My Life with Meniere’s Disease
At the age of 19, I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. What is Meniere’s, you ask? Let’s just say it’s not fun. In a nutshell, it’s an autoimmune condition that is characterized by four main symptoms: fullness or pressure in the ears, ringing in the ears, loss of hearing especially in the lower frequencies, and periods of dizziness/vertigo. It is idiopathic meaning there isn’t a distinct cause though inflammation is a key component as is common with many present day diseases. The 2nd semester of my freshman college year was marked with spells of vertigo where the room would, without warning, start spinning violently for a few minutes. After the spinning subsided, I was left tired and unable to think straight which led inevitably to a nice three hour nap sometimes skipping classes so I could recover from an episode. This happened at least twice a week. There were many times I walked back from a class stumbling slightly and grabbing onto any wall or rail that I could for some sense of balance. I’m certain everyone thought I was drunk. Really, if you don’t have Meniere’s, that’s the most similar feeling I can equate it to: the spinning, off balance, and nausea you get from having WAY too many beverages. I found a kind doctor who, after other tests to rule out tumors and other more serious concerns, diagnosed me with Meniere’s disease in my left ear. I was given a diuretic to take daily and told to limit salt intake, caffeine and alcohol. This is the standard one size fits all approach given to most Meniere’s sufferers. This regimen worked pretty well for the following ten years to limit vertigo to about twice a year (all of which were induced by me not following the rules and either overindulging in salt or alcohol). This regimen, however is a not a cure. It was a crutch to just get through it and I still ultimately got worse as this disease progressed. My hearing gradually diminished in my left ear to about 50% meaning I can only hear really loud things on that side and am unable to distinguish most words on that side. It remains at that level currently.
When I was 28, I delivered our first child. Within a month (which also happened to be in the spring), I started having severe congestion on a day to day basis, ringing in my good ear and shifts in hearing in both ears. My pregnancy and birth of our second child resulted in a slight escalation of these symptoms wherein I started to feel that I could not always hear the conversation at work meetings, had high levels of fatigue, and ultimately, I quit working partly because I felt I wasn’t functioning as well at work and it was slightly embarrassing. Luckily, it had been my desire to stay home with my two kids anyway so it was a convenient time to stop working. Shortly after staying home full time, I discovered my uptick in symptoms was directly related to the spring and fall seasons and tested positive for a number of seasonal allergies which I never had suffered from until having children.
At this point, I started immunotherapy and chiropractic in hopes of correcting my seasonal allergies. I was also taking a number of medications for my allergies and a prescription for the Meniere’s to lower pressure in my ear. I had switched my ENT doctor while I was pregnant with my third (and final!) child and my new doc was amazing. While my former doctors were unwilling to research, or listen or consider any options that weren’t drugs or surgery or the “one size fits all low sodium diet“, THIS guy was young and understood my desires to integrate conventional medical expertise and to experiment with alternative options. I needed to try anything and everything (within reason, of course). I was convinced that I was “going bi” meaning that my Meniere’s was bilateral, becoming symptomatic in both ears since my good ear had begun having fluctuations in hearing. I had a small ray of sunshine however as my new ENT was not as convinced that this was happening and thought this could be just triggered by allergies or another trigger that could potentially be controlled. As a temporary help, he performed a myringotomy and placed tubes in my ears. It was a lifesaver and stopped the major episodes of vertigo while I was pregnant. We postponed any further testing/treatment experiments until baby 3 had arrived.
After the birth of our third child, I struggled with more severe seasonal allergies and the Meniere’s disease which I’ve had since I was a teenager also dramatically increased in intensity. I also developed a food sensitivity to soft dairy. I felt like my body was completely broken. The medications I was taking seemed to be making things worse and going super low sodium with my diet put me in the ER. My right ear now also was ringing full time and occasionally had pressure. Hearing tests indicated my good ear was experiencing sensorineural permanent hearing loss as well which may not be reversible or even aidable with hearing aids (spoiler alert: they were wrong). I was suddenly very fearful that I would be functionally deaf within the next decade and need to learn sign language. To top that off, I felt mildly off balance nearly every day similar to the feeling of walking on a boat. I also had an increase in vertigo that caused room spinning and left me laying down for many hours afterwards. I didn’t feel comfortable driving distances and limited myself (on days I felt reasonably good) to driving only a few miles away for essential errands only. I felt I had lost much independence and often had to ask my husband to run errands since I didn’t feel well enough to drive on many days. I couldn’t live like that. I had children to take care of and a life to reclaim.
Good news came to me after suffering through a test called a VNG – short for Videonystagmography. And yes, though worth it, it was horrible and I never want to take that again. This test gauges how well your eyes and ears work together to determine the level of balance function that remains in your vestibular system. Luckily for me, the result was in the normal range. Barely, but still considered normal. With this result, it means no serious surgeries would be recommended and my ENT was hopeful that we could combine conventional and alternative therapies to maintain my current level of functioning. My hope was and is, of course, to improve it. I was suddenly highly motivated and determined to find answers and a way to heal from this.
My answers resulting in a slow and steady healing of Meniere’s disease have come about in many forms. I discovered early on that I had severe allergies that were triggering Meniere’s symptoms which is highly common among those of us with Meniere’s. I continued hearing about healthy clean eating from specialists I encountered. My chiropractor discovered a severe backwards curve in my neck and misalignment in my upper few vertebrae which we began adjustments to correct. Misalignment of the upper neck vertebrae (or even the jaw) can aggravate the hearing and balance nerves and also interferes with sinus function so this was a critical discovery. My chiropractor indicated this could very well be the key to my healing for both allergies and my trifecta of meniere’s symptoms (spoiler alert: he was right!). After about 6 months of bi-weekly adjustments, I started to notice improvements in my symptoms and they kept getting better.
