Hey guys. I'm a 20 year old female with Ménière's disease and it's been quite the struggle. I've had it for a year and a half now. It's mainly affected my right ear but now I'm feeling slight pressure and ringing in my left ear. My right ear is constantly ringing and is majorly affected with hearing loss. My ENT did not do much to help and only suggested a diet change. I know my case is severe especially for my age. What are some other steps I should take so that I can overcome this. I don't want to live my whole life with this.
There is treatment for this and I would keep looking until you find a doctor who will do something. I live in the US and have been prescribed dyazide I got my hearing back in my left ear. I am still dealing with other symptoms but life is better.
Hi Abilgael,
I'm sorry that you're suffering from Meniere's. I was diagnosed almost a year ago, after severe bouts of severe vertigo and vomiting, and a sense of pressure and temporary, complete hearing loss in my right ear. At the time, I was 58, healthy, and working out at the gym 6 days/week. I was initially put on a salt free diet and a diuretic. I had a miraculous "cure" approximately four weeks later: My hearing was restored, my sense of balance was restored, and I felt great. I went back to the gym. However, six weeks after that, my symptoms returned with a vengeance. I began to have episode upon episode, with my hearing in my right ear steadily deteriorating, and with loud tinnitus in that ear, being added to the mix. After being hospitalized 5 months ago for an unremitting episode of vertigo, I began having hyperaccusis as well. After discharge, I went through a 10 session series of physical therapy and vestibular retraining. I was also referred to a University based specialist, who has been administering Dexamethasone injections to my inner ear, every 4 weeks. I can say that after a few injections, this regimen has begun to decrease the frequency and intensity of the vertigo. We had hoped that my hearing would come back, but sadly, it hasn't. I recently went to be fit for a hearing aid, but my hearing and vertigo fluctuates so wildly, that it just wasn't realistic at this point. I'm going to wait until things are (hopefully) more stable. I remain on 2 Dyazide/day, a salt free, caffeine free, and alcohol free diet. (Next up: The convent! LOL!)
I can understand where you're at. It was frightening to me, when I lost my hearing. And I have been on a campaign to get it back. However, I haven't met a single specialist here in the U.S who can help me with that. They simply haven't got an answer, yet. I am told that many patients do in fact experience restoration of hearing, but typically, it's never as good as it was prior to their last Meniere's attack. In other words, each attack chips away a bit, at your hearing. The best approach is to do everything within your power to reduce the number of Meniere's episodes. Diuretics along with dietary changes are a good start. Also, I think the inner ear injections are a good answer for someone who is plagued by the vertigo.
The good news is that some patients recover and aren't troubled again for years, and sometimes never again! You are unusually young to be hit by Meniere's. Perhaps it would be worth your while to seek out a university-based specialist to work with. Your objective should be to decrease the frequency of attacks so that you can keep what hearing you have left, and live as normal a life as possible.
I wish you all the best,
J
Thank you for your replies. I'm currently trying to find a better ENT specialist in one of the better known cities for health care in my state. I speaked with another doctor who also suffered from MD and he said it moved onto a bilateral stage but finally went away. Of course his hearing is not the same but that does give me some hope. But at this point I do get anxious and depressed, especially at night. It feels so unfair to have this issue at a young age. It hit me out of nowhere one day. I'm a healthy young adult and I always pass my neurological exams. I'm hoping to find the help I need and possibly get surgery, since my case of MD is severe for my age. I'm been sticking to the diet of no caffeine, low sodium but I've had no results.
*spoke to another doctor
abigael,
First, do find another doctor. There are doctors out there who don't seem to have a clue about MD.
I take diazide daily, meclazine (an over the counter motion sickness medication) when I feel an episode starting and I take Vitamin E 400 IU daily. I had been taking the diazide and using the Meclazine as needed a couple of years with what I think (It's hard to be sure.) were positive results when I read on one of the MD chat groups about Vitamin D. I think the frequency of my episodes has decreased since I started using it.
Good luck.
just john