Hello. A couple of years ago after a weekend with a bout of nausea and vertigo and some hearing loss in one ear the ENT Dr. thought I had Meniere's syndrome. She said that if I had sudden hearing loss in the future I should go in and a small round or steroids (prednisone) might help reverse it. I have other questions and I'll look around and see if I find answers here, but my immediate question is how important prompt treatment is? Last weekend my hearing on that side seemed to diminish, without other symptoms. Online I read that most doctors say the sooner the better for treatment, but at this clinic an appointment can take weeks and she thought this was not a problem. I was able to get a hearing test appointment in a few days, and a doctor visit 10 days after the (suspected) hearing loss. Is that soon enough? Does it matter? Does anyone else here do this?
I am also interested in discussion of whether people with Meniere's think my symptoms fit the syndrome, but my pressing question now is about the recent loss of hearing.
thank you for any comments. Michael
Prompt treatment for Meniere's syndrome is really important, especially if there is sudden hearing loss. Therefore, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations and seek help as soon as possible. Your appointment 10 days after hearing loss is a reasonable time frame, but if you develop new symptoms or the condition worsens, do not hesitate to contact your healthcare provider to determine the urgency of your appointment.
Prompt treatment for Meniere's syndrome is really important, especially if there is sudden hearing loss. Therefore, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations and seek help as soon as possible. Your appointment 10 days after hearing loss is a reasonable time frame, but if you develop new symptoms or the condition worsens, do not hesitate to contact your healthcare provider to determine the urgency of your appointment.
Prompt treatment is important in controlling the symptoms of Meniere's disease, so it's important to consider and pay extra attention to this disease and seek medical attention as soon as possible if you experience sudden hearing loss.
Hello, thank you for the responses. I’m back a year later after some more hearing loss, and more symptoms at the beginning of this month (February 2025), and am still confused. I had distinct hearing loss in one ear, light headedness and the tinnitus cranked up. For the past maybe ten years or so I’ve sometimes felt some light headedness in some periods, but it had been gone for months. I went to the ENT and the audiology confirmed more hearing loss, and she recommended I use the diuretic again (diazide) and avoid salt, and maybe caffeine and alcohol (no problem, I hardly use them).
When I saw her the first time she gave me a brief course of predinisone. Later she referred me to a Meniere’s expert, who said (as I recall it) that with the Meniere’s diagnosis prednisone was not called for. She said that steroid works (sometimes) incase it’s not Meniere’s but is an infection. She also stopped the diuretic I’d started taking. The current ENT Dr says that when I’m actively symptomatic the diuretic (diazide) is a good idea, but is not necessary between outbreaks. I think the earlier ENT Dr I saw thought a diuretic was a good idea to keep taking continually.
The whole diagnosis seems a bit fuzzy. The diagnosis requires two episodes of vertigo. I had the very definite one a few years ago when I was on the floor with spinning with nausea for a couple of hours, with hearing loss concurrent, but fortunately not much else. I said I’d probably had at least one more vertigo episode, but in retrospect I wasn’t really distinguishing vertigo from nausea and dizziness, like food poisoning. I definitely remembered the vertigo feeling from somewhere in my past, (my memory is not terrific), but later I realized the memory could be from spinning myself in childhood (and later. Well, it’s safer than drugs.)
So I wonder what experience others have had. Is it really Menniere’s if I had only one really definite vertigo episode? Should I be taking prednisone after new hearing loss? Does everyone else with this diagnosis have more constant problems with vertigo? Perhaps the diagnosis so cloudy that there could be different conditions falling into the same term “Meniere’s”? Why should I rush in to see the ENT Dr. when I have symptoms if they’re not going to do anything except tell me to take the diuretic (diazide) that I already have in the cabinet?
Comments on my or your own experiences, and whether my experience matches yours and the diagnosis are welcome. Thanks again.