My chiropractor also continued asking me about what I was eating these days and talked about the idea of clean eating. I just wasn’t ready for it. My allergist had many times talked about the importance of probiotics and hinted at the possibility of food sensitivities and urged me to do a food elimination challenge. Again, I wasn’t ready for it. The acupuncturist that I enlisted for help with my sinuses gave me a handout regarding foods that cleanse the body and were aimed at healing my particular symptoms. I wasn’t ready for it. I had one foot in the door of a conventional mindset wanting a drug to solve my problems and one foot in the alternative therapies mindset which almost always includes dietary modifications relevant to your own personal needs. At that time I was taking three different prescriptions for my allergies which still weren’t solving the issue and taking one additional prescription specifically for Meniere’s disease. I simply couldn’t fathom the fact that what I was eating, just might be what was causing new allergies to develop and exacerbating existing issues. I sought out the help of a naturopathic doctor during this time and also experimented with a number of other natural therapies. I was finally convinced that I need to try modifying what I ate after my visit with the naturopathic doctor. The ND, like my allergist, agreed that I REALLY needed to try an elimination diet for a month to see if there were any obvious food allergies and she put me on a mild cleanse with the addition of probiotics. I agreed to try it. Just for one month.
That month seemed unending. It was a serious hard core elimination. No gluten. No dairy. No alcohol. No nuts. No eggs. No soy. No beef. No pork. Limited fruits. Limited sugars. Seriously… what on God’s green earth was I supposed to eat?!?!? Oh riiiiight. Greens. Lots of veggies (whine…. But I HATE veggies!!!). Lots of poultry and fish or other non-beef/pork meats. Good thing my husband is a hunter so I did have some venison in the freezer for variation. At least non-gluten grains were also on the okay list of things to eat. I must admit, the first week was the hardest. I had severe cravings for dairy and sugary things. I really wanted my nightly glass of wine. All in all, I made it. After a full month of eating this way, I had detoxed my body of many cravings, and readjusted my sweet tooth and ultimately, was feeling really pretty darn good. I didn’t have any brain fog, the ringing in my ears had subsided to barely noticeable, I felt much thinner though I hadn’t really lost much weight, and most importantly I wasn’t dizzy. I had been mildly dizzy or off balance nearly every day for the past year so this alone had convinced me that maybe, just maybe there was something to this eating healthier thing.
The last part of the elimination challenge was to re-introduce each of the foods that were eliminated one by one with at least 3 days between the introduction of the next. By doing so, I discovered there was most certainly a link between dairy and an increase in allergy and Meniere’s symptoms. Gluten was questionable so I didn’t really eliminate it completely. The other food items seemed to be fine. I eventually read a number of studies that indicate that people with Meniere’s disease are often affected by gluten (or other food sensitivities). I had also read a number of studies that indicate persons who have a sensitivity to dairy are highly likely to also be sensitive to gluten. After further research, I decided that eating clean and eating significantly less gluten and dairy (if any) was the best solution for me. So here I am, eating clean and healing one plate at a time.
Today, now 5 years later and three years after committing to eating clean and keeping up with continuous chiropractic adjustments in the upper neck vertebrae, I am beating Meniere’s. I no longer feel like I’m walking on a boat every day. I can drive again and have gained back my independence and can work again. The major vertigo has disappeared. I haven’t had any spinning vertigo in over two years and the off balance feeling is limited to only when I am sick with a virus. My hearing that was thought to be permanent loss has actually improved greatly in my good ear to near normal and is much more stable in my bad ear. The tinnitus is barely noticeable whereas it used to be debilitating. I feel much more confident talking on the phone and no longer miss half the conversation. I’ve also been able to discontinue using all drugs for both Meniere’s and my allergies. Chiropractic correction of the upper neck vertebrae has reversed the progression of this disease. I feel like a better wife and mother. Most importantly, I have my LIFE back!!
Check out my natural solutions for Meniere’s Disease page and the resources reference page for Meniere’s Disease to learn more about what’s working for me. I sincerely hope that my learnings and struggles can help you heal too.
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I found your blog very interesting. Since allergies are so prevalent in my children, I was interested in the clean eating. It has motivated me to learn more about it. I hope your condition continues to improve. Best Wishes Connie
Thanks Connie! I hope that my experiences can be helpful to you and your kids as well 🙂 Happy adventures in clean eating! – Kari
Thankyou so much.I was also diagnosed with Menierse.
I had a attack Saturday.Not nice at all
So great reading this article. I waa diagnosed about 6 months ago after 3 spinning episodes. I eat pretty healthy but have found myself craving salt like crazy at least every couple of months. Has anyone experienced this?
Hi Lorena! I remember craving salt like crazy too when I first cut a lot of sodium out of my foods. Have you tried Himalayan pink salt by chance? It has a nice intense salt flavor but isn’t quite as heavy on sodium as regular table salt. Maybe that would help with the craving while providing a number of other minerals too. I love it!
I haven’t but I will try it thanks!
Hey! I constantly feel like I’m on a boat everyday and often wonder if food allergies could be the cause! How long did it take for you to see a difference? Did the ground feel bouncy when you walked?
