When is it time for surgery?

Ears, nose and throat
1

I have had MD in my left ear for 13yrs. Initially I was getting vertigo attacks every few weeks which lasted for a few hours. This run of attacks lasted for 2 yrs then stopped following insertion of a grommet! I had no further attacks for 10 years. Unfortunately over the last 6 months the vertigo has returned. I am now getting 1-2 attacks a week which last upto 10 hrs. I have tried to reduce my salt, take 32mg betahistine tds and moduretic and I have ever had a grommet inserted!! Nothing seems to be working.

When do you say enough is enough and opt for more drastic measures? What are people's experiences of gentamicin or nerve section? Has anyone had success with the Menirette device

2

I should also point out I have moderate hearing loss, tinnitus and a fullness in that left ear. I can live with these but the vertigo is s different matter!!

3

James,  I started this discussion a few weeks ago trying to discover a link between menier  patients. I was looking for persons who have had unusual occurances of certain unexplained voices or music occuring anytime prior to your hearing problem. please read over the thread of this discussion from the beginning and reply. thanks, 

4

You should try intratympanic corticosteroids first before trying gentamicin.  It is succesful in a large percentage of cases.

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

5

Intratympanjc steroids was another consideration but the evidence seemed weak and the duration short? It does seem to have a good safety profile though.

To be honest I'd do anything if it worked!! I'm still taking betahistine like it is going out of fashion and the evidence that does anything is shakey at best!!

Thanks for your advice!

6

Nothing like that from me I'm afraid!! Just a fullness prior to the attacks and significant tinnitus after

7

Please look in to the work of Doctor Gacek in the US and his theory based around a viral cause of Menieres. Antivirals have saved my career. I would have lost my business had I not gone that route.

8

I recently went to a physio who adjusted my neck, and I have been vertigo free for a week now. Just might be worth a try.