Discussion
I know a reasonable amount. You need to sort out
(1) Your sleep patterns ie get more sleep
(2) Your stress levels ie reduce stress
(3) Specific food intake: reduce coffee, salt and chocolate
(4) Your overall diet: aim for a generally healthy diet
I know someone who was diagnosed with it years ago and went hardcore with the healthy/fitness. She no longer has it. Well, it's probably there, lurking, ready to come out but she is able to keep it suppressed. Depends what you want, really. I know someone who is being stubborn about it and suffers a lot from it when work gets stressy...
(1) Your sleep patterns ie get more sleep
(2) Your stress levels ie reduce stress
(3) Specific food intake: reduce coffee, salt and chocolate
(4) Your overall diet: aim for a generally healthy diet
I know someone who was diagnosed with it years ago and went hardcore with the healthy/fitness. She no longer has it. Well, it's probably there, lurking, ready to come out but she is able to keep it suppressed. Depends what you want, really. I know someone who is being stubborn about it and suffers a lot from it when work gets stressy...
I`v had it for years also, but just lately it seems to be getting worse.
I`ve had quite a bit of "stressy stuff" just lately, so that could contribute i guess, as far as diet, i reckon your dead right, i dont take salt with anything now, also dont drink coffe.
Does your friend take anything for it,for example SERC ?
I`ve had quite a bit of "stressy stuff" just lately, so that could contribute i guess, as far as diet, i reckon your dead right, i dont take salt with anything now, also dont drink coffe.
Does your friend take anything for it,for example SERC ?
exkay said:
I`v had it for years also, but just lately it seems to be getting worse.
I`ve had quite a bit of "stressy stuff" just lately, so that could contribute i guess, as far as diet, i reckon your dead right, i dont take salt with anything now, also dont drink coffe.
Does your friend take anything for it,for example SERC ?
The friend who no longer suffers from it doesn't take anything, apparently. The friend who still suffers from it takes Betahistine and something else, one regularly and one to help when he gets it really bad (dizziness, loss of hearing, vomiting).I`ve had quite a bit of "stressy stuff" just lately, so that could contribute i guess, as far as diet, i reckon your dead right, i dont take salt with anything now, also dont drink coffe.
Does your friend take anything for it,for example SERC ?
The stuff I posted above isn't anything I've concluded - it's stuff published on support forums/websites online.
serc / betahistine is the same thing. Doesn't seem to do a thing for me.
Although I have pretty much permanent tinnitus I've been free of attacks for some time now (fingers crossed!).
When I was having attacks the doc gave me a sheet of eye exercises. It took about 10 minutes and consisted of moving the eyeballs to look in certain directions (e.g. top left, centre right, up, bottom left and so on). I can't remember the exact details but I think it was based on some research that found it lessened the effects of an attack ? Might be worth asking your GP ?
For all the science it still doesn't seem to be widely understood exactly what causes bouts of attacks to come and go and worse still it seems that everyone is a little different with regards to what helps or even causes the attacks.
Although I have pretty much permanent tinnitus I've been free of attacks for some time now (fingers crossed!).
When I was having attacks the doc gave me a sheet of eye exercises. It took about 10 minutes and consisted of moving the eyeballs to look in certain directions (e.g. top left, centre right, up, bottom left and so on). I can't remember the exact details but I think it was based on some research that found it lessened the effects of an attack ? Might be worth asking your GP ?
For all the science it still doesn't seem to be widely understood exactly what causes bouts of attacks to come and go and worse still it seems that everyone is a little different with regards to what helps or even causes the attacks.
I've never looked online. I will see what I can find..Quick google search:
Vestibular eye exercises: http://www.livestrong.com/article/197434-exercises...
That mentioned Cawthorne-Cooksey methods, which led me here:
http://www.entkent.com/Cawthorne-Cooksey.html
That says the condition is called Nystagmus - eye movements related to vertigo.
Some more here : http://www.ehow.com/list_6862956_eye-exercises-peo...
http://drnguyen.ucsd.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=77
General menieres exercises: http://www.ehow.com/way_5645219_exercises-menieres...