Hi Josie! YES!!! That’s exactly how I felt… like I was walking on a boat all day long or like in a children’s bounce house 🙂 I tried an elimination diet challenge that removes any and all major allergens (dairy, gluten, soy, nuts, eggs, no added sugars and I can’t remember the other three) for an entire month and then re-introduces them one by one spaced at least 3 days apart, I noticed I felt significantly better after about two weeks and continued to improve. That’s how I discovered that I was sensitive to dairy. When I tried to add it back into my diet after eating really clean for a month I immediately felt the ill effects within hours of consuming dairy. I can now tolerate cheeses but still stay away from liquid dairy as that still bothers me. I would definitely recommend trying a hardcore eliminate diet for a month. At least you’ll know then if any of the major food allergens are causing your symptoms or not. Even if you end up not being allergic or sensitive to any of those foods, you’ll still feel so much better!
I’m also pregnant right now.
When I walk the ground feels bouncy and feels closer than it really is when I walk.
What things did you eat?
Did you eat chicken?
You’re so young to be feeling that way! I SO know that feeling. Anyway, I ate a lot of rice, beans, veggies upon veggies, fruits, healthy fats like avocado and coconut and a lot of meats focusing on poultry (yes chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant) but no eggs. Since you mention you’re pregnant, if you do try an elimination challenge, I’d start with the two most likely allergens for a month – wheat (gluten) and dairy. You’ll want to be sure you don’t inadvertently decrease your total calories as that wouldn’t be good for a growing baby 🙂 If you don’t feel any results by eliminating wheat and dairy, then you could always try the other allergens later. When I cut dairy, I added more meats and especially avocado to make up for the missing calories and the healthy fats in avocado or coconut milk will keep you fuller longer. Just be sure you’re also getting tons of veggies – that’s actually the most important for a variety of nutrients for your body. Did you feel the boat-walking sensation before you were pregnant? I ask because it could be pregnancy related as well – lots of strange things happen or are exacerbated by being preggers especially since increase in blood pressure or hormone changes can put pressure on the balance nerves in your ears which could cause the same boat walking feeling.
I started feeling dizzy in December (just off balance, I described it as one leg feeling longer than the other), & I got pregnant in feb. It did start up as I got pregnant. After driving my head is real swimmy for about a half hour so. I got 29 days until my princess is due 🙂
Thank you for some wonderful insight. I’ve had more than one attack . I have some allergies but the ones i am aware of are enviormentel . I don’t know if that has any effect on menieres. After reading your story I plan to try a clean diet.
Hi Josie! Allergies could def be a trigger. If you know you’re exposed to your allergens, take note if you feel worse at all. That may give you some insight if allergies are causing your symptoms to worsen especially if it’s high pollen season for your known allergens. I hope the clean diet will help you! Simply removing inflammatory causing foods can make a HUGE difference in the way we feel (and can help our bodies manage allergies more effectively too). Good luck!
By the way, I’m 19.
Did u ever have bouncy vision?
Yes, I did and still get it on occasion when I have a headache or a lot of congestion. Feels like my eyes can’t catch up with the movement of my head. Not fun!
Kari, reading your story brought me to tears because that’s been my life for the past 6 months!! My husband found your site online and finally somebody has gone through what I am. I was so relieved that there may be some relief ahead. I’m trying to eat clean, it’s the hardest thing ever!! Low sodium, no alcohol, caffeine, preservative free. Mainly chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, coconut oil. I’m already lactose intolerant so I only use almond milk for a morning smoothie. I will try gluten free and give up the eggs too…anything to get better. Right now only on a diuretic and diet. Thanks for giving me hope!!!
Karen, I’m sorry you’ve been going through this 🙁 It’s miserable, I know. Eating clean is definitely a challenge but so well worth it. I remember being at that same phase of “I’ll just try ANYTHING to feel better”. You can do it, don’t give up! Fingers crossed that you can find what’s triggering your symptoms soon and be able to manage them and heal. Within you a Happy Holidays!
Watch the ingredients in almond milk, natural flavors or vanilla flavoring . I found out some have msg in the vanilla. Crazy.
Been adjusting to life with Menieres for last year (had no idea what it was!!)
ENT said I don’t have to re-evaluate for a year & redo hearing test, kidneys don’t like Maxide, really trying to watch diet but am so tired most days, sometimes totally spent after a work day, so I’m taking one day ata time -thanks to your experience going to concentrate on allergies & intestinal issues. Thanks so much, helps to know someone else has this.
I really think there is a correlation between having a crown done & this starting a couple of weeks later
Hi Cheryl, It’s pretty amazing how many of us there are living with Meniere’s. I didn’t do well with Maxide either when I tried it. I hope you can find your triggers and keep the symptoms under control. You very well could be right about the correlation with your crown being done. I’ve heard many stories of people with dental work (especially if it’s the metal kind) or TMJ that end up with meniere’s symptoms 🙁
Took your suggestion about magnesium-this week I’ve not been as tired.
Now to get ringing to not be at top of chart.
Weather changes really affect me but this weeks 3day storm was not as bad & I think the difference was the magnesium-thanks?
Hi Cheryl! I’m SO happy the magnesium is helping. It’s been a lifesaver for me 🙂 YAY!!!
Hi there,
got diagnosed thee years ago with this illness, been fairly stable, met another person who also suffers today, she suggested cutting the dairy as well, i’m definitely going to try it although my hearing is about trashed, keep up the good work.
greg.
Hi Greg, thanks for the note! I thought my hearing was a lost cause but it did improve a bit after making dietary changes so hoping some of your hearing improves as well after cutting dairy. Good luck!
