Comments on: Gentamicin Treatment for Meniere’s Disease—Here’s the Scoop http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/gentamicin-treatment-for-menieres-disease%e2%80%94heres-the-scoop.php Answers to Your Questions about Hearing Loss Issues Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:18:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Bill Houston http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/gentamicin-treatment-for-menieres-disease%e2%80%94heres-the-scoop.php#comment-21625 Bill Houston Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:24:06 +0000 http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/?p=419#comment-21625 I had the high-dose trans-tympanic gentamycin injection maybe four or five years ago, because I was getting spinning vertigo/vomiting hell on earth attacks 3 or 4 times a month, and tried the low-sodium diet, diuretics, oral prednisone and trans-tympanic decadron injection, all to no avail. I lost the hearing in my left ear, but the vertigo attacks STOPPED COMPLETELY! Yes, I now have hearing loss sufficient to be categorized as severe to profound, and the ear is un-aidable. For a while I did fine, but then vestibular dysfunction manifesting as gait disturbance that looked alarmingly like upper motor neuron disease and Parkinson's at times. After visiting a top neurologist in Columbia University with a specialty in Parkinson's, I was told that I did not have it, or any other similar disease. However, she did remark that I would probably benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, which I went to for a while. Then, a light bulb went on, and I realized that it was likely that some of the hair cells killed by the first gentamycin injection must have arisen from the grave, so I went to the same otoneurologist that did the first one, had a second one, and have been free of vestibular symptoms since. Of course, there is always the downside of the hearing loss, but I felt it was a fair trade for my safety (God forbid you ever get an attack while driving!). The other, later downside is that the beginning symptoms of Meniere's are now appearing in my right ear, with fluctuating hearing loss and sense of "aural fullness" or pressure, accompanied by occasional pulsatile tinnitus. I have yet to, and hope not to experience the ringing tinnitus and vertiginous symptoms in that ear, but if I do, I will be in pretty big trouble until something to correct it is discovered. I no longer have the option of the gentamycin, and even another decadron injection is not without risk to my remaining hearing. I am currently doing the tapered oral prednisone dose, hoping it works this time. If not, then I guess I will just have to wait and see if it progresses to full-blown Meniere's, which will turn my life into a living hell if I can't treat it successfully. Guess I will give the low-sodium diet another shot, but diuretics are out of the question for other medical reasons. I'm not posting this as a cautionary tale, trying to warn others off the gentamycin, but merely as informational. I would still have done the gentamycin, even knowing what I know now, just for the peace of mind and freedom it returned to me. There's no describing how horrifying a full-blown Meniere's attack can be, but suffice to say, you won't feel like doing anything at all for the next day or two after each attack. Couple that with the fact that I am on anti-coagulation therapy, and falling down can be very, very dangerous, possibly fatal for me. The potential for this to become yet another "Sword of Damocles" for me is serious, but I still hold out hope. That's all I can do. I had the high-dose trans-tympanic gentamycin injection maybe four or five years ago, because I was getting spinning vertigo/vomiting hell on earth attacks 3 or 4 times a month, and tried the low-sodium diet, diuretics, oral prednisone and trans-tympanic decadron injection, all to no avail. I lost the hearing in my left ear, but the vertigo attacks STOPPED COMPLETELY! Yes, I now have hearing loss sufficient to be categorized as severe to profound, and the ear is un-aidable. For a while I did fine, but then vestibular dysfunction manifesting as gait disturbance that looked alarmingly like upper motor neuron disease and Parkinson’s at times. After visiting a top neurologist in Columbia University with a specialty in Parkinson’s, I was told that I did not have it, or any other similar disease. However, she did remark that I would probably benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, which I went to for a while. Then, a light bulb went on, and I realized that it was likely that some of the hair cells killed by the first gentamycin injection must have arisen from the grave, so I went to the same otoneurologist that did the first one, had a second one, and have been free of vestibular symptoms since.

Of course, there is always the downside of the hearing loss, but I felt it was a fair trade for my safety (God forbid you ever get an attack while driving!). The other, later downside is that the beginning symptoms of Meniere’s are now appearing in my right ear, with fluctuating hearing loss and sense of “aural fullness” or pressure, accompanied by occasional pulsatile tinnitus. I have yet to, and hope not to experience the ringing tinnitus and vertiginous symptoms in that ear, but if I do, I will be in pretty big trouble until something to correct it is discovered. I no longer have the option of the gentamycin, and even another decadron injection is not without risk to my remaining hearing. I am currently doing the tapered oral prednisone dose, hoping it works this time. If not, then I guess I will just have to wait and see if it progresses to full-blown Meniere’s, which will turn my life into a living hell if I can’t treat it successfully. Guess I will give the low-sodium diet another shot, but diuretics are out of the question for other medical reasons.

I’m not posting this as a cautionary tale, trying to warn others off the gentamycin, but merely as informational. I would still have done the gentamycin, even knowing what I know now, just for the peace of mind and freedom it returned to me. There’s no describing how horrifying a full-blown Meniere’s attack can be, but suffice to say, you won’t feel like doing anything at all for the next day or two after each attack. Couple that with the fact that I am on anti-coagulation therapy, and falling down can be very, very dangerous, possibly fatal for me. The potential for this to become yet another “Sword of Damocles” for me is serious, but I still hold out hope. That’s all I can do.