All of this is related to trying to reduce the vertigo sensation, doesn't solve the problems but may make the suffering a little easier. IIRC the doc said to do the exercises daily for a month or two and see if it helped reduce the severity of the attacks.
Vestibular eye exercises: http://www.livestrong.com/article/197434-exercises...
That mentioned Cawthorne-Cooksey methods, which led me here:
http://www.entkent.com/Cawthorne-Cooksey.html
That says the condition is called Nystagmus - eye movements related to vertigo.
Some more here : http://www.ehow.com/list_6862956_eye-exercises-peo...
http://drnguyen.ucsd.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=77
General menieres exercises: http://www.ehow.com/way_5645219_exercises-menieres...
All of this is related to trying to reduce the vertigo sensation, doesn't solve the problems but may make the suffering a little easier. IIRC the doc said to do the exercises daily for a month or two and see if it helped reduce the severity of the attacks.
Hi guys,
This is brilliant, many thanks for taking the time to dig the info out.
The doctor has advised me to be refered to an ENT specialist, whom i saw a few years ago, at that time he suggested surgery on my left ear, to hopefully sought the problems out, anyway, the attacks subsided and i never ended up having anything done, just carried on taking the SERC, well, here we are today, and over the last 8/9 weeks i`ve had about half a dozen attacks, sickness, diarohea,total diziness to the extent where i`ve had to lay in a darkened room for around a day and a half to two days, after which i feel totally drained ! like i`ve been boozing for a week !! and i dont even drink alcohol!
My friend who also has Menieres, had a needle inserted into his ear whhereby a steriod was injected in and this seems to have cured him,he had the procedure done a couple of years ago now, so fingers crossed for him.
I dread the thought of going to the ENT guy as i`m dead scared of what he suggests i might have to have done, its all so diabiltating when your ears are messed about with, so i admit i`m a real drama queen when all this stuff is going on !!
Tomorrow i`m off to the local surgery to have my ears seringed so that there clear for the ENT to see in and hopefully detect whats going on, no doubt a scan or two will be occuring also.
This is brilliant, many thanks for taking the time to dig the info out.
The doctor has advised me to be refered to an ENT specialist, whom i saw a few years ago, at that time he suggested surgery on my left ear, to hopefully sought the problems out, anyway, the attacks subsided and i never ended up having anything done, just carried on taking the SERC, well, here we are today, and over the last 8/9 weeks i`ve had about half a dozen attacks, sickness, diarohea,total diziness to the extent where i`ve had to lay in a darkened room for around a day and a half to two days, after which i feel totally drained ! like i`ve been boozing for a week !! and i dont even drink alcohol!
My friend who also has Menieres, had a needle inserted into his ear whhereby a steriod was injected in and this seems to have cured him,he had the procedure done a couple of years ago now, so fingers crossed for him.
I dread the thought of going to the ENT guy as i`m dead scared of what he suggests i might have to have done, its all so diabiltating when your ears are messed about with, so i admit i`m a real drama queen when all this stuff is going on !!
Tomorrow i`m off to the local surgery to have my ears seringed so that there clear for the ENT to see in and hopefully detect whats going on, no doubt a scan or two will be occuring also.
Hi, I've lived with menieres on and for over 15 years, and where you are right now I can fully relate to.
1 tip when you have a real bad dizz-attack a darkend room isn't the best answer always, get yourself sat/laying somewhere and transfix your sight on an object (for example sit in bed and stare at a vase on the other side of the room, you may be there with the dizz for an hour or so BUT it will level off a hell of a lot quicker than laying in a dark room.
Re meds, yes done the serc route didn't help, re stress/tiredness/diet 100per cent agree. Even if you're someone who's alwayd lived on late nights and a few hours kip adjusting to the old early night 8 hours kip WILL help.
Diet and stress which go hand in hand with the sleep are ALWAYS going to be a balance due to trying to maintain a normal-ish work/home life. BUT you'll soon learn the impact ignoring these will have on the attacks.