I was just diagnosed w Ménière’s Disease, I’m 27 and a professional photographer. I noticed tinnitus, vertigo, brain fog, etc about 3 years ago after I photographed a music festival. I thought to myself oh maybe I had tinnitus and hearing loss because of shooting concerts and weddings (loud loud music). Turned out I have MD, my ent is absolutely amazing and constantly helping me out with trying to get a grip on it. She did say I may need a hearing aid, waiting on the results of my 4th hearing test. I’m definitely struggling w eating because I’ve cut out processed food and am down to about 800mg of sodium a day and eating the same things over and over. I don’t consume dairy or meat. Needless to say it’s been an interesting few months. Still trying to figure out my triggers. It’s been difficult doing that.
Hi Maria, Thanks for your note. MD is such a pain! So glad you have an amazing ENT. It makes a world of difference to have found a good one! Good luck finding your triggers. It takes awhile to find them and I still come across new ones here and there. Good luck with your diet too. It’s so hard to cut out processed foods but it’s worth it. Even more complicated for you not having dairy or meat, I’m sure. You can do it! I do have a lot of recipes on this site that don’t include diary or meat…search for “vegetarian or vegan” as I’ve tried to tag appropriate recipes that way when I can. I also have some great vegan/vegetarian dishes on the site that I contribute to called Breaking Muscle like this spinach and chickpeas https://breakingmuscle.com/healthy-eating/food-for-fertility or this tasty quinoa bowl https://breakingmuscle.com/fuel/vegan-protein-meal-cilantro-lime-quinoa-bowl or a penne pasta https://breakingmuscle.com/fuel/a-vegan-meal-to-satisfy-you-protein-penne-pasta
Thank you for sharing , I am suffering this kind of disease right now and you gave me hope to live a happy life again. I’m also a mother of two boys , 11 yrs old and 1 yr old. I’m currently in the hospital for recovery and I can’t wait to try clean eating. Thank you very much!
Florabel – thanks for visiting! Meniere’s (or any type of vestibular disorder) is so challenging especially with young kids around. I wish you the best in your recovery! If you didn’t see my other page of possible things that could help manage symptoms, please check it out as well as there may be other things that you can try in addition to clean eating that would help immensely. You can find that list here http://www.cookingupclean.com/natural-solutions-menieres-disease/
HI! IM SO HAPPY I STUMBLED OVER YOUR PAGE, I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING WITH MD FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS NOW, IT HAS BEEN THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER BEEN FACED WITH. I AM LOOKING OVER YOU PAGE AND SEE YOUR RECIPES ETC. YOU DON’T MENTION MUCH ABOUT BEING ON A “LOW SODIUM” DIET AND WELL MY ENT ONLY EXPRESSES HOW MY SPELLS AND HEARING LOSS IS MANAGED BY MY SODIUM INTAKE, I LIKE HIM HE’S OK. I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE FURTHER TEST ETC, I HAVE HAD A SHUNT PLACED IN MY EAR AND A FEW SHOTS OF STEROIDS IN MY EAR, NONE DID ANYTHING FOR ME. THE SHUNT REALLY I FELT JUST MADE ME WORST. ALL HE TALKS ABOUT IS MY DIET, I DONT FOLLOW A LOW SODIUM DIET LIKE I SHOULD, WELL BECAUSE ITS SUPER HARD. BUT NOW I REALLY AM TRYING TO BECAUSE THIS DISEASE IS KIND OF TAKING OVER MY LIFE. I HAVE THREE BABIES THAT I WANT TO HAVE ENERGY FOR. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK?
Hi Melissa!! I’m glad you stumbled across my page too 🙂 You’re right, I don’t mention much about a low sodium diet. Being on a non-processed and whole foods diet ends up automatically being significantly less in sodium when compared to a standard American diet so I think that’s why many doctors make that a blanket statement. I personally didn’t have any luck being on a low (1200-1500mg) sodium restriction though my first ENT had recommended it. It honestly made no difference in my symptoms unless I had a ridiculous amount of sodium in a day… like back when I used to add a salt packet sprinkled on top of my fast food burger that probably ended up being 4 or more times the recommended amount. Yikes. If you’re avoiding processed food, you’ll be avoiding most of the sodium anyway. I’ve also found that I use a lot less salt when I cook since I just add enough for the food to taste good rather than aiming for a specific sodium amount. If you do notice that sodium content makes a big difference for you, you can try using potassium chloride salts instead of sodium chloride based salts. I personal love pink himalayan or sea salt when I cook 🙂 The only way you’ll know if your diet is the problem is to REALLY commit to changing it. Try it just for one month at least eating no canned/processed or fast foods. You might be really amazed at how great you feel. I know how it feels when MD is threatening to take of your life, especially with kids to take care of! If you haven’t already found my other page with non-diet related suggestions that have worked for me here’s that page as well. Cheers and best of luck! http://www.cookingupclean.com/natural-solutions-menieres-disease/
Kari, do you have a maximum amount of sodium you allow your self per day? I initially saw a nutritionist in 2018 when first diagnosed with Meniere’s (later tweaked to a diagnosis of Endolymphatic Hydrops due to lack of vertigo). Both diagnosis required a limit of salt, caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. I only had to be concerned with salt as the others were already not part of my routine other than some chocolate. She also advised to keep all electrolytes balanced….not more of one than another, and to spread my sodium intake evenly throughout the day. Do you include this regimen in your clean eating?