]]> By: Vickie Bowers http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/gentamicin-treatment-for-menieres-disease%e2%80%94heres-the-scoop.php#comment-20946 Vickie Bowers Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:32:24 +0000 http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/?p=419#comment-20946 I underwent the gentamicin drops treatment for one week in my left ear for Meniere's Disease and if my doctor had explained to me the possible effects of such a treament I NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THIS!!!!! I pray everyday with every step I take that I will not fall down. The wick was inserted in my ear on March 28, 2011 and I realize that was only about three weeks ago but doctors need to communicate very clearly what may or may not be a result of this treatment. My husband and I assumed that it wasn't a big deal because the only thing my ENT said to us was that I may not be able to drive for a little while and I might lose some hearing. Well, that was an understatement. He failed to mention (as a matter of fact he never mentioned, his nurse explained to me over the phone 10 days post-op) that imbalance, ataxia and exhaustion from the intense concentration it takes just to put one foot in front of the other could take weeks to months to get better and that I will never be able to walk in the dark again because I will fall down. This has put my life at an almost complete halt for how long...I don't know!!! IF ANYONE READS THIS AND IT HELPS JUST ONE PERSON TO RECONSIDER OR THINK TWICE BEFORE UNDERGOING THIS TREATMENT THEN AT LEAST I WON'T FEEL LIKE MY SUFFERING AND MISERY IS IN VAIN!!! PLEASE MAKE YOUR DOCTOR COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AND DON'T JUST ASSUME ITS NO BIG DEAL BECAUSE HE/SHE SAYS SO!!! ITS NOT THEIR BALANCE SYSTEM THAT'S GOING TO BE DESTROYED...ITS YOURS!!! I underwent the gentamicin drops treatment for one week in my left ear for Meniere’s Disease and if my doctor had explained to me the possible effects of such a treament I NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THIS!!!!! I pray everyday with every step I take that I will not fall down. The wick was inserted in my ear on March 28, 2011 and I realize that was only about three weeks ago but doctors need to communicate very clearly what may or may not be a result of this treatment. My husband and I assumed that it wasn’t a big deal because the only thing my ENT said to us was that I may not be able to drive for a little while and I might lose some hearing. Well, that was an understatement. He failed to mention (as a matter of fact he never mentioned, his nurse explained to me over the phone 10 days post-op) that imbalance, ataxia and exhaustion from the intense concentration it takes just to put one foot in front of the other could take weeks to months to get better and that I will never be able to walk in the dark again because I will fall down. This has put my life at an almost complete halt for how long…I don’t know!!!
IF ANYONE READS THIS AND IT HELPS JUST ONE PERSON TO RECONSIDER OR THINK TWICE BEFORE UNDERGOING THIS TREATMENT THEN AT LEAST I WON’T FEEL LIKE MY SUFFERING AND MISERY IS IN VAIN!!! PLEASE MAKE YOUR DOCTOR COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AND DON’T JUST ASSUME ITS NO BIG DEAL BECAUSE HE/SHE SAYS SO!!! ITS NOT THEIR BALANCE SYSTEM THAT’S GOING TO BE DESTROYED…ITS YOURS!!!

]]> By: Deana Bennington http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/gentamicin-treatment-for-menieres-disease%e2%80%94heres-the-scoop.php#comment-20898 Deana Bennington Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:52:34 +0000 http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/?p=419#comment-20898 I started having drop attacks with my menieres in my right ear and just couldn't go on, so finally my Dr would do the Gentamicin injections. Over 2 or more years I had 4 injections and did not lose hearing, but then after 10 years I got menieres in my other ear. I agree with the above article. I thought I could get the injections in my left but my Dr said NO WAY! I never regret getting the injections, infact the ear I hear best out of is the right (injection ear) and I wear hearing aides now. I sometimes have a hard time when some one else is driving and turns a corner too fast, never had that before and can not watch some movies. I never regret getting the injection but my prayer is that I don't get any worse. I started having drop attacks with my menieres in my right ear and just couldn’t go on, so finally my Dr would do the Gentamicin injections. Over 2 or more years I had 4 injections and did not lose hearing, but then after 10 years I got menieres in my other ear. I agree with the above article. I thought I could get the injections in my left but my Dr said NO WAY! I never regret getting the injections, infact the ear I hear best out of is the right (injection ear) and I wear hearing aides now. I sometimes have a hard time when some one else is driving and turns a corner too fast, never had that before and can not watch some movies. I never regret getting the injection but my prayer is that I don’t get any worse.

]]> By: David Stillwagon http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/gentamicin-treatment-for-menieres-disease%e2%80%94heres-the-scoop.php#comment-19725 David Stillwagon Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:40:00 +0000 http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/?p=419#comment-19725 Although results vary from one person to another, the gent injections worked for me with no hearing loss. But you do make a good point about the meniere's going from one to ear to the other. Although results vary from one person to another, the gent injections worked for me with no hearing loss. But you do make a good point about the meniere’s going from one to ear to the other.

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