Could I have meniers disease? doctor thinks so but still need to have a scan for a proper diagnosis.

Ears, nose and throat
1

So, the doctor told me today that he thinks I have meniers disease, I have not had a scan yet to confirm his suspicions, however from everything ive read, its not looking like it could be anything else!

I was just wondering if i could get some insight and suggestions from people who have a definate diagnosis and experience of meniers.

Basically, it all started about a year ago with small bouts of dizziness that would sometimes only last about an hour, and this would maybe happen two or three times a month. I got blood and eye tests done and they all came back with no clues as to what was wrong.

Then from September onwards, the dizziness got worse, sometimes lasting up to 6 hours, maybe three or 4 days in a row. Then it would stop for a few weeks and come back again.

In December was when it got worse...I got the dizziness followed by a horrible pressure in my left ear. The dizziness and pressure would start a few hours after waking up, then remain for the rest of the day until i fell asleep. This went on for about 12 days in a row. Then all of a sudden it began to ease off. I got about 2 weeks of feeling ok, however there was always the faintest hint of dizziness that never went away, but it didnt bother me because it was nothing compared to the dizziness I had just experienced.

So after 2 weeks of feeling ok (ish), It started again on December 31st, the dizziness came back mid day and lasted the rest of the day. Then on January 1st, I had a new symptom....a constant ringing in my ears which has lasted 5 days along with the pressure in my ear and the dizziness. I will say though that the dizziness is not as bad as the last time. And I have only had minor nausea, but never actually been sick.

So, thats a quick description of what I have been experiencing lately, do you think that, from your experience, this sounds like the symptoms of menieres disease?

I would appreaciate any feedback on this. smile

Oh, and I am 27 years old.

2

Dear Lyn

Yes Im sorry to say  it sounds as if your DK is correct

I have been ill since Boxing day with all the same symptoms as you

Get some Travel bands from any good chemist and place them around your wrist the chemist will show you where exacly to place them  they will help with any sickness

Ask your Dk for some pill to help the spinning

Then after your scan you will be given other pills for the fullness in the ear

As far as the ringing i have found not much helps

Stop drinking alcohol  and smoking this will help

Stress is a big trigger

Moving the head to fast can be a trigger

Bright light

Crowded places ie shops 

noise also can be a trigger

I am 66 and have had this for 5 yrs  

i am so sorry for you as you are very young.

Do ask to see an E N T doctor at your hospital  he will help and advise

Do keep in touch with us in this group it does help to chat

3

Hi Lynne.  I'm sorry to hear you are not well.   Like you my doctor 'thinks' I have menieres. I am going back on Wednesday for another chat, maybe she will send me for tests too to confirm it.  I have fullness in my ear, tinnitus and dizzy spells although when I am dizzy the room does not spin and things do not jump about. I just feel very light headed and sick and always end up with a headache when it subsides. Almost like a bad hangover! (without the fun) I hope you feel better soon.

4

Hi Jackie, thanks for your message. Sorry to hear that there are others like me who are going through this, and still have no definite answers yet. That alone is distressing!

 I am the same as you, i do not get the sensation that the room is spinning, its more like a dizzy feeling like if you were to stand up too quickly and alot of lightheadedness, and a feeling of veering to the left (as it is my left ear affected). I also get the feeling of cross vision even though the optician said my eyes are perfect.  And its so strange that you say its like a hangover, because ive felt like ive had had a hangover almost every day in the last 5 days i woke up. 

I hope you get some answers soon too. My doc gave me medication today, a nasal spray and bethahistine tablets. So im hoping that this helps! 

5

Hello Lynne, my name is Dan T. I am on this group to encourage people to get several different opinions. Even if you like and trust your doctor. Get several different opinions. I was told I had this mess for many years. I could have missed those bad years if I had found the correct doctor sooner.

I hope you find relief soon. 

Best wishes   ---  Dan T.

6

Thanks for your reply Lynne The doc gave me betahistine tablets too but they don't seem to help at all! On xmas eve morning I started to feel a little light headed so took a tablet, then started to feel worse by lunch time so took another, I just got worse and worse as the day went on. I did have a drink of ginger ale which took the sickness off then the dizziness began to subside by evening so could at lease join in the fun a little. It all came back again New years day!  I hope the medication help you. Good luck hun x

7

Hi Dan What was the cause of your symptoms if it wasn't menieres?

 

8

Hi again Lynne, this is Dan T.

My poblem was forntal lobe seizures.

As it turns out there is a good treatment for these. Pills three times a day and they are gone.

 still have ear ringing.Has been stereo for several years. Had the noise for many years.

The test they gave me was an EEG. That was a long time ago. I am sure there are better tests now. 