Hi Audrey, I currently do not track sodium. Eating a balanced diet of mostly whole foods has eliminate the need for me to track it. I only notice that it bothers me if I eat out or have very salty meals multiple meals in a row (same with alcohol). Even then, I typically won’t get dizziness but will notice that my ear rings louder and I feel more inflamed/pressure in my ear. I do try to keep my electrolytes balanced but for me, an electrolyte imbalance shows up as heart arrythmia rather than meniere’s symptoms.
I am so thankful I found your site! I was diagnosed at age 25, it was so scary…. out of nowhere I got vertigo for the first time ever and thought I was having a stroke because I ran into the walls on the way to the bathroom where I sat and threw up for the next hour or so. It took many doctors appointments and tests to rule out other scary possibilities. I eventually got a hearing aid to help with some of the pressure and hearing loss but still experienced fluctuations in the dizziness, pressure and other symptoms. I went through 3 chiropractors until I found one that really helped along with changes in diet (and consistent working out). Like you said I can definitely tell when I have a weekend of bad eating or more drinking than normal because my symptoms increase a ton and its a matter of time before the vertigo happens. Sorry for such a long post, it is just amazing to hear an experience that resonates with my own story, and that there is hope for a happy life with Meniere’s! I am very excited to try out your recipes 🙂
Hi Molly!! Meniere’s certainly has is terrifying moments in the beginning. I still find it super reassuring to find others who’s story is similar to mine too – make me realize I’m not totally crazy 🙂 Cheers!
I too am so happy I stumbled across this page, it has he.ped me so much, I will be contacting g a chiropractor tomorrow, unfortunately I have double hearing loss, the most recent one was 3 weeks ago, I plan to start the healthy eating and am looking into having a cochlear implant
Please share your thoughts
Hi Ester,
Thank you for your kind note! I’m so glad the info I’ve put together has helped you. That makes me so happy. I’d wait with the cochlear implant until you see how the chiropractor and healthy eating do for you. I had a good portion of my hearing come back after doing these things and I know others that have had similar success. On the other hand, cochlear implants I’ve heard are awesome to help you hear again if you do indeed have permanent hearing loss. My uncle has a cochlear implant (not due to meniere’s disease though) but he has had great success with it. Good luck with the chiropractor tomorrow!
it is a breath of fresh air to read your story. I’m sorry to hear it happened to you so young. I’m 37 & was just diagnosed with MD 4 months ago. The ear fullness began a little over a year before. I use ear plugs & one morning I took the left one out & it felt like I never did. The tinnitus was off & on for a while. I commute 90 miles per day to get to & from work & often the noise of the car would leave me with the incessant ringing. I was already pretty sensitive to certain noise/noise levels & pitches of sounds. The vertigo began 4 months ago, after my aunt passed away. I was grieving terribly & it made for tear filled car rides & all of sudden I was stricken with the bouts of vertigo/dizziness. I do agree it does best do as described being very intoxicated although perplexing in that it occurs not when drinking. My symptoms went on for a about a week before I felt it ought best to see a DR. I had previously had blood clots that led to pulmonary emboli’s 3 years earlier & was terrified of dealing with something so traumatic again. When all my PE tests came back normal I was referred to ENT. I had surfed Web MD & pretty much diagnosed my self with MD at this point but my DR was in complete sureness as well. I really didn’t understand what I was dealing with at first. The timing was un canny as a week after my visit I was to be out of work for 6 wks after ankle surgery. During my time off work both of my parents were hospitalized which made controlling my stress levels ever more of a challenge. I had already been eating mostly clean for several years (spinach/kale smoothies with fresh fruits, mixed green salads, fish & red meat 1x per week etc) I did eat out once & a while but still chose the most healthy options more of the time. I never really liked salt, didn’t go out of my way to use it, but wasn’t by any means concentrating on levels. My surgery didn’t go as hoped & my dismantled focus due to my ailing parents left me with little time to really focus on what I was eating. I would say at times I ate things I wouldn’t normally eat & despite that all while I was out I only had 1 MD attack.. Of course when it was time to return to work my attacks starting coming more frequently & lasting for days. The wk end before I was to return I got an abscess on my tonsil that required antibiotics, then the walking boot I was prescribed for my post ankle recovery ending up flaring up my sciatica which was awful in the car, then the fist wk end after I returned to work I was emptying the dishwasher & I felt a pinch which I herniated a disc in my low back. To say it felt like the sky was falling would be an under statement,. I’m a manager so I balance a lot on my plate at my job, but I truly love it. I do not however love the commute. It has become excessively dangerous due to heavy congested traffic & distracted drivers. I used to listen to music to cope but in the car it became ever a distraction that I didn’t want to hinder my ability to focus. I have had MD attacks mid drive & it is awful. I just cant always get off the rd & I simply hold on for the ride. Dealing with so much at once was so hard & to make matters worse over the Thanksgiving holiday week I came down with bronchitis or pneumonia which left me in bed for the wk. Strangely when I first saw my DR for my back he prescribed an oral steroid, that did nothing to help my back, but it did relieve all my MD symptoms completely. Sadly after the 6 day does was done they slowly returned. I have now gotten 4 steroid injections in my ear. My hearing in my left ear at first had declined at 10%, but when I just went for my 3 mo f/u it had decreased another 10-15% & the audiologist wanted to discuss hearing aids. I really only seem to have difficulty when there is excessive background noise, but I know this could change. The prolonged issue with my back was making dealing with MD even more stressful. Its now been 2 months with that issue. It could take up to a year to fully heal. After almost a full week of constant attacks I went ballistic & cleaned out my cabinets/fridge. I closely watched my sodium intake & I often am having much less than the 1500mg & was still having attacks. After the 4 steroid injections the fullness isn’t as bad but I still have the tinnitus. I barely eat any dairy, not on a daily basis more like 1-3 servings/wk & small like 1 egg or a few ounces of cheese or 1/2 a yogurt no liquids. I nearly completely cut out gluten. I usually eat mainly local farm chicken/turkey & 1x per wk a grass fed burger. I still get attacks which leads me to think they are closely related to stress & my physical issues. I have strived to eat produce that helps with inflammation & have always relied on spices/teas & natural recipes for wellness. I’m so glad I found your recipes as I am having a lot of difficulty enjoying food. I’m always fearful something will cause an attack. This helps me shy away from any random snacking at the office when folks bring items to share, but makes me feel very detached from the majority not being able to eat out or just have an easy meal is hard with the many hours I spend on the road & at work. I’m terrified if I cant get my symptoms under control I will not be able to keep my job due to the distance & it is the only happy thing I’ve really got going at the moment. My normal stress management was via diet & exercise which due to my ankle/back I haven’t been able to work out for 4 mo & well the diet is just another work in progress.
