Meniere's Disease

[Lucinda]

Hi.  I have Meniere's Disease and for those of you who don't know what that is it is an inner ear problem which cause nausea, vomiting, vertigo and very servere ringing and howling in your ears.

There is no cure for it but there is relief with certain drugs.  Everyone keeps asking why I am not more upset about starting dialysis next month and I tell them that it couldn't possibly be more distressing to me than Meniere's Disease.  There are times when I can't get out of bed for a week because every time I move my head the spinning makes me throw up immediately.  I tend to lie dead still focusing on one spot on the wall just to relieve the symtoms.  Somegtimes I donot move an eyelid for up to eight hours.

Of course with the vomiting you get very dehydrated and then you end up in hospital on a drip trying to preserve kidney function.  The one good thing about this disease though is that many of the things that are bad for kidneys also promote and attach of Meniere's especially salt, chocolate and caffeine which I never touch.  The main cause of the attacks is fluid and it's balance in the ears.  I haven't had a really servere attack of Meniere's for about six months and I am worried when I go on dialysis they won't be able to balance my fluid so I will be having attacks as well as trying to get use to the dialysis.

Does anyone else here have Meniere's Disease?  Cheers, Lucinda.

[Sluff]

My thoughts are with you, I can't imagine suffering like that. I do hope you find a cure for this Meniere's disease. I know of someone who had it also but I don't know how to get ahold of him,  to find out what he did to get better. 

Let us know how things are going. 

[kitkatz]

Oh Hell! Around here if it isn't one thing it's another!   I wish you the best in your dialysis and struggles!

[nextnoel]

Wow!  I had vertigo which lasted about 2 weeks once, with just dizziness and out-of-it-ness; I can't imagine having to put up with something as severe as Meniere's Disease!    Hope it clears up soon, but I have no idea what can be done about it!   

[Bajanne]

My prayers and caring thoughts are with you.  Please let us know how things go with you.

[anja]

Sorry you are plagued by Meniere's~ my father has it also but his bouts have been few and far between since he began taking niacin.  Has your doctor spoken with you about using that?

[Lucinda]

Thanks Anja....I have tried and it did help.  Mercifully I am in a bit of a remission at the moment but I know it will come back.  Thanks for the tip though.

[mallory]

My gosh, Lucinda, that sounds awful!  I haven't heard of it before, but I sure hope you feel better.  Dialysis is enough without this trouble, too.

[Sluff]

Have you had a chance to get something to help you yet Lucinda?

[RichardMEL]

I certainly hope you do not get an attack while on dialysis. that would sound twice as horrid as what you currently have had to put up with. Fingers crossed that things will be ok, specially with how vital fluid balance is to those of us on dialysis it sounds even more critical for you.

[livecam]

I think there is a cure for it.  I know there is a surgical cure that works very well.  Alan B. Shepard was grounded by it, had the surgery, and later went to the moon on Apollo 14.