9

You do have symptoms that appear to be the same as those for meniers'. The general symptoms are the same in most sufferers, such as the dizziness, ringing in ear (also called tinnitus), and nausea, though the cause and exact symptoms seem to vary between individuals. I have a constant high pitched tinnitus in my left ear that I have had since i was 2, though more commonly meneires sufferers I have heard from claim to have a low pitched ringing instead.

You do seem like you have meniere's. I hope it does not become overly debilitating. Also pain and hearing loss in the affected ear may occur and flunctuate, though in my experience I have never becme fully deaf in that one ear; things will simply sound duller.

10

Hi Lynne, so sorry to hear what you're going through as it really can affect every day life. I'm 26 and have had it for 8 years, It does come and go. Mines just eased off after having the last stint for around 5 weeks.

Yours does sound like it could be meniers as with my dizzyness and tinnitus it does vary. Sometimes the dizzyness will last 10 minutes upto 6 hours, the spinning varies from lightheadedness through to the room spinning, the tinnitus can change ears and the ringing can go from high pitched to low pitched. 

Are you going to see a specialist? It's good to work out what triggers it for you as then you can handle it better. I traced when mone started to a stressful situation and tried to sort it put which helped immensely. 

It's great that you've found this forum as everyone's so nice and it's great to not feel so alone as everyone understands what you're going through. 

11

Hi Lyn

Sorry to hear about your plight, obviously I and all the others on this forum are not medically trained to offfer a diagnosis, however because the medical proffesion are still learning about Menieres our first hand knowledge is probably as good as their opinions, what strikes me is the subtle differences we all seem to have, for me it started 10 years ago, my attacks were quite violent that is from being normal then within 20 minutes, sweating, then the room starting to spin, followed by spinning and a sickness akin to sea sickness but much worse, colleagues would get me to my hotel, they would have to support me in walking, I would go to bed, where for the forst couple of hours even turning over would induce sickness,, gradually subsiding and the next day one bloody great hang over but OK maybe these occured once a year, so it was some before I went to a specialist, who even then after MRI, ECG and the rest kind of concluded it was Menieres, and only then after I suggested my own research had indicated Menieres! acordeing to the books it is unusual for someone your age to suffer, although there are other people with the symptoms your age, it does seem to metamorphise into different stages, what is constant through these discussions is we all agree diet is important, and as Ive said before my daughter sent me a book from a sufferer who cleared himself of the desease by changing his diet, for me understanding the damage salt can do to the inner ear was relevant to me, as on a recent holliday to Turkey I was complaining  about the exsesive salt in all the food, and then had the longest attact ever, wiped out our second week completely, it does sound like you have Menieres, read as much as you can, act on what you think may help you via these people on the forum and remember you will not die fron this desease although in the middle of an attack you think you will, be positive and take heart from the fact you are not alone,  keep us informed how you are making out

12

I too have been diagnosed with MD, i wentto the ENT and he prescribed a Cat Scan of the head,nothing showed up was then told there was nothing he could do, Watch my diet caffeen and salt drink water. I Iwas having some llight dizziness or vertigo, for periods of time, it was the constant noise and at night quiet time was worse,  My right ear felt as if it was completely plugged up or as if I had a ear plug in it.  I decided the one diagnosis was not going to be a solid confirmation. I made an appointment with a Ear Institute my local city and wow I was really impressed.  The doctor did ahearing test and did indicate a considerable differance in the hearling loss from months of the first hearing test at the ENT.  He had several options he could try but thought the best for me was a steroid shop in my ear.  I was freeking out at the thought of that.  After a lengthy conversatio abour the results he has with other patients I was convinced I would try it. It too just a matter of minutes, I layed down and he put some numbing drops in my ear and with a very tiny needle injected a steroid fluid in the ear drum to fill the area all around.  It did not hurt but caused a slight spinningsensatin taht was only for about 20 to 30 seconds.  I laid still for 30 minutes got up and went home. No side effects at all have not had any more vertigo and it stopped the loud roaring at night I still have the high pitched sound periodically but nothng at all like before.  The injecttion lasted 6 mths or so and the muffled hearing in the right ear started to come back.  I went back and had it done again, we leave the case open and he lets me decide to ome back and consult with him the pros or cons of the injection.  It has given me much releif.  Just was not going to take the ENT's word that there was nothing  could be done.

13

Hi...so good to be back on this site. I am still recovering from bad attack on 14th December. But we keep going dont we.....hope you had a reasonable xmas? I tried to stay away from all the noise etc..

14

The symptoms you describe do sound like symptoms that Menieres can cause

In the title of your thread you mention that you are goin to have a scan for a diagnosis.  Just to clarify, the scan isn't actually to diagnose Menieres - it's done to rule out other causes.

You may also be asked to undertake balance function tests as well - this would probably be done at the audiology dept of your hospital.