Thank you for letting me share my story & any words of advice would be kindly accepted.
I want to beat this.
Allison
Hi Allison! Thanks for your story. I’m only a year older than you 🙂 I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I know what you mean by having the dizziness when driving. I’ve had that happen only a handful of time but it was terrifying! Stress is definitely a large factor in Meniere’s symptoms. Sound like you have the clean eating part going pretty well so that’s great!! You mentioned your sciatica… have you tried chiropractic? Chiropractic adjustments through my whole spine and especially in my upper neck brought my vertigo to none (no vertigo in over two years!) and also reduced my tinnitus. The other thing you mentioned is the oral steroid. I had the same experience… lowered hearing and my ENT gave me prednisone which relieved all my symptoms temporarily until I stopped taking them a few days later. After doing some research, I came to the conclusion that because oral steroids are an immune suppressant, they may have just been alleviating allergies so I began to suspect that I had chronic allergies. I saw an allergist after that and he confirmed this. Treating my allergies first with antihistamines and later doing the allergy shots for a more permanent solution significantly alleviated my meniere’s symptoms (this is also when I changed my diet knowing that dairy and other food additives was part of the allergy/sensitivities issue). If you haven’t already looked into allergies (seasonal, perennial or food based sensitivities) as a possible root cause, I definitely would. If you research allergy symptoms, you’ll find that allergies alone can cause meniere’s like symptoms. Misalignment in the spine, upper neck and even the jaw bones can also cause the same symptoms so looking into that might be an opportunity for you to beat this as well. I know many who have beat this disease with a combo of these solutions. Don’t give up hope! Have a wonderful holiday!
As far as allergies I’ve mainly only had negative effects from dust. I would get seasonal (meaning change of seasons) types of respiratory colds in the past but since I’ve focused on clean eating & using local honey in my tea daily they have for the most part not been any issue. Up until very recently I had not even had a cold in several years. I did read after I had the pulmonary embolism’s that the potential for allergy & or respiratory issues to be problematic in the years later a possibility. I do have vitiligo & have suffered random rare skin issues in the past but not anything in the last 5 yrs. I try to be sure of exactly what I am putting in & on my body. As far as chiropractic care I did see some one a little over 12 years ago. I hurt my back as a bank teller. I had a referral from 2 trusted friends to see one. He mentioned in my first visit all about what they do & that it would start with weekly visits & eventually taper to ev other wk, 1x per mo & so on, but that didn’t occur. I saw him 1x per wk for a yr with out improvement.. I had better luck using a yoga ball doing PT recommended stretches. After every visit I was in more pain the day of & it would slowly subside until I saw him again the following wk when it would begin all over. The last time I went he made an adjustment to my neck, I felt a crack & feared I might be paralyzed. It was traumatic, I left & never went back. A few yrs later I began having shoulder pain which went on for about 3 yrs progressing to the point it was affecting my ability to sleep & hindering my day to day responsibilities. I took a leave from work to figure things out. I thought it was my rotator cuff from repetitive movement stress of my job. I found out I had degenerative osteo arthritis in my cervical spine. I saw PT, & at age 26 got a home traction device (such a thrill), I had many tests, under went two courses of anesthetic steroid injections, saw neuro & they had me get a myleogram (wish I never did- this as a result caused me to get sciatica ever since), saw physiatry to get trigger point injections, & acupuncture. After 6 months with out improvement I decided that none of what I was trying to heal my self could work because I was undoing the progress each day in my daily work tasks. I a few months later decided to find a new job, left the negative relationship I was in, & moved all at once. I went to go work for a DR’s office & went from standing all day to sitting. I began taking joint juice a glucosamine supplement & walking daily. I had always been active my whole life. I grew up on a farm raising goats, riding horses & later got into sports. I started walking & later ended up doing 3 of those susan G komen 60mi beast cancer walks, In 3 months I had healed my self. I was treated for hypo thyroid from 2010-2011 with levothyroxine but after I didn’t feel great on it I worked to go un treated managing things with diet & exercise. My levels are often considered with in normal ranges & I hate taking pills. I’ve always lived tying to remain in good health using what nature provides in its simplest forms, but with the multiple issues I’m feeling a little in over my head. I almost got a job working for a chiropractor & I know how many believe spine health is linked to complete overall health. I will look into alternate treatments when I speak to my DR again. My ankle surgery didn’t go as planned as he fond more arthritis than he expected in a person my age. It my driving foot. I’m not sure where to turn next but I sincerely appreciate the advise & kind words.
