Meniere's Disease Support Group

The course of this disease is different for everyone. I'm 43 and was diagnosed bi-lateral at age 29. I can tell you that I haven't had any vertigo in the last 5 years and rare attacks prior to that. But initially, they were very frequent and lasted 6-8 hours per episode for the first couple of years. One thing that helped me with the nausea, was trying to get the message from my eyes to my brain to match the message from my ears (like watching the horizon on a rocking boat to avoid seasickness). For me, being a passenger in a car on a freeway just fixing my eyes on the road passing next to the car would ease my nausea (the visual "spinning" matches the ear "spinning" message to the brain). If you can't get to a car, then watching a massive spinning top (it's gotta take your whole field of vision) can help too if you can find one in a toy store. Or you can make a video tape of spinning and watch the videotape when your ears are spinning. Good luck to you, I know it's terrifying, I've been there. Get as much stress out of your life as possible. Stress is a trigger for a lot of people (though everyone is different)

For me I had one attack two or three years ago then again two weeks ago. Unfortunately I can't focus on anything because it hits hard and fast and then I'm in a faint. After I wake up I'm sick as a dog at both ends for hours on end. I've always been extremely seasick, can't even watch someone rock. When this occurs I can't lift my head, it feels as if someone is pressing down on it.

I take a diuretic every day for mine. I have like 70% excess fluid in one ear that shouldn't be there. The diuretic has kept me pretty stable for the past 4 years. I've only had a few minor bouts that were brought on by a hormone imbalance. I am still suppose to watch my salt and am better at it but sometimes I am bad and don't. I have a hard time giving up the chips and dip. so the diuretic helps. Maybe they could try that. My specialist doesn't seem to like to prescribe antivert even though I think it helps my nausea but instead gives me valium to keep on hand in case of an attack. If I have to I will use both. I haven't really had to use either in a long long time and it was brief.

I am seeing the doctor on Wednesday. They did an MRI and I guess he wants to see the results. They want to rule out a tumor in the inner ear. I will ask about the water pills. As for getting stress out of my life...lol good luck;)

Well this is interesting to read dz because I've also had 2 really bad episodes of this Catherine Wheel effect thing as I call it. Prior to this year I'd had ear probs for 20 years then over the last 8 years I started falling over a lot for no apparent reason! And then began the spinning just a month ago and I too was 'sick at both ends' as you nicely put it. But to be honest I didn't associate the runs with this syndrome until I saw your posting. I've been seeing my doctor for gastric problems as well as dizziness not realising they were due to the same cause. Today she finally said she thinks it is Meniere's but before sending me to hospital etc she's trying me on Betahistine Hydrochloride after I said I didn't fancy the 'sudden death' side effect of Prochlorperamine that I was given previously. I wondered if you had tried either of those treatments and how you found them. BH improves the blood flow to the inner ear. I'm also going to try ginger for that too. I too don't like the idea of going deaf, as I lost my hearing in this ear for 3 months several years back. Thankfully it came back but it was a horrible experience. So I'm hoping the BH will do the trick for me. I hope you find your best meds too.

I found answers to some of these questions at MenieresResearch.com

Here's another site with lots of information:

http://www.menieresinfo.com

Hope this helps, I'm just starting to try and understand Meniere's too.

I've looked at some of the medical journal papers, and I don't think antivert is regarded to be very effective during attacks, vallium is better. It does help me. The main thing is now I take daily dyazide, it made a huge difference from always feeling unstable and having several severe attacks per week (similar to yours except that I felt better after sleeping), to being pretty much normal for the past 4 years.

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I've suffered with Meniere's on and off for several years but recently the attacks have become more severe and hit without any warning. I've just been discharged from a week's stay in hospital having suffered a particularly nasty attack. I am not allowed to drive, go out alone or fly. My meds make me drowsy and my balance is still way off. I'm scared this debilitating disease is here to stay and life as I know it will be no more.

Hello.. I was diagnosed with Meniere's 2 weeks ago. I had severe dizzy spells for over a year and my doctor told me it was sinuses. After trying just about every sinus med available, my new doctor finally ordered me an EEG and MRI. They concluded it was Meniere's. They put me on Antivert, and it made it worse. I'm now on nortriptyline, and it's pretty much stopped the dizzy spells.