I recently had a friend call me who knows I have an inner ear problem. She heard of a doctor that believes many inner ear problems are caused by the chicken pox virus. He believes treatment with anti-viral medications should be used as a treatment. As fate would have it I was recently on Tami-Flu which is anti-viral. I was not dizzy at all even though I was not taking my diurectics. I even drove in the rain which is usually impossible for me. I want to try to learn more about this!

I know I have read somewhere that the same anti-viral meds can be prescribed for inner ear related stuff (particularliy menieres disease), the same meds as used on herpes virus (which is in the chicken pox family). There was a thread posted a couple of weeks ago on a similar topic. I wish I could remember the web-site.
Very interesting connection, one worth researching based on the little info out there to date.
this is one website with some infor on the connection

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There have been a number of studies, which have shown that certain herpes infections (which is what the chickpox virus is) can cause episodic menieres like symptoms. The herpes family are one of the few virus' which stay in the system - and hence can come back. This possible means that there are a number of "menieres" who probably don't have menieres, but have some kind of periodic reactivation of a herpes virus. In general you would expect to be more or less symptom free inbetween attacks.

There is also a theory that VN or labs is caused by a infection of a certain type of herpes virus, or a reactivation of underlying herpes. However, this is not an ongoing process, the virus causes damage and is then brought under control within a few days the rest of the process (which can take months) is recovering from the damage it leaves behind. Which means that in the case of VN or labs, during in the first few days antivirals may be of use, but after that they won't really help.

Agree. Anti virals for labyrinthitis are only useful for the first week or so - after that it is the inner ear damage/inflammation that is the problem, nt the virus.

xxx

Thanks for the input. I sure was hoping I had found something to help my problems.

I definitely agree that the Herpes virus is responsible for many ear problems as well as a host of other body maladies/diseases.

q

I've been dealing with the dizzies for two years now. I still wonder about that dentist visit to have a crown put on. I walked in the office perfectly fine and couldn't walk straight or drive afterwards. Two years later still having problems.

Flash,

Dentists chairs are common places to trigger episodes of BPPV - not to say thats your problem or that the dentist caused it, just that people who are prone to getting BPPV often find the position of the dentist chair (tilted right back and slightly to the side) contributes (or triggers) to an episode of BPPV.

Flash,

Dentists chairs are common places to trigger episodes of BPPV - not to say thats your problem or that the dentist caused it, just that people who are prone to getting BPPV often find the position of the dentist chair (tilted right back and slightly to the side) contributes (or triggers) to an episode of BPPV.

BG...I agree. I had one of my worst attacks in a dentist chair. In my visits since then I've asked to be worked on in a more upright position. They are very accomodating and understand my problems. Everyone just needs to ask their dentist to do this.