Merry Christmas~
Hi, I have been having so many episodes and it’s not pretty… it’s affecting my job and sometimes I can’t hear what my son is saying, very sad. I am looking for a good diet to try. What I can eat. Thank you
Hi Sandra, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You’re in good company 🙂 I would recommend starting with a dietary reset for a month. The Whole30 is a great month long diet to help you clear out your system and begin a healthy eating style. It really helped me to see which foods were affecting my symptoms and I adopted a much cleaner eating style after doing this as it made me feel SO much better. Here’s the website that explains more about Whole30 (https://whole30.com/) and this is an affiliate link to their book that really helped me out: http://amzn.to/2FHeE8C
Hi kari,
back again, symptoms better after switching to alternative dairy, only had one dizzy spell last year.
hearing has improved a little at about 50% left 60& right, tinnitus quiet at the moment, have found that drinking plenty of water helps a lot and the symptoms are worse if fluid levels are down, supplements that seem to work at least for me are n-acetyl cystine, b- complex, magnesium and an all purpose multi vitamin. I get exercise from walking the dog four times a day, plus low salt and no alcohol diet.
hope that info is of help to others.
greg.
Hi Greg, That is fantastic news! i’m so glad you stopped back to give us an update on what’s working for you 🙂 Keep it up!
I found much success with an elimination diet also! I wonder, did you find all forms off of dairy to be a trigger or just products with lactose?
Hi Joey! At the beginning, i stayed away from all dairy but I did later find that hard/aged cheeses were okay and didn’t cause any issue for me which I believe have a lot less lactose. Same for some fermented dairy like kefir and yogurts but those I still have to be a little cautious with. As I’ve begun to heal my gut imbalances, I can tolerate more so on occasion I can have cream or other high fat dairy in moderation but still can’t tolerate milk, or cottage cheese. No idea why that is actually.
This was an interesting read. I’m always looking for answers on meniere’s. I have suffered for about 4 years now. It started as loud earring and progressed to fullness, dizziness and like you said, always feeling like i’m walking on a boat. I can go weeks without symptoms but then months with symptoms. My problem is that I can’t get a doctor to listen to me. I explain my symptoms including a few violent vertigo episodes. The doctor just says things like “yea, its all part of getting old” or “it could be your allergies”. I tried going to the chiropractor where he said I had a curved upper neck spine. I went until I could no longer afford it. No relief either. I cant make out words from my right ear due to my problem in that ear, its disturbing muffled and loud at the same time (if that makes any since).
Thanks for the pointers on nutrition that may help me.
Lisa
Hi Lisa! Thanks for the kind note 🙂 I can absolutely relate to the doctors not listening to you. It’s so frustrating and it seems that many ear specialist work in a silo and don’t consider other things that could cause these issues or help relieve them other than drugs or surgery. I even had one doctor tell me it was all in my head! I made the rounds through many specialists until I found an ear doctor that actually listened and encouraged me trying other things that he wasn’t familiar with. I too have a serve backwards curve to my neck and it took MONTHS of biweekly adjustments to finally get relief. It’s too bad you couldn’t have afforded to go longer but I absolutely understand that too. I think we saved up for it if I remember right. Yes, I have the same issue with the muffled but yet loud in my bad ear. Hyperaccusis is what the loudness is called and I still have problems with things sounding way too loud so my poor hubby is always dealing with me telling him to turn the volume down on the tv or in the car 🙂 I hope the nutrition info helps make a difference for you! Good luck!
You could have written my story. I can’t believe there are others with the exact same issues. The only difference is the tests and procedures you went through. And I am wondering if you are saying that the adjustments and eating well are what actually worked for you. I have been free from menieres attacks for about 3 years but they have started again. I am frustrated and wondering where to turn next. I am a vegetarian so most of your recipes do not apply. But I have started seeing a chiropractor and am cleaning up my diet even more than it was. I live in a small town and have to drive to Houston or Dallas to find a doctor that knows much about the disease. Anything else I can do??
Hi Patty! Thanks so much for your note 🙂 Yes, the chiropractic adjustments and eating clean are what worked for me, I have no doubt about that. You’d be surprised at how many of us there are who have been helped by chiropractic for the upper neck, or TMJ treatment paired with an anti-inflammatory diet. I’m on a few facebook groups and the numbers are astounding. It amazes me that meniere’s specialists are so unaware of these things but unfortunately they are. Clean eating and an anti-inflammatory diet can definitely be done as a vegetarian so keep that up! In case you need a food guide for anti-inflammatory, here’s that link http://www.cookingupclean.com/anti-inflammatory-diet/ just ignore the meat portion since those wouldn’t apply for you. Good luck with the chiropractor, I sincerely hope s/he helps. Is it a chiropractor that is familiar with how the neck vertebrae can cause our symptoms? That is critical that they understand that relationship for them to be able to be the most effective. Also, a few other things you can try can be found on this link where I’ve been documenting things that have been successful for many others. http://www.cookingupclean.com/natural-solutions-menieres-disease/ I wish you the best in your healing journey!
Your website has brought me so much hope! I’ve been reading it daily to stay positive. I was diagnosed 10 years ago after having vertigo and hearing loss in one ear. I was able to keep things relatively stable until after my pregnancy, where I started losing hearing in my good ear. I have been terrified of losing all functional hearing and have been trying everything I can. However, I haven’t found a doctor that thinks outside the box and you have given me so many channels to try. I really hope I can get my hearing back and hopefully have one more baby.
