I have read in more than a few places that over time MM “burns out” over a period of time. I think that the confusion exists because ‘burns out’ doesn’t mean that the illness will simply go away, it means that vestibular system in the ear destroyed according to the web site Menieresinfo.com.
But if that is the case then there shouldn’t be any problem at least in the bad ear if the vestibular system is destroyed. Of course it has also been reported that MM is bilateral which means it goes from one ear to the other. The percentage range of this occurring is between 30 and 50 percent.
In my own case it seems that the gentamicin injections have helped. As I have posted earlier it did take some time. But am I “cured” of this incurable illness? Or am I in remission? I have also read that patients have had to have the injections again years later, kind of like a booster shot. My own doctor, who is a specialist in the inner ear, told me that wouldn’t be the case.
As with so many things dealing with MM, there is no definitive answer to the question “Does Meniere’s disease burn out.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
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8 comments:
MM runs in my family. I have an aunt who is 80 years old, stone deaf in her right ear, yet she still gets vertigo attacks and has tinnitus.
I am 50 and nearly deaf with all of the other symptoms. What a joy?
does the gentamicin have a high success rate? i am wondering why none of the 6 ENTs i have gone to ever raise it as an option - prednisode yes but not Gentamicin.
I believe that the gentamicin has a high percentage of effectiveness. The ENT that I first went to didn't say anything about gent either, it wasn't till I went to an inner ear specialist that the gent injections were discussed.
I would ask your ENT to recommend someone who specializes in the inner ear.
A very good detailed explanation about the procedure is found on the website
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/treatment/ttg.html
Dr. Hain out of Chicago runs this website and he is an authority on all things dealing with MM or vertigo.
Keep in touch let me know how things are going.
Hi there
I just read a news article from Japan regarding the disease.
A medical professor in Osaka found a CT scan evidence of calcium carbonate fragments in the inner ear, which blocks and causes the lymph fluid to build up, resulting in our condition.
The sample size was small but I hope someone will find a way to remove the fragments.
The guy's name is Professor Yamane Hide of Osaka City Univ. Hospital. Google "Blockage of reuniting duct in Menier's Disease" to find the article in English.
I was diagnosed with MD 22 years ago and then bilateral less than 2 years after that.
I have what is considered "burn out" because of the vestibular damage in both ears.
You stated:
"But if that is the case there shouldn't be any problems at least in the bad ear if the vestibular system is destroyed"
If by "problems" you mean vertigo, then well yes, that has pretty much gone for good. On the other hand, now I stagger a lot, fall (without being dizzy or any other reason other than my balance is shot), my hearing is less than 50% in both ears, if I close my eyes I fall down (though I normally fall to the right because the damage is worse on the right side), if the power goes out at night, I can't even find the edge of the bed, we still get nauseated, still have the feeling of fullness in your head, etc. Don't get me wrong, after so many years of rotary vertigo attacks, I'm grateful to be rid of them, but it really is like trading several more bad symptoms that are permanent and will not go away, for the vertigo.
A lot of the treatment that is being tried lately wasn't available at the onset of mine, and now that the damage is done, they're a moot point.
I wish you well with yours and that you are one of the ones where the symptoms go away and never bother you again or progress to the "burn out" stage.
gatorfan@pinkmingos.com
I hate to hear about your meniere's complications after so many years. hopefully there will be treatments in the future to alleviate this disorder
thanks for the comment!
I never had any problems at all until my last heart surgery where I had 3 stents implanted. Almost immediately afterward, I was so dizzy and off balance I could hardly function. I had to quit my job, and it has been over 3 yrs. now and the constant ringing in my ears and feeling of walking around in a daze is debilitating. I have been to the ENT several times, a neurologist a few times, still no answers. I just wanted someone to tell me that my surgery led to this horrible state that I'm in!
Anonymous, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Unfortunately, I doubt that anyone can tell you for sure what is causing your symptoms, but I hope you find some relief from them soon.
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