I cured myself of Menieres

Snow,

Wow what a story. I too am impressed with your approach.

I'm curious about caffeine. You probably don't use it but did you find it to be a trigger?

Milo

 

Hi Milo,
I dont take caffeine at all. So I dont know if it was a trigger.
Eitherway, it is healthy to reduce caffeine in our diet.

Lisa, MM is a complex disease but a very "mechanical" one - it is a response to stimulus kind of reaction. unlike cancer which has uncontrollable growth, that has high degenerative quotient.

And your lifestyle your inner peace has BIG impact - stress is a major trigger for MM in my experience. Mine was job stress and personal stress. I had to remove them from my life. before I could find a big leap in my ear condition.

It is not just eating the right food - you shoud not be thinking of something else, worried about something and gulping down food - you should eat it in peaceful surroundings and chew it very well - food that is difficult to digest should be chewed well otherwise it is a strain on the internal organs, again aggravating Meneires in my case.

Not many people get Meneires, I feel it is a reaction to our lifestyle, having super sensitive inner ear. we really need to revamp our life because anything out of balance, our body "uses" our inner ear to signal it to us.

 

I agree.  I have a few friends that successfully beat their cancers, one is winning his battle right now with a stage 4 brain tumor diagnosed over 2 years ago, he's "suppose" to be dead even with conventional treatments that he didn't do, one with ovarian cancer, one with breast cancer, by learning what foods to eat and most important, what not to eat, along with some intensive natural and herbal supplements.  Their success stories are just a drop in the bucket, as they know others, who know others, and on.  I wonder how much of our diseases and ailments are due to the abuse our bodies take with what we eat and drink and bad habits, etc. that weaken our immune systems which then are no longer able to keep up with the work load, then things run amuk.  I just learned of a woman hit hard with multiple sclerosis and paralyzed for almost a year, she researched and applied very healthy eating, and 6 years later she is completely free of the ms, she helped her body beat the thing in a healthy way. She wrote a book too.

Good for you for treating your body so well.  I'm not where you are, about halfway there, and admire what you are doing for your overall health.

 

I just disagree, Snow. I do think that diet has a big impact, no doubt. But many people do not develop disease because of their diet. I fervently believe that those people who "cure" things like MM and MS through diet did not have the disease in the first place. But your point of making yourself improved through diet is a good point, and it needs to be made. I know so many people who abuse their bodies through alcohol and junk food, friends in college who abused it through drugs, and not one of them has developed a major disease. And then there was me, the runner, the one who took care of herself, the happy one, who has come down with several major diseases. SO I think that most of the medical world will agree that while diet is a huge contributor to health, it will not by itself cause disease. I think that diet can help us control weaknesses, especially if you have an allergy or sensitivity to food. That just makes sense.
There are also many different degrees of MM. Some can control it through diet, that is a proven fact. I have a friend who controls hers through vitamin B. These options did not work for me. I really respect those who figure out their triggers, but what helps people with MM is not going to be the same. That is part of the definition of MM. I do not have major stress in my life. I also do not have a reaction to food I eat. I have experimented with diet and found no link. So you need to be aware that we are all different.
I do have a hard time when people come on here and say what works for them works for everyone. It just does not, and that is a fact. I think it does a disservice to newbies to think that they are "causing" their MM by not doing something right. However, diet should always be monitored and watched with MM, it certainly can't hurt anyone. You obviously found it a huge trigger, and stress, and that was important for you. Lisa

 

Lisa, I understand what you are telling. But even if 1 person with Menieres is helped by my posts, by my sharing my experiences ,then it is worth it. That was why I posted the topic in the first place.

 

Good for you, Snow.

 

I am with you. Even among those of us who are diagnosed with Meniere's by a specialist with the help of lots of tests, there is no doubt in my mind that we represent many different origins for this set of symptoms called Meniere's. The more 'cures' we hear about the more likely we are to find the one that fits us.

