Great to have this group ...

[pedro]

Back in the mid '90 there was a support group hosted/organized by Dr
Shea in Memphis, TN. It also covered tinnitus and it lasted for about
three years or so.

Re the effect of barometric pressure, back in 96-98, a Dr from
Washington University in St Louis and a regular contributor to Dr
Shea's site, he indicated that he had begun a study/research of
barometric drops as a vertigo trigger. After a few weeks, I could not
find any follow up on his research/study announcement. I think that if
there is a correlation between atmospheric pressure and vertigo onset,
it is a very weak one for me.

I live in NY and summer just began - as I expected, I'm experiencing
mild dizziness (not vertigo, I hope). Nothing else appears to have
changed for me: same diet, drinks, sleeping habits, I keep daily
jogging, etc

[Val]

Pedro -- when you begin to feel that mild dizziness / slight
light-headedness, do you do anything to attempt to counteract it? I
would like to try & follow up with that doc from St Louis's studies if
possible ---HOW DO WE DO THAT BUDDY?

Val from So Cal

[pedro]

Val,

During my first few months of Meniere's took antivert, prescribed by my
ENT. This made me sleepy and I think that it did not work on me. The
doctor replaced it with Valium/Diazepam 5mg/day. The idea is that
this "sooths the nerves involved in balance" (my words). This I do
take during dizziness bouts and it seems that has a positive effect.

It seems to me that salty foods, in particular snacks, do make me prone
to dizziness and my tinnitus increases.

In recent years I have not experience fullness (high pressure) on the
affected ear. When I did, then I would be susceptible to sudden
spinning vertigo. For this symptom no prescription had an apparent
effect.

As for the doctor from St Louis Washington University (his first name
was Steven), I lost track several years ago.

Pedro

[Valaree]

Pedro,

Do you put much stock into the theory about the "cilia & the crystals being dislodged"....?  Can this be corrcted?

 

Val 

---

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[pedro]

Val,

I understand that there are different varieties and degrees of
dizziness and vertigo having corresponding explanations and triggering
mechanisms. I remember that some of these combinations involved cilia
and small stones (crystals?) in the inner ear. I further understand
that if these stones are "misplaced", one therapy consists of manouvers
to put them back where they are supposed to be.

Cilia explanations involve nerve damage and this has been bad news
until recently. When I was actively trying to understand my dizziness
(10 years ago) it was pretty much a given that nerves do not
regenerate.

I have been googling Meniere's recently, comparing results with those
that I got 'web surfing' back in '95/'96. Seems to me that now there
is better understanding of how balance works: clearer grasp of the
inner ear and how this is connected with the sensory system. However,
I was taken aback a little when a member of this group recently posted
about the request for the post-mortem donation of inner ear bones -
this suggests that there is a whole lot yet to be learnt.

I'm quite convinced that my dizziness/tinnitus/ocassional high ear
pressure and vertigo are caused by fluid pressure differences in the
inner ear: endolymph and perilymph. The prescribed treatment for this
usually is via a mild diuretic and that's what I have been following
with encouraging results.

I could also be that the dizziness condition just follows its own
course (frequent incidents that slowly wane over time) and that all
treatments that I have followed contributed just one bit.

How long ago have you been suffering dizziness? Has your doctor
determined an explanation for its onset?

Pedro