Ok, as I mentioned in my thread about going to have the ECoG and ENG, I was diagnosised with Meniere's today. I am just reading up on the internet, and I don't like what I am hearing. I have no notable hearing loss as of yet. My tests for hearing were in normal range in both ears. I do have tinitus, all the time, and the dizziness, off balance and so on. I have no obvious pressure in my ear, I have had a vertigo attack back in December, that started it all. But what about this hearing loss, and progression of the disease. Is there anyone out there that has Meniere's and has had it for a while, and can give me some ideas about how it's progressed, or (preferably) gone into remission? I feel kind of worried about some of the information I am reading on the web. It sounds like it will get worse, not better, whereas, I have also read that the first attacks are usually the worse, and then they lesson in severity at any rate. Someone clue me in on their experience please. Thanks.

hi
i have some symptoms like menieres but not a dx of it ,mainly because i have no hearing loss which is, i think ,an important sympton in dx of menieres. as far as i know there r three main symps ...short duration, but very intense vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus, both fluctuating..... i have seen on the net something called atypical menieres..have u looked that up?
im sure someone will answer soon with more reassurance.
hope u feeling better soon
best wishes
brina

Hi there,

Just to say I've written you a long reply under the other topic header,

best,

hbep

Hey - read your post - I do not have Mienieres but my house keeper doea and we have talked it over many times cause I have the dizzies so we frequently chat it over.

Any how her symptoms are this - sudden very violent attacks of vertigo (On set has no warning) very very intense when she litterally drops to the floor. She is then very unwell and vomits violently and has an extremely upset stomach (if u get what I mean - do not wish to be too graphic). This attack will last on average 24 hours sometimes a little more. After an attack she has mild imbalance for say 2/3 days and then its as if nothing is wrong again. Initially the attacks would happen frequently and then over the course of 20 years they tappered off. She took the medictaion SERK that she describes as a wonder drug that stopped the attacks and let her live normally. Aside from the attacks her most annoyoing symptom for her was the tinnitus - she said that at first it was mild and intermitent but as the hearing loss progressed with each attack so did the tinitus increase. This she tells me was the hardest aspect of the disorder along with the hearing loss. She is now pretty deaf and wears heraing aids but she has some hearing, she no longer has vertigo attacks (they say it has burnt itself out), she does not feel dizzy but still has persistent tinnitus. She has learned to cope with it all and is a happy person (honestly). You have to remeber that when she got this medications and treatments were not as advanced. These days they may try an opertaion to prevent serious hearing loss. She also said to avoid salt, caffine as they can increase fluid in the inner ear. Also stress - easier sadi than done - right. Well good luck with your tests!!Let us know how you get on. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

HI Willsmom,
Thanks for your reply. Very interesting information about your maid's symptoms. I have had one very violent vertigo attack, it woke me up in the middle of the night, I thought I would be thrown from the bed, and the spinning only lasted a matter of 10 or 15 seconds before regaining composure. Then I was sick as you can imagine. I had several short attacks that night, and then in the morning, I went to the emergency room where they gave me meclizine. As you know, that makes you a zombie, but at least you're not spinning. After a few days, I went off the medication to see if it was done, and it was. I was fairly normal within less than a week. Then no other occurance for 6 months, and then this terrible sick to my stomach, mild dizziness, lightheaded, buzzy in the back of my head, tinitus, fatigue, motion sickness feeling that lasted for 3 months. I had to take several different meds over that time to keep functioning. I couldn't watch tv, drive, or spend any time of the computer as looking at the screen made me feel just awful. Now it's gone to a mild state with the constant tinitus, but mild dizziness, and periods of time of feeling fairly normal. So that's about it....I am really looking forward to seeing the Neuro Oto guy and getting some additional thoughts on all of this. I am now just fearful of another big attack, or just slipping back into that horrible feeling I have finally come out of.

I have also been diagnosed with Meniere's but have never been dizzy. Only tinnitus and ear fullness occasionally. Thought you had to have vertigo to have Meniere's.

Hi, Julie!
My regular doctor thought that I had menieres disease cause I was extremely dizzy and actually spinning in his office when I went in just for my yearly checkup and tried to lay flat back on examining table. He was pretty alarmed and after I looked at the websites about menieres I was very alarmed. I went to an ENT dr. and he ASSURED me that I 100% did not fit the description of menieres. My spinning would come only in certain positions, mainly spurred on the right side. Also, my ears were tested and came out fine (phew!) I do have very mild tinnitus but not bad at all. Also, I have read that when you have menieres the vertigo attacks come at any time, any position and after a spell you just have to sleep for hours to recover.
Anyway, I would be very surprised if you would be diagnosed with menieres cause your symptoms are just like mine. I believe all the imbalance and "stuff" that goes along with it are just from the differing messages your brain is getting right now while it is learning to compensate.
Today is about day 11 feeling better. I am actually having moments of feeling normal. It's crazy, cause when I get to feeling really good, if I think about it too much I can get stressed thinking, oh no! when will I feel bad again! I just try to be thankful and enjoy those times of feeling better and know they will increase and when I do feel bad it will pass!
Hope this helps!
Vicki
P.S. I forget if you are doing balance exercises! I honestly started improving when I began those and I do not miss! I do remember from a former post of yours the horrible times in bed when the waves of anxiety would cause you to jerk over and over. I still have that but it is NOTHING like it was. I am much more relaxed these days when I go to bed. I can still get the feeling like someone is pushing me over in bed. It is weird! But it gets better!
Also, are you having the neck and head tension that comes from the imbalance. I have been doing some slow neck exercises that have helped with that.

I too have meniere's and have coped with it for 5 years. I have tinitus all of the time and for me that is the most annoying symptom that I have. I have had plenty of vertigo attacks and some severe "drop" attacks over the years. I have also lost some of my hearing but, luckily, not much. I can usually tell when I am going to have an attack because the tinitus becomes extremely intense about 1-4 hours before an attack starts.

I feel that I am pretty lucky in that I usually only have 4-6 attacks a year now. Early on I had 4-6 a month so things are leveling out for me. It really hasn't stopped me too much from doing things that I enjoy and I haven't missed work too much because of attacks. I am a teacher and a high school baseball/football coach so I stay pretty busy. My summer job is as a bullpen catcher for the Texas Rangers AA minor league team and I did have one night that was a challenge for me. I had an attack while I was catching and needless to say it wasn't a pretty sight.
I guess what I am trying to say is don't let the disease control you...you control the disease. Take your meds, eat right, and do whatever else works for you.
I hope things get better for you.