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My Meniere's story started in August of 2002. I had never heard of the
disease and wasn't sure what was wrong. After several vertigo episodes which are called attacks and after many doctor
visits and several different tests and medications I was diagnosed with Meniere's. This is a disease that
is decided upon when everything else is ruled out. (by symptoms alone) The attacks of vertigo are
so incapacitating that I would be in bed for 12 hours or more. The first several attacks included
vomiting and dehydration. Because of the dehydration, I ended up at the ER one time. Other symptoms
are tinnitus, fullness in the ears or ear, and partial hearing loss. My tinnitus and hearing loss are in my
right ear. Thank goodness it is unilateral with me, but many people have bilateral hearing loss. There have been
many funny experiences with my hearing loss...so many words sound alike!! Like restroom and restaurant for example.
I have a low frequency hearing loss which I have read is common.
The attacks have become fewer and sometimes further between since I was finally sent to
a headache clinic. I have had migraines since I was 16 that had progressively gotten worse. After seeing
the headache doctor in Dallas I was diagnosed with Migrainous Meniere's. He gave me a medication that seemed to work
miracles for about 5 months. Then I had another attack, but it wasn't nearly as bad as those in the past. After
that an attack two months later, also not as bad. The vertigo attacks normally burn out but the tinnitis and hearing
loss remain. I was told that since mine is Migrainous Meniere's that it is temporary, but from the many people
I have talked to that are experiencing first hand for many years the same things, it hasn't been temporary.
It is discouraging to have gone to several doctors, and have none really know
much about the disease. Because it is so rare, the research is limited. But, I'm learning more and more through
reading, and will continue to do so.
It has been 13 months now without an attack. I look back at a journal
I kept during the worst times and wonder how I ever made it this far. My daily symptoms are feelings
of ear fullness, tinnitus, and hearing loss. There are days that I hear better than others, and one ear is normal, (I
think), so hearing isn't so bad for me. (although my kids say it isn't so good :-)) I am considering wearing
ear plugs while I work at the snocone stand, because our ice shaver is very loud. You can have meniere's symptoms
if you have an acoustical concussion from loud noises. Sometimes I wonder if that is why I developed this.
There are so many different theories, and I can relate to many of them. Allergies is a possibility, maybe not as the
total cause but a contributor and I have allergies. Stress is also thought to be a contributor and I was, at the
time, stressed. Other possibilites include perimenopause, (although accounts of this are very few) Also,
a theory is that it is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which most of us have had if we had chicken pox. I am
not depressed about the speculation of this continuing, if it doesn't get worse. I hear that it runs its' course
and can burn out, but the tinnitus, and hearing loss remain. If I don't lose anymore hearing I will consider myself
very fortunate, and that is what I'm praying for. (I can still hear better than my dad :-))
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