Meniere's Disease - Open forum, what worked for you?

[molldoll26]

My mother was diagnosed with Meniere's disease about one year ago.  Her symptoms are primarily those associated with loss of hearing.  Ironically she was diagnosed and started experiencing the problems/symptoms shortly after having a crown put on one of her molars on the side with the Meniere's.  Has anyone heard of dental work making or creating Meniere's?  Do you think that it is possible it really isn't Meniere's and just something that happened with the dental work?  She has seen two different specialists and both just basically told her to avoid salt and caffenine.  Neither of these things have helped.  Any suggestions?  What has worked for you?  Thanks so much.

[medic1105]

I came down with Meniere's Disease after having  dental work (root canal with crown placement).  I have been advised by one of my doctors that I am not the only patient that he has seen come down with this after having dental work done.  I work in the medical field and truly believe that there is a connection between the two.

[bbarbee]

In the last few years I have been experiencing all the symptoms of Meniere's Disease I will be tested for this in the next week.  these symptoms have been getting worse in the last 9 months. Whats interesting is that I have had braces & extreme problems with my jaw & TMJ since the braces & have been recovering from a spinal cord injury in the cervical spine.  My doctor  told me to go off all wheat  because a good friend of hers suffering from Meniere's stopped all wheat read an article that wheat made the symptoms and within a month found she felt a lot better. So I am going to give it a shot.  Hopefully this helps & if anyone else has any other advice, I would love to hear it.

[dooley750]

I started having attacks of Meniere's 60 yrs ago no longer have the Vertigo, have lost all hearing in the left ear. now have almost no balance.I have been doing balance exercises
for many months, any suggestions" John

[menieresdisease]

Get a prescription for Serc.  It is not available in the US but you can get in in the rest of the world.  Order it from Canada.  It is a life-saver and will help immensly with your Meniere's symptoms.  

[Venus2000]

I would get checked for a virus infection called HSV.

I am a Meniere's patient since 2005. When I was diagnosed, I learned from the ENT Dr. that Meniere's is 'a fight between my immune system and my middle ear'. I asked him what was the fight for, then he answered that if he knew, he would have found the cure for Meniere's disease.

Struggling for 3 years now, with increased symptoms in variety and intensity, I finally started a research and experiment with an antivirus called Acyclovir. Since all of my symptoms improved, I went to my PCP and demanded a test for HSV. I came out positive, and I'm presently on treatment for HSV. My Meniere's attacks have stopped.
No more vertigo, ringing in the ear etc.

It makes sense, because if the virus caused an infection in, or around my middle ear
that explains the fight, which is Meniere's disease. And when the virus becomes inactive, Meniere's goes on remission. There for Meniere's is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease.

[Venus2000]

P.S. throughout my readings and conversations with the Drs. who have seen me, I learned that an operation can reactivate the HSV virus. I had an abdominal surgery in 2002, and ever since I feel a pressure on the skin of my abdomen. It used to come and go along with the rest of my symptoms. Now it is a permanent condition.
I never had a root canal, but if it involves ganglias or nerves, the possibility exists.
I would still get tested for HSV

[pigcollect69]

I have a meniere's for 9 years now.I have had surgery on my meniere's ear 3 times.My meniere's has been terrible for the last few weeks.I have had many attacks.That have made it hard to walk at all. It makes my balance terrible.Nausa has been terrible as well.
How has everyone been latley with this disease? Thanks Pigcollect69

[carolyn411]

I will try to keep a long story short, but acquired all meniere's  symptoms shortly after wrenching my neck a bit. After MRIs, steroids, ENTs, and neurosurgeons, suggestions of hearing aids, I finally sought the help of a chiropractor. Many seem to balk at this idea, but I feel obligated to let those that suffer know that his manipulation cured me. He explained that any minor neck wrenching, ex: slipping on ice, etc., can cause misalignment. In my case, the 3rd, 4th(?) vertebrae was out of place, pressing on the nerve that controls hearing and balance and causing hearing loss in my right ear, tinnitus, and horrible vertigo. I know how very frightening and debilitating this is, and feel compelled to let others know that my doctor eliminated all symptoms in a weeks time, but had me follow a routine for a few months to strengthen my neck. I have been totally symptom free for well over a year. Can this be the case with all sufferers? I don't know, but I was angry with all of the other doctors that never even breathed the word chiropractor to me. Labels are often put on conditions and then procedures and medications created for the conditions, when sometimes, the answer is just so much easier. Just as not all doctors are created equally, neither are all chiropractors, but I found a very good one, new school, and incorporates natural well being. Good luck to all.

[medic1105]

One of my patients came down with trigeminal neuralgia after having dental work done.  It seems that physicians don't want to admit that Meniere's disease is often related to dental work.  Probably because that could open a can of worms that they aren't able to deal with.  

[Dr_No]

I would note that dental work involving mercury (amalgam) can weaken the immune system, and I believe that a weakened immune system is more likely to have an auto-immune reaction such as attacking the inner ear, because it must act more pre-emptively in attacking what may be an invading foreign organism, and lack of sufficient time for positive identification makes it more likely to mistake the body's own tissue for such an organism.  Mercury exposure is also associated with tinnitus.  The person whose relative had a crown should check to see if mercury was used to fill the tooth underneath the crown.  If so, the interaction between the unlike metals (mercury and gold or whatever was used for the crown itself) can set up a battery-like effect that releases mercury at an accelerated rate.