 

I agree. I think I said that in my post. I have tried many approaches to getting relief, and I think that this is one of the strengths of this board. I am glad you shared your story, and I truly hope it does help others. I just don't agree that diet is a trigger for everyone. It would also make me wonder if diet was a huge factor, if something else, like allergies, is going on. Again, another path that may help someone. Many things can cause MM like symptoms without being MM, and this should also be explored by all. For some with true MM, diet is a huge factor. Lisa

 

I agree with you also Lisa. I understand that Dr. Derebery at House is doing a lot of work regarding a possible allergy origin for Meniere's.

 

This is exactly why it is so hard for doctors to diagnose and treat patients who have Meniere's symptoms. There can be many other things causing the problem that is mimicing Meniere's. Allergies are usually one of the first things they try to rule out.

Piggy

 

Boy, Piggy, I'm trying to make sense of that one. Maybe you or others can help me here. Question: How can one mimic something that has no complete definition? Here’s what I mean: when an impersonator mimics, say, Ed Sullivan, the subject of the impersonation is fully defined as the individual universally known as Ed Sullivan. Ed Sullivan is a complete definition. But regarding the Meniere’s diagnosis, medical science provides no full description, no complete definition. If it did, that definition would include not only Meniere's symptoms, but also the cause(s) of those symptoms, a full description of what the disorder really means. So since medical science only defines Meniere's by symptoms, and not by what causes those symptoms, Meniere’s has no complete definition. That gives rise to the following paradox: If a known cause leaves one with Meniere's symptoms, by virtue of exhibiting those symptoms, a person in question has Meniere's. But also, since medical science recognizes no known cause for the Meniere's diagnosis, that same person knowing the cause of his or symptoms also disqualifies the Meniere's diagnosis. The subject has Meniere’s by virtue of the symptoms, but also does not have Meniere’s by virtue of knowing the cause of those symptoms. So when you write, "There can be many other things causing the problem that is mimicking Meniere's," my question is how can a symptom with a known cause mimic something for which a cause is not known? To do so is backward. It is like Ed Sullivan impersonating someone nobody knows. What would be the point to that?

These may seem academic questions; but I bring this up for a reason. So many folks when diagnosed with Meniere's assume that the cause of their symptoms is part of the diagnosis, and that cause is “unknown.” And because medical science gives the cause of Meniere's as "unknown," that automatically leaves the new Meniere's patient assuming from the start that he or she has no way to identify the actual cause, no way to learn how to treat the cause, and therefore to believe that to try to learn to treat the cause would be a fruitless endeavor. We all should be able to agree that the earlier in the progression of this symptom-only diagnosis a cause were identified, the better would be the prognosis for recovery. The earlier one therefore attempts various non-invasive treatments that have been shown to positively affect Meniere's symptoms, then of course the better. But if one is given to understand that all such efforts will be in vane, then one would be less prone to make the attempt. Plainly, that is not a healthy mode within which for a Meniere’s sufferer to operate. When a diagnosis of Meniere’s is given, medical science provides a disservice when it does not provide a complete overview of the various treatments, medical and otherwise, which have been demonstrated to help folks with similar symptoms. I do not see how that assertion can be disputed. But that is the way it is. Medical science has proven to be a miserable failure with respect to treating these symptoms that define the Meniere’s diagnosis. But seemingly, at least to me, in an effort to own the disease, to own the diagnosis and to therefore own its treatment, medical science has turned a blind eye to those causes which are actually known to beget Meniere’s symptoms. And unfortunately, ignoring these valid non-medical treatments does nothing but provide a capstone for all the other failures of medical science with respect to its own efforts to understand and treat the various causes of Meniere’s symptoms.

 

Henry, what I figured out is that Meniere's is a diagnosis by exclusion. MM disease is diagnosed when 3 of 4 hallmark symptoms are present and there is no other known cause. If it is exactly like MM but a cause is discovered then it is by definition called MM disorder - correction I should have said MM syndrome - not disease.

My hope is that one by one they will discover causes of various peoples MM disease and reclassify it as an MM disorder syndrome. Hopefully they will be discovering the cure as well as the cause. And eventually they will end up with no one with Meniere's disease because all the various causes have been discovered, methods of certain diagnosis and attribution to those causes figured out so every one is diagnosed correctly as to the origin of their Meniere's syndrome.

