Menieres disease

Helena, I can't offer the advice you want on Meniere's, but try not to cross that bridge just yet. I had 6 months of labyrinthitis like you, a year or so back, but it is mainly fine again now. Someone who knows about Meniere's should be along soon! Good luck anyway.

Feeling unbalanced is horrid - I do hope it resolves soon.

DH had what the doctors thought was labrynthitis. His hearing went in one ear and on a business trip to Germany he began to have totally disabling attacks of dizziness/vertigo. He collapsed at the meeting and was rushed to German hospital in case he had had a heart attack or stroke. He had another severe attack and a couple of minor ones when he got home until GP prescribed pills to stop them.

His hearing problems lasted for over six months and still come and go a bit from day to day - and the problem started two years ago, so do not worry about Meunieres disease yet. Some days if he has the tv on the volume is so high I have to go elsewhere as I am sensitive to noise and I find it far too loud. He still occasionally has mild dizzy spells.

Don't assume the worst, there is nothing in your post to suggest that the problems are not still caused by labrynthitis.

There's a thread on here about vertigo, which seems to be a similar thing:
www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/a1207213-Vertigo
I had a dizzy spell one evening last week and looked on here, and found it.

I get BPPV, I have had a couple of bouts this week. It comes and goes as the crystals try to find somewhere to lodge and can last for a few days, or even longer. Each episode can last quite a few minutes or just a few seconds, I have to be careful when driving not to turn my head too sharply.

My grandfather had menieres disease and really suffered with it. It started after he was bombed twice from his ship during the war. He had hearing loss and wore a hearing aid, but it became hard for him to go out socially because he was so worried that he would have an episode when he was out. A bit like an epileptic I suppose.

Once he was steering his boat with the whole family on it up the Thames and we were suddenly aware that he was on the wrong side of the river, gripping the wheel with both hands trying not to fall over, as men in yachts tried frantically to steer out of his way whilst shouting insults at him. Another time I was crossing the road with him, the light went green and I walked, then realised that he wasn't with me. I turned back to see him swinging round and round the lamppost, stumbling as he went. A man shouted at him and called him a drunk old man. He was always very shaken afterwards, and my grandmother did all the driving.

I think you should look at Tricia's link, it's a very clear description of all the types and the causes.

Although I have BPPV, I also get dizzy spells after bad colds, and before them. I often get advance warning.

FlickertyB, My husband bought some headphones specially for watching TV. So I can have the sound just right for me, or even muted if I'm not particularly interested in what's on. Peace.

Helena I had a similar bout of lab too about 7 years ago and was told that I probably had a type of Meniere's .

I won't go into all the details but will give you a few positive pointers that may help you.

The dull hearing in one ear lasted for a number of months and then went.
I have tinnitus in one ear and if you get it too let me know as I will tell you hope to cope with it.
Whenever I begin to feel dizzy I take a prescribed drug called 'Betahistine' that helps.
Be careful when you cross the road not to look both ways too quickly as it can trigger a dizzy spell.
I drive, but if I feel a bit unwell in my head or ears I stay home.

My audiologist told me not to get too hung up on Meniere's but just deal with any dodgy spell and then get back to normal. Her advice was very helpful.

Hope that helps you and anyone else with similar problems.

Thanks everyone for your advice and help. I think my symptoms point to BPPV, as the light headedness isn't as severe as when I had labrinthitis, which was disabling vertigo like FlicketyB's DH. I'm hoping that it isn't Meniere's, but will have to learn to live with it if it is.

I have Betahistine tablets Nankate, and will start taking them again. Do you find they help? How long do you have to take them for before you get relief from the dizzyness?

I wear hearing aids in both ears, and also have tinnitus in one ear, so my hearing is pretty rubbish really. It makes life very difficult sometimes, especially as I'm still working. Hopefully, things will settle soon.

Helena I took Betahistine every day for about 6 months then my audiologist suggested that as I felt so much better it would be better to wean myself off them and the start again if the symptoms returned. I now only take the tabs if I begin to feel a bit wobbly and they seem to work quickly within a couple of days.

I only wear one hearing aid and have tinnitus in one ear, but it is still such a clattering din at times, however over the last about 8 years I have got used to the noise. I do rely upon having the radio on a lot and every night listen through earphones to the radio for about half an hour to help me drift off to sleep.

I make a point of telling people to look at me when they speak so I can hear them. Also I regularly get them to turn down the volume of music in restaurants.

I am sure things will settle for you. I often think I could have far worse illnesses that my hearing problem.

Best of luck.