recently diagnosed with Meniere's and otosclerosis:

It does sound confusing. Unfortunately it may take awhile, see how things progress or improve, before they can really diagnose. Fingers crossed that it’s “just” bppv and otosclerosis.

if you need to do the Epley on your own, there are lots of YouTube videos. I like “Bob and Brad” the internet physiotherapists.

 

This is my first post (I am a long time reader). I am wondering how your otosclerosis feels? I started with sensorineural hearing loss and used a regular hearing aid in one ear. Then I developed conductive hearing loss also and had to go to a CROS hearing aid because I had lost so much hearing. My diagnosis started with cochlear hydrops and ended up including vertigo. I am considering exploratory surgery and possible stapedectomy if needed in hopes I can go back to the normal hearing aid. I feel like I have cement in my ear along with the sometime additional fullness if I consume a little to much sodium (that fullness feels different).

 

It may not be otosclerosis.

In 2011, after experiencing minor hearing loss, especially in the lower frequencies, I had my hearing checked. The audiologist at the time diagnosed otosclerosis and suggested a stapedectomy. Although cautious about surgery, especially in the ear, I decided to go forward with the stapedectomy at House Ear in L.A. hoping that it would "fix" the problem. Although the neurotologist who performed the surgery was highly qualified, the surgery caused some burning of the high frequency hair cells at the entrance of the cochlea which resulted in hearing loss in the high frequencies where there was none going in. Although the audiogram revealed improvement in the lower frequencies, after 4 months (what is considered the optimum healing time following the surgery), the Dr. announced that the surgery had been successful, resulting in improved hearing [stats/audiogram]; however, qualitatively, from my perspective, my hearing was worse than before the stapedectomy.

A couple years after that I started having fullness, vastly changing hearing (loss), tinnitus, in the same ear. Originally, it was diagnosed as cochlear hydrops because I didn't have vertigo. Eventually, I had a couple severe vertigo episodes which resulted in loosing most of my hearing in the problem ear. Currently, my hearing is almost nil in the problem ear, I take betahistine and famvir (and lysine), along with attempting to practice overall healthy habits which seems to control most of the vertigo. Like others on this forum, it is a 24/7 ordeal to live with.

Looking back on the trajectory of my ear problems, I think I probably never had otosclerosis. I think the low frequency hearing loss was the beginning of menieres. I wish I never had the stapedectomy. I remember in my reading about menieres somewhere, that it could be brought on by trauma (including surgery). It's impossible to say where I would be had I never had the stapedectomy. At this point, I just try to do my best to deal with what I have going on now, and try to stay healthy.

So please, don't rush into the stapedectomy surgery! As another poster mentioned, the hearing loss in both otosclerosis and menieres is in the lower frequencies. I would maybe try to treat for the menieres first and see where that leads you. Good luck, I wish you the best health!

 

Thank you for the information, your journey sounds something like mine minus the stapedectomy. I did get a gentamicin shot a year ago and that did stop the vertigo. My hearing loss is centered around 1000hz so it is not the classic menieres waveform, my conducted hearing is about 20-30dB better than my sensorineural, (conducted is centered at 2000hz). My sensorineural now is very poor. I will keep researching this.

 

Another thought… did the ENT use tuning forks on your head? Look up Rinne and Weber tests. This helps to clarify sensorineural vs conductive hearing loss.

My very first hearing test was done in an unskilled manner and gave a false reading of conductive loss. My ENT started in on the conductive hearing loss lecture…. Fortunately I’m a family doctor, and had already done the tuning fork tests which clearly indicated sensorineural loss. That woke my ENT up!!