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labyrinthectomy or intratympanic gentamicin therapy

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by JennJan, Apr 11, 2022.

  1. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    Apr 11, 2022
    Hello, my husband found this site last night. So I’m new here. So bear with me navigating the site please. Lol. I was born with a deaf right ear. I’m currently 37. I was officially diagnosed with MD 2014. But I’ve been dealing with it longer. I’m a stay at home mom and have 2 little ones. I’m looking for relief and to get my life back. At a resent appt I was given options for a
    labyrinthectomy or intratympanic gentamicin therapy.
    I was curious if anyone here has done either and how their recovery and results were? I have a couple weeks before I have to make a decision. Any input would be greatly appropriated.
     
  2. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    I am wondering if your menieres is in your deaf ear or in your hearing ear? If it is in your deaf ear than I would choose the laby over gentamicin. If you choose the laby it will leave you deaf in your good ear then you will need a cochlear implant in order to hear. Gentamicin for me was a waste of 8 months. It stopped my vertigo attacks but for 8 months I felt off balance and sickly then the vertigo started in again. If the deaf ear that is affected go for the laby and get your life back. If it’s your good ear then you need to make sure the laby is the right option for you.
     
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  3. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    Yes I’ve done many vng/eng tests and it was determined to be my deaf ear that has the menieres. I’m definitely leaning toward the labyrinthectomy since I’ve been deaf in that ear my whole life. I’m just ready for my life to get back to normal or as normal as possible. I’m just worried about recovery and how my balance would be after the surgery. Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.
     
  4. redwing1951

    redwing1951 Well-Known Member

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    The fact that meneiere’s is in your deaf ear if it were me I would definitely do the laby. In terms of recovery it depends on how much your vestibular nerve has been affected. My recovery was about 2 weeks. I had one over night in the hospital and was able to walk out of the hospital on my own. The most important part of recovery is staying active and walk as much as possible in order to train your brain to being without that side. You will be very tired so rest as much as you can but truly walking is the secret to recovery. Best of luck to you.
     
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  5. Blakeh

    Blakeh Active Member

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    Hi Jenn,

    A labryinthectomy changed my life. I investigated steroid injections and for me I just wanted something that would work 100%.

    I had my about 8 months ago and live a completely normal life.

    Good luck and keep us posted.

    Blake
     
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  6. Terratag

    Terratag New Member

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    Blakeh - I've closely followed your posts across this forum and it does give me hope compared to where I perceive myself today.

    Can I ask you to elaborate on how you feel today vs how you felt day to day before your labyrinthectomy?

    Thanks
     
  7. Blakeh

    Blakeh Active Member

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    I wasn’t living a life before the labryinthectomy. I was in a constant state of nausea, most of my time being spent laying on the floor.

    I never knew when the next attack could come, so avoided going to far from my house. The two years leading up to my surgery were very rough.

    And now...I lead a normal life, free to eat any food, travel, exercise as much as possible.

    In hindsight I would of gotten the surgery 8 years ago. Instead I tried every potion, pill and remedy only to eventually have attacks again.

    Sometimes I would get better with the treatments but Menieres is a funny thing, it comes and goes without obvious reason, so it’s hard to say if anything I did prior to the surgery actually worked.

    You can read more about my journey on a post I made on recovery from the surgery.

    Best of luck!

    Blake
     
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  8. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    I had my labyrinthectomy yesterday. I was very nauseous and a little dizzy. I got better as the day went on and napped a lot. I kept some food down and took a walk around the hospital wing I was in and was able to go home.
    Today- not dizzy and I’m pretty sure it’s the antibiotics giving me nausea. But I plan on taking a walk later today down the road. So far so good.
     
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  9. Donamo

    Donamo Active Member

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    Best of luck to you JennJan - this is an exciting and hopeful time for you.
     
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  10. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    Day 3- small boughts of nausea. Kept food down. Went for a walk again down to the corner. No dizziness. Tired

    Day 4- feeling better. Tired. Went for another walk. It’s hard to focus when walking since I can’t wear my glasses because of the incision. I’m sure I’ll walk more stable when I can walk with my glasses on and actually see.
     
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  11. Marko

    Marko New Member

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    Hi @Blakeh and @JennJan!

    I'm also considering getting the surgery done this or next year. Can confirm if it also eliminates ear tinnitus and fullness/pressure/inflammation?

    Any critical risks with the surgery that should be considered?

    Thanks!
     
  12. Mike B

    Mike B Member

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    Hi Marko,

    In my experience the tinnitus is just as bad, or worse than it was pre-laby.
    I still get fullness in that ear (I'm bi-lateral), but it does not progress to
    vertigo.

    Wish I could give you better news. Could be others have different experiences.
     
  13. PleaseNoDizzy

    PleaseNoDizzy Active Member

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    My laby was in 2018. The surgery does not eliminate the tinnitus. If anything, it is louder now, but with the absence of almost all the other symptoms, I have adapted to it.

    For me, it did eliminate the fullness, which was horrendous up until the surgery.
     
  14. Marko

    Marko New Member

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    I'm sorry to hear that!

    Been debating whether or not the surgery was the right call for me. I typically have about 4 vertigo episodes a year, which isn't the end of the world. It's more the other symptoms (especially tinnitus and pressure) that linger year round that drive me insane and make me anxious about having an attack. I was hoping that the surgery will also eliminate those symptoms as well....
     
  15. Mike B

    Mike B Member

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    At an average of four vertigo attacks a year, I would never have even considered having a laby.
    For me, the laby stopped the vertigo, but that was about it, but I'm OK with that considering
    I was having so many attacks.
     
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  16. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    I had my post op appointment last Friday. Healing well. I had the balance test and physical therapy after that. The balance test machine really puts you through the ringer. That really wore me out. I took a super long nap once the appointments were over. The physical therapist was impressed that I wasn’t using a walker. She said a lot of her patients after this kind of surgery use a walker. I’ll be doing physical therapy once a week for 5 weeks and be doing exercises and lots of walks at home as well. I’m currently back to doing little stuff around the house. Slowly but surely. At the moment I’m glad I did the surgery.
     
  17. JennJan

    JennJan New Member

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    I was already deaf in the ear my laby was done in so I didn’t have an issue with tinnitus. I was having vertigo attacks almost everyday so this surgery was much needed. Lots of anxiety. And I’m glad I got the surgery.
     
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  18. Blakeh

    Blakeh Active Member

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    Hello, I am sorry for the slow response. The surgery is the best decision I made for Menieres. I do not have any ear pressure but tinnitus is still there, which I do not care much about because I’m free to go any where and eat anything I want. I’m completely free of the vertigo attacks and constant nausea.

    I wasted 8 years trying a bunch for concoctions and potions, all which ultimately failed and things only got worse.

    Labryinthectomy changed my life. If anything else was a solution I would bottle it up and sell it, and so would everyone else.

    Blake
     
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