Acyclovir anti-viral treatment : For you newbie's

What antiviral did JohnnyDetroit take exactly?

 

Acyclovir,

This is a quote from Johnny 2009.

Yes! I think that every single person with menieres/cochlear hydrops/sudden sensorineural hearing loss should take an anti-viral ASAP. The sooner the better so that the virus doesn't do permanent structural damage to the fragile inner ear membranes and nerves. Once the damage is done, then total remission and "cure" of all symptoms is harder and harder to achieve. Luckily i took my first round of Acyclovir only 6 months into my hydrops diagnosis 5 years ago. It gave me complete and total relief of ALL symptoms (roaring tinnitus/fullness/distorted hearing loss) and my hearing went from 60db loss low freq. to perfect...and stayed that way for nearly 5 sweet years. I had a relapse this February after a string of bad colds and the Flu. Unfortunately i didnt get my Acyclovir prescription refilled for over 24 hours after my hearing loss and fullness suddenly came back. It took me 3 full days to knock the really disturbing symptoms out, and a few weeks to get the roaring and pressure to subside. This time it hit my high frequency hearing with a 50db loss. I've recovered a good portion of that loss now, but think i maybe have a small permanent loss this time. I will find out on April 23rd when i go see Dr. Richard Gacek in Mass. and get an audiogram. I still have a minor plugged feel in my ear,(but no pressure) but it could be from the eustacian tube dysfunction and fluid behind the eardrum that my local ENT discovered at my last visit 3 weeks ago. Overall, i'm back in remission with some risidual minor symptoms, but completely have my life back. Im even hitting the gym again and am able to focus and perform at my high stress job.

Everyone needs to at least try the antivirals to rule out a viral cause of their symptoms. It's the easiest fix out there believe me! Worth the shot. If it doesnt work...then continue with the other usual lines of treatment.

Give it time to work too. Do the high doses (2000mg daily) for 2-3 weeks and then drop the dose to 800-1200mg for a few weeks after that, you should notice improvement of symptoms by then. If so then continue an 800mg maintenance dose for awhile to keep the virus at bay.

The thing i notice after taking a pill is that the roaring tinnitus INCREASES drastically and the fullness does too. this happens about an hour and a half after taking each pill like clockwork. Then the symptoms really die down about 4 hours after that. It can be deceiving...at first i thought "oh no, this is making me worse!" but it was actually battling it out with the virus and you'll feel it!

That is how you know it's working, so watch for that when you take your pills.

 

Acyclovir Study: http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~ms-7/english1.htm

This link does not work. Is there another way to access this study?

 

I'm a little confused. Johnny started on Valtrex and then moved to Acyclovir? Is this the best protocol?

 

http://shichinohe.web.fc2.com/english1.htm

http://rlovell.tripod.com/Acyclovir.pdf

 

Thanks for those links, .02. Does this Dr. Gaeck (sp?) that I keep reading about have a published study as well? I'd like to be armed and ready when I see my doc this week.

 

You got it.

Richard R. Gacek, MD
University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655 (USA)
Tel. +1 508 856 4162, Fax +1 508 856 6703, E-Mail [email protected]

http://www.online.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowFulltext&ArtikelNr=189783&Ausgabe=243467&ProduktNr=224270

Ménière's Disease Is a Viral Neuropathy

By. Richard R. Gacek

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Mass., USA.

Morphological and clinical evidence supports a viral neuropathy in Ménière's disease (MD). Quantitative examination of 11 sectioned temporal bones (TBs) from 8 patients with a history of MD revealed a significant loss of vestibular ganglion cells in both the endolymph hydropic (EH) and non-EH ears. Transmission electron microscopy of vestibular ganglion cells excised from a patient with MD revealed viral particles enclosed in transport vesicles. Antiviral treatment controlled vertigo in 73 of 86 patients with vestibular neuronitis (85%) and 32 of 35 patients with MD (91%).

 

acujen,

I emailed Dr. Gacek, and he agreed to see me as a patient and try the antivirals. I called his office and I am traveling to Worcester from texas in august for the appointment. They were very helpful if you are thinking about contacting them.

 

Sholly, don't you find it sad that you need to travel such a distance to try antivirals. I would think, given the severity of MM, that any doctor would at least let you (us!) try it. Seems the benefits would outweigh the risk.

 

Agreed! I have found that certain doctors are more interested in cutting into my head than in helping me find the root of the problem. I'm learning to advocate for myself, because if I don't, no one else will.

 

Here once again is the Acyclovir Study that has helped so many of us here.

http://shichinohe.web.fc2.com/english1.htm

 

Bumped. Because I just read through this and there's some great information in here.

 

For anyone wanting additional information, there are several threads on the database board with more information as well.

 

I've been taking the Acyclovir for almost a week. 400 mg, 3x a day, for 30 days.

I really started to feel bait better today, really.
I walked with my daughter, to the dentists office, about a mile each way. I rarely stumbled.
This will be great because if I can move again, I can lose weight.

I'm getting excited!!

 

Acyclovir began working somewhat for me when I began taking it back in February as long as it was paired with meclizine. My dr. still wanted to do the minor surgery where the antiviral was injected directly into my ear. I got that done in March, I believe. It made things worse in the beginning but eventually but eventually I felt great only having one major episode a month (take in mind, I used to have them every 2 weeks with nausea and vomiting...the whole bit) I didn't live in fear anymore...I didn't have to stick to a low sodium diet either...but my symptoms have returned recently and now my episodes are every 1-2 weeks and I am dizzy nearly every day. It is difficult for me to even to the basics such as clean and cook. I am sad that the meds have quit working, they were supposed to last at least a yr. I have not had the chance to return to the dr. because I don't drive due to this disease and my husband hasn't been able to get off work lately to take me...so anyway, that's the latest with what acyclovir has been able to do for me. I wish you all better luck.

 

Dancing Kiwi, it is not unusual for viruses to come back. Would you consider taking oral antivirals for a period of time to see if they helped? Many if not most people need a touch up with the antivirals.

 

I didn't know that. I would do that. I still have my original prescription. Maybe I should call my Dr. and he can give me the go ahead over the phone without me needing to go in for an appointment. Thank you for the advice!

 

Hey Larry, an y idea how to contact Dr. Gacek? Does he accept int'l patients?

 

You got it.

Richard R. Gacek, MD
University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655 (USA)
Tel. +1 508 856 4162, Fax +1 508 856 6703, E-Mail [email protected]


Best of luck to ya Jerry.

 

Original Acyclovir study.

http://shichinohe.web.fc2.com/english1.htm