Re surgery, yes the injection into the ear drum (this is a course of 3 MAX injections) and is without doubt the most painful experience on the planet, I had a course of 2 and the men's resided for 12 months, when it returned I had no option but to go surgical (my attacks had increased to 8-10 a day and I was unable to work/drive).
So had the op, means you will lose hearing in ear they op on, BUT it doesn't wipe out the tinitus which to this day still remains, I had the op 2 1/2 years ago and touch wood have been good since.
BUT I do still have the occassional mild 'wobble' whenever the stress/sleep/diet go off track due to work (being normal)..
Its a bugger of an illness which isn't that well understood (included by the medical profession), remember there is NO actual cure for men's just ways to control it'ish.
Where you're at right now, will in time ease, the ENT should be able to help, don't know where in the world you are but I had all of my treatment through Addenbrooks in Cambridgeshire who have men's ENT specialists and they're the real deal.
One thing that feeds men's attacks is your own anxiety/fear as the dizz's kick in and you loose balance/control, next time you have an attack try these 3 things;
1. Focus on an object across room
2. Keep telling yourself in your head it'll pass in a bit (as they always do)
3. Picture yourself pre dizz (helps you remember its an episode not permenant).
I am not medically qualified, but as someone who's lived with the bloody thing for years, kept (just about) a normal life going and work then I've found the above got me back in the world.
Hope this helps.
1 tip when you have a real bad dizz-attack a darkend room isn't the best answer always, get yourself sat/laying somewhere and transfix your sight on an object (for example sit in bed and stare at a vase on the other side of the room, you may be there with the dizz for an hour or so BUT it will level off a hell of a lot quicker than laying in a dark room.
Re meds, yes done the serc route didn't help, re stress/tiredness/diet 100per cent agree. Even if you're someone who's alwayd lived on late nights and a few hours kip adjusting to the old early night 8 hours kip WILL help.
Diet and stress which go hand in hand with the sleep are ALWAYS going to be a balance due to trying to maintain a normal-ish work/home life. BUT you'll soon learn the impact ignoring these will have on the attacks.
Re surgery, yes the injection into the ear drum (this is a course of 3 MAX injections) and is without doubt the most painful experience on the planet, I had a course of 2 and the men's resided for 12 months, when it returned I had no option but to go surgical (my attacks had increased to 8-10 a day and I was unable to work/drive).
So had the op, means you will lose hearing in ear they op on, BUT it doesn't wipe out the tinitus which to this day still remains, I had the op 2 1/2 years ago and touch wood have been good since.
BUT I do still have the occassional mild 'wobble' whenever the stress/sleep/diet go off track due to work (being normal)..
Its a bugger of an illness which isn't that well understood (included by the medical profession), remember there is NO actual cure for men's just ways to control it'ish.
Where you're at right now, will in time ease, the ENT should be able to help, don't know where in the world you are but I had all of my treatment through Addenbrooks in Cambridgeshire who have men's ENT specialists and they're the real deal.
One thing that feeds men's attacks is your own anxiety/fear as the dizz's kick in and you loose balance/control, next time you have an attack try these 3 things;
1. Focus on an object across room
2. Keep telling yourself in your head it'll pass in a bit (as they always do)
3. Picture yourself pre dizz (helps you remember its an episode not permenant).
I am not medically qualified, but as someone who's lived with the bloody thing for years, kept (just about) a normal life going and work then I've found the above got me back in the world.
Hope this helps.
Hi Mark,
firstly thanks for all your time in answering my stuff.
I was diagnosed with men`s about 15 years ago, a relation of mine who is an orthadonist suggested that i had a "jaw miasalighnment" anyway, after x raying me he found it was ok, so he refered me to one of his pals who is a Harley street ENT specialist, having visted him within 10 minutes he said "a classic case od men`s desease, of course, i did`nt know what the hell it was at the time, but took his advice and went to guys to have amnt tests on my ears and all the bits around them, needless to say they could`nt do an awfull lot, but did prescribe the gool ol SERC.
