist

Hello,

I am going to share some information for what it’s worth.
I was diagnosed my two different ent doctors with Ménière’s symptoms. I’ve had a few ct scans and MRI’s….all kinds of testing. I went to dentists and also a neurologist.
I was referred to the major vertigo specialist here in Tokyo and was told some interesting information.
5% of cases are viral related …..they are treated with antiviral medicine…..
So this is why some people respond to antiviral treatment and others don’t. Basically he said it was rare.
8% have a problem with the neck (confirmation from xray….not sure yet about treatment)
This could be why some people say they are “cured” by chiropractors

After that the cause is unknown….

also they stopped treating people with medication such as the typical Ménière’s water pills or antihistamine. There isn’t evidence to support use…

I am going back in December to get blood test and xray results…..
I’ve had blood tests before and they are always fine….
In fact every test is normal

 

So I had a lot of testing done at the vertigo center in the neurology department at the University hospital in Tokyo…..
I have had a lot of testing before but it was done with an ENT at a different hospital.

this time the testing was a little different. The usual blood work and a handful of other stuff. Basically following lights and checking eye movement.

the results are normal basically……hearing test is also normal this go around.

I am sorry if this will potentially upset some people but he said I do not have a virus and it’s not the cause for my symptoms. He also said my neck was fine (I had xrays)
I have been going to a chiropractor who says otherwise. I have had relief from my sore muscles but other symptoms are exactly the same.
At this point the only other thing the doctor suggested was to stay in the hospital while they check my heart and circulation for 3 days…..
My hands are always cold so there might be an issue with circulation…this could be causing my issues….

I really wish it was as simple as taking antiviral medication. If antiviral medication was so effective then why do so many people suffer on this website still. I see that the same people have been posting for years.

I wish everyone the best of luck….

the best things I can do are exercise and deep breathing….. I have had benefits from that definitely.

 

More information,

I talked to my wife more about the recent doctor visit and she said the doctor was wanting me to stay in the hospital for three days to check my circulation……has anyone else heard about this type of thing?? I can’t really find too much information about what exactly will be done…
The way my wife explained it is that they will be doing a series of tests on my heart to see how the circulation is doing in my body…

The doctor says they are switching the way they treat Ménière’s patients. They are no longer giving diuretics or other typical medications talked about on this forum.

apparently what they can do if I stay in the hospital is stop the accumulation of fluid in my ears….. I don’t know if this is permanent or what exactly is the procedure….
I’m getting everything second hand translated.
This doesn’t involve a steroid injection or other surgical procedures used for MD.
This is something different that sounds new to me…..not sure if others had heard anything that sounds similar….

I really didn’t want to do this but after thinking about it I might as well try. I exercise regularly and have never had any problems with my heart or blood pressure….
I do have cold hands all the time. That in combination with the MD symptoms seems like it could be a problem with my circulation…
Would be interesting to see what information Is found. I’ll probably do this next year. I just don’t want to spend the money and have all tests come back normal like everything else…

 

Yeah it’s all new for me…..that’s why I’m posting. I have had cold hands and feet my whole life basically. I also get this weird head pressure all the time…..difficult to describe.
The doctor didn’t seem surprised at all when my wife told him I have cold hands.

I really have no idea what the tests will be but my wife was explaining that they can stop the fluid from building up in my ears while I’m there….not sure.

I guess I’ll find out more when I go to my next appointment in February. For the time being I am exercising twice a day to see if it helps with circulation.

I’ll update when I have more information

 

I thought it was really unusual…..but this is Japan…. I think they keep you in the hospital when you get your tonsils removed as well….

my initial reaction was no way……I had a lot of testing done at the previous hospital with the ENT doctor and everything was normal.

So then after going to the new hospital with the vertigo center in the neurological department I was tested out….
I absolutely didn’t want to stay in the hospital for 3 days….
The doctor said it’s my decision but if my hearing tests decline he is going to highly recommend it.
After thinking about it for the past week I decided I’ll do it. I’m curious to see what they say.
Like I said in my previous post I am not exactly sure what they will do. I posted a funny video on my instagram page of me getting some testing done…I was in a moving chair with my eyes covered and getting asked math questions (in Japanese)
My brain just went blank eventually….kinda funny.

I am curious to see how they will stop the fluid from accumulating in my ears while I’m in the hospital….apparently that’s what they do while checking circulation….

For me personally, I’m thinking stress was a major contributing factor. I think certain people just have a perfect storm of certain conditions that lead to MD…..for me maybe it was circulation issues combined with major prolonged stress….
The doctor did say if I don’t work on my PPPD I could have it forever. Definitely don’t want that so I’ll tell him to put me in the hospital at my next appointment in February