Hi Melissa! Happy to hear from you and your kind words make my heart happy! The thought of losing all functional hearing really is terrifying and when things start to go awry after a pregnancy, it makes you wonder if you should really try for more. My advice in that regard is, yes, if you want more babies, then don’t put your life by the wayside because of Meniere’s. You won’t ever regret having another baby (or living life the way you want) but you most likely could regret not doing so if that is what you really desire. It took me a long time to realize that my kids would love me for me, no matter what level of hearing I had or how functional I was. Even when I was couch ridden for half the day back then, to them, I WAS the best mom ever and I just had to believe that too. They also gave me the motivation to keep searching and find what works for me. I’m glad I found answers to help my situation improve drastically but unfortunately, there are so many doctor’s that just don’t consider anything outside what they’ve studied in their textbooks rather than looking beyond for other possible things that can cause these symptoms and correct it. I sincerely hope that some of the suggestions on this site will help you get your life back too. Good luck to you!!!
It was so refreshing to find at the end of your story you weren’t trying to sell me anything. I am 65 and had my first MD attack 3 years ago. I had another one year later. Then after two years, yesterday I went down again.
My first attack was so severe that I laid on the floor in the bathroom throwing up until I was throwing up blood. I had NO idea what was happening. But I did threaten my husband not to call the ambulance. By morning I felt better and Googled half the day. I knew that vertigo was an inner ear imbalance and everything I read said see the ENT. After I spoke to my doctor, she sent me to the ENT. It was two days until I could see him and I was dizzy most of that time. He put me on meclazine 25mg, also known as Dramamine, every 4to 6 hours and a round of prednesone. I cleared up and because of my searches, cut out alcohol, caffeine, and most salt. I drink a lot of water anyway so I ended up with low sodium in my bloodwork. Dr didn’t worry but suggested not eliminating so much.
After the second attack, I realized I had been slack on my dietary restrictions. Went back on the Dramamine and cut back the caffeine, alcohol and salt. I did that until he did the series of steroid shots in the ear. That was scary but worth it.
I am fairly careful but before this third attack, I had reintroduced my morning cup of coffee and had no problem with that for a good year. Last month I started the Optavia diet of 4 high protein supplements and 2 healthy small meals per day. I have learned that many of the supplements contain soy. Have you found soy to be a trigger for you or your readers? I hate to have to stop this diet but if that’s a trigger I have to do some heavy investigating to see if what I had in the morning was what triggered the MD attack.
Hi Teresa! I’m glad you’ve found the info helpful 🙂 I’m sorry you’re still having issues. To answer your question on soy, yes, soy is one of the major 8 allergens and many people do react to soy products. Also as a side note, soy contains phytoestrogens which can cause hormonal fluctuations particularly in women so it could be that as well. I personally don’t eat much soy for these reasons though I do not specifically react to it. Soy is also highly likely to be genetically modified which some people prefer to avoid. Is your protein supplement a shake type of thing by chance? A lot of those tend to contain other undesirable additives that can sometimes cause issues as well. Typically if it’s a pill format it’s not as much of a problem but many shake style supplements are when some people will have issues with additives or other certain ingredients like sweeteners or flavor enhances that help make them taste more palatable. If you haven’t already seen the list of other possible things you could try, make sure you read this page on natural solutions (http://www.cookingupclean.com/natural-solutions-menieres-disease/) as one or combo of those methods could also help you get relief! I wish you the best!
Hi I was diagnosed today with that disease I feel my works is ending I have two children I need to take care of I need help on how to eat clean and see if that will help with the symptom o have specially the pressure and the ringing in the ear I have slot of headaches too
Hi Blanca! Hugs to you… It’s so overwhelming to be newly diagnosed. Just know that you CAN do things to help yourself be and feel the best possible. I totally understand how you’re feeling especially with two kids to care for. You are not alone in this battle. There are so many of us out here online and via facebook groups to support you and provide suggestions that have helped us. The most important thing is to take your health into your own hands and trust that you can figure out how to best manage this. You CAN do this! This link is a great starting point for things that are non-invasive that have helped me or others get our lives back. http://www.cookingupclean.com/natural-solutions-menieres-disease/ In terms of diet, here are the guidelines that I use and since headaches often are triggered by inflammation, this diet could help the headaches become less severe as well. http://www.cookingupclean.com/anti-inflammatory-diet/ Sending you hope and healing vibes!
Hi Kari, I hope you are still fighting fit! I found my chiropractic adjustments gave me vertigo and made me feel off. I couldn’t continue on a maintenance plan so went to accupuncture and VRT. What are your thoughts?
Hi!! Yes, I’m still fighting it and doing well 🙂 I do think accupuncture can help some but it didn’t do much for me. If it works for you and provides relief, go for it!! VRT is great for helping your brain and vestibular system to work better together. How long did you try chiropractic? I personally found that in the very beginning of my chiro adventure, the adjustments would make me feel momentarily dizzy but as things healed, that no longer happened and the dizziness and vertigo gradually fully disappeared. I continue on a maintenance plan and have maintained dizzy/vertigo free now going on 6 years.
Hi Kari – Lots of good information on your site about treating Meniere’s. One thing I have to question is your advice about water intake. You advise to consume half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. For me that would be 90 lbs = 1,440 oz or 180 standard size glasses of water each day. Is there a typo in your recommendation? Thanks. Arlen
Hi Arlen! The advise is correct but your calculation is off. So for you at 90 pounds, half of your body weight would be 45 so the recommendation is to drink 45 ounces of water in a day. This would be only about 5-6 standard 8oz glasses 🙂