Well, i plodded along through the last few years, having good days and bad days, with attacks happening sometimes once a week, sometimes once a month, but generally manageable after the lay down in a dark room and of course the inevatable spewing up numerous times, the attacks or symptoms following the attack would last anything from half a day to 2 days, feeling like i`d been on the booze for a week when i dont even drink !
Moving on to the last few months, i`d say since
firstly thanks for all your time in answering my stuff.
I was diagnosed with men`s about 15 years ago, a relation of mine who is an orthadonist suggested that i had a "jaw miasalighnment" anyway, after x raying me he found it was ok, so he refered me to one of his pals who is a Harley street ENT specialist, having visted him within 10 minutes he said "a classic case od men`s desease, of course, i did`nt know what the hell it was at the time, but took his advice and went to guys to have amnt tests on my ears and all the bits around them, needless to say they could`nt do an awfull lot, but did prescribe the gool ol SERC.
Well, i plodded along through the last few years, having good days and bad days, with attacks happening sometimes once a week, sometimes once a month, but generally manageable after the lay down in a dark room and of course the inevatable spewing up numerous times, the attacks or symptoms following the attack would last anything from half a day to 2 days, feeling like i`d been on the booze for a week when i dont even drink !
Moving on to the last few months, i`d say since
October last year, the attacks seem to be getting more "intense" ie more severe, to the extent where i literally dont know which end of the room i`m in, upside down or the right way up !!
I went back to the docs last week, to ask him to refer me back to a specialist, and he tells me that my ears are full of wax, so before he refers me i need to put oil in to soften the wax, so that they can then be syringed and so on and so on.
Regarding the needle in the ear, i did hear it was painfull from a friend that had it done, and must admit i`m well nervous of having it done, to be honest i`d sooner go for the surgery and get rid of the "bad bit" inside my ear alltogeher, ok, to be deaf is not good, but that dizzyness and sickness is hell as you well know.
Anyway Mark thanks once again for your info, it`d be good to keep in touch, especially with someone who understands this dreadfull condition.
Chat soon,
Billy.
I went back to the docs last week, to ask him to refer me back to a specialist, and he tells me that my ears are full of wax, so before he refers me i need to put oil in to soften the wax, so that they can then be syringed and so on and so on.
Regarding the needle in the ear, i did hear it was painfull from a friend that had it done, and must admit i`m well nervous of having it done, to be honest i`d sooner go for the surgery and get rid of the "bad bit" inside my ear alltogeher, ok, to be deaf is not good, but that dizzyness and sickness is hell as you well know.
Anyway Mark thanks once again for your info, it`d be good to keep in touch, especially with someone who understands this dreadfull condition.
Chat soon,
Billy.
You're welcome billy, sorry read your OP wrong and thought you were newly diagnosed thus why I gave the basic vision control advise.
Re surgery over injections, the ENT will go needle first prior to surgery due to the damage it does (the surgery is viewed as the last resort).
To be honest yes the needle REALLY hurts and don't believe the ENT when they say its mildly painful BUT I would personally advise this route first.
The other option to ask prior to the needle route is having a grommet inserted (day surg) as this can often help and when/if you have to escalate to the needle its a lot quicker process as they inject through the grommet.
I'm on the phone so can't PM at present but when I'm next on the laptop I'll send you my email, feel free to stay in touch as I've been through the 3 processes and always happy to give a 'real life' answer to it.
Re surgery over injections, the ENT will go needle first prior to surgery due to the damage it does (the surgery is viewed as the last resort).
To be honest yes the needle REALLY hurts and don't believe the ENT when they say its mildly painful BUT I would personally advise this route first.
The other option to ask prior to the needle route is having a grommet inserted (day surg) as this can often help and when/if you have to escalate to the needle its a lot quicker process as they inject through the grommet.
I'm on the phone so can't PM at present but when I'm next on the laptop I'll send you my email, feel free to stay in touch as I've been through the 3 processes and always happy to give a 'real life' answer to it.
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