i think i have meniere's disease

[shecried]

I'm a 16-year-old female, and I was hoping you might share your opinion of the chances I might have Ménière's disease.

2 years ago I started loosing balence, feeling faint, and falling a lot. I saw a doctor but at the time I didn't bother telling the doctor about my symptoms because I thought they where nothing. I was having bad headaches, loosing balances, feeling like I was spinning but I was standing still, my right ear would feel clogged like if I had cotton in it, and I would get bad ears infections that just came and went. I told my mom about it but she said it was from my allergies, and that if I stand up to fast of course I was going to get dizzy that's it was nothing. So I just went on with life dealing with the symptoms and telling myself it was nothing.

My insurance changed and I couldn't go to the specialist anymore so I never got the chance to tell him about the falling and stuff. Then I turned 15 and I had to get a new doctor because I was too old to go to a pediatrician. By the time I got a new doctor the ear pain and falling was just a normal part of my life. I literally didn’t notice it. I would get up from the sofa start walking to the kitchen and just fall then I would just get up as if nothing happened. If I had ringing in my ear I would just try to ignore it.

Then about 5 months ago it started getting worse. I started falling more. It go to the point where I would fall and actually pass out for minutes (once I stayed passed out for an hour) then I would wake up on the floor not knowing how I got there. Then one day I was walking into a store my mom was parking the car and I just fell. I didn’t trip I just straight up fell flat on my face. A couple days later the clogged ear came back. I told my mom about my ear she said I was getting a cold, its allergy season, and it's probably just a little ear infection and that I worry too much. It went away after a couple weeks. But then about 3 days ago it came back and it brought a lot of other symptoms with it.

I woke up and there was an intense ringing in my ear, then I couldn't hear anything in my right ear. I tried getting out of bed but my legs just couldn’t hold me up. I fell a couple times. My head was banging and every time I would feel like I was going to fall my eyes would get really blurred. I had a stomach ache, my body hurt, and I was so tired I ended up going back to sleep on the sofa. I told my mom and she called the doctor and made an apt. yesterday was exactly the same.

So today I went to the doctor and the doctor didn’t really give me a chance to explain my symptoms. He said what brings you here today I said my ear has been hurting. Then before I could tell him it happens a lot and I was falling a lot he looked in my ear prescribed some antibiotics and sent me on my way. When me ans my mom were driving home she said" you know it's like dejavu because when you where 2 months old you where hospitalized for 3 days due to a sever ear infection. You have always had them.I'm sorry for never thinking it was anything serious.

I still can’t hear in one ear. It’s like I can hear outside noises, like cars driving, but if you say something on my right side it sounds like your talking with food in your mouth. It’s muffled and distorted. But some sounds that are high pitched are really loud to me and my ear starts to hurt like crazy when I hear it.

So in 2 weeks I have another apt to see if the anti biotic's are going to work and I have some questions.

Do you think I have Meniere’s disease?
Do antibiotics help Meniere’s disease?
If the infection goes away and my hearing comes back does that mean I don’t have it?
If the infection goes away and my hearing doesn’t come back then what?
If the infection goes away and my hearing comes back but then the infection comes back and my hearing goes away are they just going to keep putting me on antibiotics again?
What if the infection doesn’t go away?
What if the infection goes away but the other symptoms don’t?
What if everything goes away but then comes back like it aways does?
Could I loose my hearing?
Should I tell my doctor I think I have Meniere’s disease?
Can you just tell me more about this disease?

Please give me straight answers don’t sugar coat it I’m a big kid I can handle it. Don’t tell me not to worry because I know what wrong with me is serious and I want it to be taken seriously. If you can’t answer all my questions just help me out tell me what you know/think. Tell me anything you think will help me even a little.

Thanks in advance to all who help me.

[shecried]

Well like i said i went to the doc and he said it was an ear infection so when i go back if i still have ear problems then my doctor will probably refer me to an ENT.

No i have never talked to a doctor about any of these symptoms

I had a long talk with my mom when i told her i couldn't hear and she apologized and said that she wasn't paying enough attention when i would tell her what was wrong with me.

Well i hope i get to see a specialist to because im tired of all of this

[Londres70]

Dear, why haven't you been to see an ENT Specialist yet to rule out a inner ear problem?  This COULD be Meniere's, but it COULD be other things as well.  CONSULT AN ENT SPECIALIST ASAP!  

In regards to all this falling.....have you had any images of your head done?  i.e. MRI or CT?  I would recommend you having you regular physician ordering this and getting this done ASAP!

No offense to your mother.....this isn't just "allergies" or a "cold" or a "little infection."  If you were my daughter, I would have taken you to a Specialist by now and not blowing this off.  What is really concerning are these "drop attacks" and falls you are experiencing.  

All of these questions should be addressed with the Specialist:  

Do you think I have Meniere’s disease?
Do antibiotics help Meniere’s disease?
If the infection goes away and my hearing comes back does that mean I don’t have it?
If the infection goes away and my hearing doesn’t come back then what?
If the infection goes away and my hearing comes back but then the infection comes back and my hearing goes away are they just going to keep putting me on antibiotics again?
What if the infection doesn’t go away?
What if the infection goes away but the other symptoms don’t?
What if everything goes away but then comes back like it aways does?
Could I loose my hearing?
Should I tell my doctor I think I have Meniere’s disease?
Can you just tell me more about this disease?


Keep us posted.