But meanwhile we all wait wondering which of these to be discovered categories each of us fall into. And we try to figure it out sometimes by comparing notes here.

I hope we here are hastening the day when specialists will say 'You have Meniere's syndrome. We will do a few tests here, discover what is the origin of your particular disorder, get you treated and send you on your way!'

Debating what is really Meniere's and what isn't seems to miss the point to me.

 

Hi June,

You are helping to make my point when you say, "What I figured Out..." Yes, you figured it out and I do not disagree with that approach, diagnosis by exclusion. Still, that diagnosis is based solely upon symptomology, not cause-ology. You make my point because how long did it take for you to "figure all that out?" You were fortunate, you figured it out. Others, day in and day out on this forum, indicate that they have Meniere's and question whether others who have the same or similar symptoms do or do not. That indicates a belief on their parts that Meniere's is something that has a definite cause, even if that cause is unknown. You make my point because folks who do not figure out what you figured out also do not have a large enough overview of what is really meant by the diagnosis "Meniere's" to personally make any use of that knowledge. They have Meniere's. There is nothing they can really do about it and that means that they are doomed to spend the rest of their lives spinning. There is a big unknown here. Medical science is not clear regarding what is known about Meniere's symptoms, the Meniere's diagnosis, and they do their patients a grave injustice not providing information regarding alternative treatments that have been successful in treating folks who have had similar symptoms.

You say that if a cause is discovered then it is by definition called MM disorder not disease. If that is true and I believe you when you say that, then it must be important enough for the folks who use that terminology to differentiate what Meniere's is and what it isn't. So those folks must have had the debate among themselves that you indicate misses the point in all of this. Understanding what Meniere's is and what it isn't is vital information if you ask me. If someone tells me I have Meniere's, I want to know what that really is and what it is not. For one thing, that knowledge will plainly make me a better patient. But that knowledge does more than that, it makes me a better advocate for my own health. Knowledge is power, power over your own circumstances. These circumstances relate to health. Other circumstances may relate to our finances, others our business dealings, and so on. Understanding what a doctor really means when he or she diagnoses Meniere's is essential for anyone to beat this malady. Only those who truly understand what they have, or at least highly suspect, are likely to beat it. That is because only those will act in accordance with that belief or high suspicion.

In all of this, the essential point is the one I made when I wrote, "When a diagnosis of Meniere’s is given, medical science provides a disservice when it does not provide a complete overview of the various treatments, medical and otherwise, which have been demonstrated to help folks with similar symptoms. " I really don't see how that can be disputed.

 

Yes, I agree with you Hank. Actually I figured it out by reading. That is the official way to determine a Meniere's Disease diagnosis. Doctors make no bones about it. That is the definition.

 

Since I am studying Macrobiotics, I would like to take up one case amongst the members, free of cost, and we can work on a diet plan and personal therapy that heals the symptoms of Meneires. that restores hearing, and removes the vertigo at the very least.
Anyone interested please let me know.
No cost and no medicines involved. Maybe a few supplements (like Calcium, Vitamin C) and special japanese food ingredients like Miso, sea vegetables etc.

Let me know.

 

John of Ohio has done a lot of work and had great success on a vitamin therapy plan, it is in our database. Many docs have tried to develop vitamin supplements, one has even been created and tested at Mayo, but alas, has not gained widespread use. Lisa

 

I'm delving into my macrobiotics book right now called "The Hip Chicks guide to Macrobiotics". I've been researching it for a few months since i was diagnosed in December with stage 2 melanoma. My cousin's husband at same time diagnosed prostate cancer. He and his wife went to Boston for a week and learned all they could and came home and cooked the macro way. He's free of cancer as of now and they told me that melanoma was very treatable with this diet. Low and behold i found a scientist the melanoma website stating this is the way to go!

I really think diet/stress are soooooo key in many diseases. All about healthy immune system, once that shuts down it all falls apart and diet and stress are major factors in destroying immune system.

