In the third week of June 2023, I woke up and found I was unable to keep my balance. I felt like I was on a boat in stormy waters, rocking and reeling. Nausea hit and I could not keep anything down. I felt relief only when I was not moving, so I stayed in bed. The next day my doctor did the Dix-Hall maneuver, saw no eye movement but diagnosed me with BPPV anyway. She prescribed anti-nausea meds and referred me for physical therapy. By the time I saw the PT, I was feeling somewhat better. The PT told me to get off the meds. She, too, did the Dix-Hall maneuver, saw no eye movement and said it must be BBPV anyway, on the right side. I told her I was feeling it on my left side. Whatever. Seven weeks of PT helped a bit but did not cure it. We both realized that's all she could do and I quit therapy. Although I do continue to do some of the exercises. On the vestibular.org website, I compared the description of Meniere's and vestibular neuritis and my experience fits the VN to a T. It had an acute stage for about a week and now a chronic stage. I feel it on the left. It gets worse as the day goes on. My eyes also get bleary starting in the afternoon. I find it difficult to focus for more than a few minutes on certain tasks, like sewing and paper crafts. I get exhausted and irritable. I've cut out activities that make the vertigo worse. I have no tinnitus or hearing loss. No spinning. Just rocking and reeling. On vestibular.org, in the section on natural treatments, it lumps MM and VN together, because they're both thought to be inflammation caused by the herpes virus. With VN, it's the nerve connecting the inner ear to the brain. Hence my interest in the regimen described by JOH. I've also done lots of research on lysine and its use as a cure for coronaviruses. The protocol for the lysine cure emphasizes the elimination of all caffeine and alcohol, as well as high-arginine foods. So I'm off of coffee, tea, cocktails and chocolate, etc. I've looked at herpes-related websites for data on lysine/arginine ratios in foods and try to favor the lysine foods. I've started on the lysine. After reading over the MM regimen, I'm going to order the remainder of the recommended supplements. I'd appreciate any other suggestions for treating VN. Thanks for listening!
The Vitamin D Factor Although not a formal part of my Meniere’s treatment regimen, vitamin D should also be considered. Simply, vitamin D-3 strongly supports the immune system. When deficient in vitamin D (as in winter months), colds, influenza, and other viral diseases proliferate. The body photosynthesizes vitamin D with skin exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) light from the sun. If not out in the direct sun, falling upon exposed skin, for sufficient periods, the body is vitamin D deficient. The conventional explanation for the winter occurrence of colds and flu is that people are indoors in winter and thereby share shed viruses. The close-contact, shared-spaces explanation. But, today, that’s bogus. People spend just about the same amount of time indoors and in confined spaces in summer as winter. Air conditioning, etc. The close-contact, shared-spaces explanation for winter flues and colds is bogus. But the inability to sufficiently photosynthesize vitamin D in winter is not. It’s the exact cause of winter flues and colds. Maintain sufficient vitamin D levels in your body, year-round, and flues and colds will be minimized or eliminated. Since taking 5000IU of vitamin D-3 each day, starting in the early 2000s (~20 years ago), I’ve never had a cold or influenza. Before that, they were annual occurrences. Personally, I take 8000IU of vitamin D-3 each day. I’ve been tested. My blood level of vitamin D is 90ng/ml. For optimal health, you need at least 50ng/ml. But for vitamin D to work optimally, you need sufficient amounts of two other nutrients, magnesium and vitamin K-2. Generally, you need 400mg of bioavailable magnesium. I take magnesium glycinate. Vitamin K-2, working in collaboration with sufficient vitamin D-3, causes calcium to be properly partitioned, allocated in the body. It keeps the calcium out of arteries (atherosclerosis) and gets it into bones (helping to prevent osteoporosis). With these three other nutrients, herpes viruses can be suppressed not only by the lysine in the regimen, but additionally by the strengthening of the immune system. One might decide to gain the additional, sufficient vitamin D by more diligently getting into the sun. Nice idea. But when the sun is less than 45 degrees into the sky, the atmosphere absorbs virtually all of the UVB and no vitamin D is made. For much of the year, or at the tail ends of any day, one could stand stark naked in direct, but low-angle sunshine for several hours and not make a molecule of vitamin D.
Thanks for your helpful reply, John. I do take vitamin D3, 5000 IUs per day, along with magnesium glycinate. However, even at this dose, I have tested low. I have a physical coming up and plan to have them check my D level. I do get out in the sun almost daily, taking long walks with as much exposed skin as is reasonable, along with doing tasks in my yard. I'm in my late 60s, however, and I understand that our bodies don't make the D quite as efficiently. I am not familiar with K2 and will certainly follow up with that. I appreciate your feedback!