 

To Mr. Henry Sullivan (not to be confused with ED),

Meniere's by definition has no known cause and no known cure. As June stated, they rule out everything else and what you are left with is "Meniere's". Treatment for Meniere's does nothing to elininate the disease itself, it only lessens the severity of the symptoms which in turn helps a person to live a somewhat better life. I personally believe that I will never be cured of Meniere's. That is a lot different than saying that I will never try anything to help me with the severity of my symptoms. I went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN from 1987 thru 2001 after having an unsuccessful endolymphatic sac decompression done in Lincoln, NE in late 1986. I have tried the low salt diet, no alcohol, no caffein, etc and nothing has made a difference. I did have a successful "Tack Surgery" done at Mayo in 1987 and it kept me from having further bouts of dizziness in that ear but as time went on the hearing kept getting worse and worse with more and more distortion. In 1992 I was lucky enough to get Meniere's in my other ear. At first I was treated with shots of strepomyacin twice a day until my balance function became affected. Later after the dizziness returned I had Gent injected into my middle ear area. All of this helped to temporarily relieve me of dizziness but it kept coming back. All of these treatments do hasten the loss of hearing and I was hesitant to have anymore procedures done because I had one useless ear and one which was fading quickly. I tried the Meniett box in late 2001 but it didn't help. I finally decided to have the Sac Surgery in Dallas in early 2002 but again got about 5 weeks of relief from the dizziness. From 2002-2007 I tried every drug that my ENT could think of to try to eliminate the dizziness and nothing worked long term. It seemed that when one was helping that my body eventually figured a way around it and back came the dizziness just like before. I still get dizzy anywhere fro 5 to over 40 times a month with no rhyme or reason. I avarage about 20 times a month and valium works well for me to curtail it but there are times I need to take 2 or three pills over a 45 minute period. On the bright side, I had the Cochlear Implant surgery done a few months ago and I am now able to converse in a group setting and out of the reclusive one on one thing that went on for me for the past few years. So ,please, do not put me into a category of someone who does nothing and just lives with Meniere's because it can't be cured.

Piggy

 

To Mr. Piggy (not to be confused with Miss ),

Perhaps to someone who has walked in your shoes, what I wrote seems overly generalized. I will concede the point to you and apologize for leaving you with a mistaken inference to make. So to your point, perhaps I could have said it better. When I wrote, "because medical science gives the cause of Meniere's as 'unknown,' that automatically leaves the new Meniere's patient assuming from the start that he or she has no way to identify the actual cause, no way to learn how to treat the cause, and therefore to believe that to try to learn to treat the cause would be a fruitless endeavor," perhaps I should have referred to when the new Meniere's patient is left with the impression of the same. That impression, one left without first educating the patient of all of the options, invasive as well as non-invasive, is what I am talking about. And with many people, with no pause of consideration, that mistaken impression leads to automatic assumption that trying to discover the root cause and treat it would be a fruitless endeavor. Plainly, that is not the case. I think you know what I am saying here. I am referring to that group of people, who instead of receiving guidance from their medical professional concerning valid non-invasive alternatives, are only given information concerning invasive treatments. Maybe that does include you after all; I don't know. Either way, as I said, when that happens, when a diagnosis of Meniere’s is given, medical science provides a disservice when it does not provide a complete overview of the various treatments, medical and otherwise, which have been demonstrated to help folks with similar symptoms. That pretty well summarizes my point. I do not mean to overgeneralize, but I do mean to generalize to a point.

Hank

 

Hank, invasive treatments work wonders for some; like me. It is good to try everything first, but invasive treatments certainly have their place. Destructive is not a bad word if you're destructing something that malfunctions and as a result are returned to health. I have a hard time understanding many of your posts and the point you are trying to make. Certainly it is good to try many things, but destructive treatments such as the laby and vns have been godsends to many here. Menieres and it's treatment is a complicated one. There is often no known cause. Just because you want to look for one does not guarantee you'll find it. Lisa