Aa
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ! Im begging..
Please take the time to read this...My Aunt has recently become deaf.. She was just fine! It all started with a minor hearing loss & being dizzy.. The "doctor" she was seeing locally told her she had water behind her inner ears.. He then suggested she drink red wine & take steroids.. Then, that didn't help because her symptoms became WORSE FAST! Now, he second guesses himself on that diagnosis.. Now, she has become COMPLETELY deaf, equilibrium, tinnitus, and today claimed she felt numb in her right big toe, as well as numbness in her left fingertips.. Please help me with this.. I want answers for my Aunt.. She is my best friend & I would do anything to help her get answers and be able to hear again..
Sounds like candidiasis has taken over. Read up on what foods to eat to eliminate candida.....maybe research the Atkins diet. I read that Niacin helps trememdously. No gluten, milk products, or sugar (alcohol is liquid sugar).
The steroids promote candida. Read up thoroughly on the foods to avoid. I hope you are still checking in for answers. I was just doing some reading up on PAS 1 - polyglandular autoimmune disease and it reminded me of your post....so I've returned hopefully with the answer to her problem....!
The steroids promote candida. Read up thoroughly on the foods to avoid. I hope you are still checking in for answers. I was just doing some reading up on PAS 1 - polyglandular autoimmune disease and it reminded me of your post....so I've returned hopefully with the answer to her problem....!
Hello,
My Mom was dizzy, vomiting, had high BP. I took her to the ER and they said she had water in her ear possibly caused by airplane travel. It could also be caused by allergy. Her prescription was Meclizine..I was worried about her high BP.
It took some time but it finally relieved all her symptoms, even her Bp stabilized.The water in her ear slowly but surely dried out. Meclizine is anti emetic, anti vertigo, antihistamine- ..
I searched on line and found this : Review of Meclizine
Long ago, when I was in my teens, I got dizzy when I had a bad cold or ear infection. My doctor prescribed Antivert for those times and it worked great.
Throughout my life, I have been prescribed Antivert because my ears are a mess and that causes vertigo and imbalance.
A while ago, Antivert became an over the counter medication called Meclizine HCl, USP 25 mg, Antiemetic, Tablets. This medicine is the same one that is in Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula for motion sickness.
Since my ears have gotten worse, I have experienced lots of vertigo and some dizziness due to motion. I have a bottle of Meclizine at home, in my purse, in my car, and everywhere I frequent. It's a real lifesaver for people who experience dizziness, motion sickness, vertigo, and other balance or motion issues.
About The Medication
What is meclizine?
• Meclizine is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body.
• Meclizine is used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Meclizine may also be helpful in treating vertigo.
• Meclizine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
www.drugs.com
The Packaging
Meclizine is the main ingredient in Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, and Driminate among other similar motion sickness medications. Buying it in its generic form is much less costly.
It comes in a simple white plastic bottle with a very simple label. There are two strengths - 12.5mg and 25mg.
-------------------
Hope for the best
My Mom was dizzy, vomiting, had high BP. I took her to the ER and they said she had water in her ear possibly caused by airplane travel. It could also be caused by allergy. Her prescription was Meclizine..I was worried about her high BP.
It took some time but it finally relieved all her symptoms, even her Bp stabilized.The water in her ear slowly but surely dried out. Meclizine is anti emetic, anti vertigo, antihistamine- ..
I searched on line and found this : Review of Meclizine
Long ago, when I was in my teens, I got dizzy when I had a bad cold or ear infection. My doctor prescribed Antivert for those times and it worked great.
Throughout my life, I have been prescribed Antivert because my ears are a mess and that causes vertigo and imbalance.
A while ago, Antivert became an over the counter medication called Meclizine HCl, USP 25 mg, Antiemetic, Tablets. This medicine is the same one that is in Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula for motion sickness.
Since my ears have gotten worse, I have experienced lots of vertigo and some dizziness due to motion. I have a bottle of Meclizine at home, in my purse, in my car, and everywhere I frequent. It's a real lifesaver for people who experience dizziness, motion sickness, vertigo, and other balance or motion issues.
About The Medication
What is meclizine?
• Meclizine is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body.
• Meclizine is used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Meclizine may also be helpful in treating vertigo.
• Meclizine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
www.drugs.com
The Packaging
Meclizine is the main ingredient in Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, and Driminate among other similar motion sickness medications. Buying it in its generic form is much less costly.
It comes in a simple white plastic bottle with a very simple label. There are two strengths - 12.5mg and 25mg.
-------------------
Hope for the best
CT scan would NOT reveal anything significant nor specific regarding autoimmune disease. Same with MRIs.
As I mentioned, AIED is very difficult to dx!
Please refer to the information below.
Suggested diagnostic procedure for sudden hearing loss:
"Testing for lymphocyte transformation to rule out AIED is useful."
Source: Wynne, M. K. , Diefendorf, A. O. & Fritsch, M. H. (2001, December 26). Sudden Hearing Loss. The ASHA Leader.
From the American Speech-Language Association- Information for Audiologists.
The following tests are recommended for AIED:
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is a general indicator of inflammation;
Rheumatoid factor, which is a marker for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases;
Anti-nuclear antibody titer, to check for lupus and other autoimmune diseases;
quantitative immunoglobulin determination; and
A leukocyte migration inhibition test.
Later, Campbell and Klemens (2000) listed other medical tests they commonly use to detect AIED:
CBC (complete blood count) to check for leukemia or other hemolytic disorders;
FTA/ABS blood screen for syphilis;
MRI, with contrast, of brain and cerebellopontine angle to check for MS, vascular lesions, and space-occupying lesions;
Lymphocyte blast transformation to check for inner ear antigen, which may underlie AIED (the efficacy of this test is controversial);
Rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody, as mentioned above;
Lipid panel to check for dylipemias; and
>>>Steroid trial. <<<That is the one her doctor "probably" followed.
However it might have backfired! I mention "probably" as he may have had
treated her for general hearing loss in the absence of a diagnosis, where steroids would be the choice for treatment , and not a steroid trial for AIED.
Lyme disease is outrageously difficult to detect. Most people with LD have no sign and no knowledge of any tick bites!
And of course it may be associated with hearing loss.
If you need sources and references for this, I can get them for you.
The reason I mentioned this possibility is the neurological nature of her newly experienced symptoms and her worsening condition, which are consistent with 2 things:
1. Steroid treatment WILL cause an exasperation of Lyme disease symptoms!
2. The numbness on her fingertips and toe, could be associated with Lyme disease.
If you were to cross reference the possible causes(other than idiopathic)
"Bacterial infection,Viral infection,Lyme disease,Vascular disease
Autoimmune disease,Endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism, diabetes, etc.)
Tumors of the auditory nerve, Neurologic disorders, Encephalitis or meningitis, Leukemia, Cancer, Meniere’s disease"
with her symptoms and recent history,
by process of elimination (limited by the amount of available data on hand)
and lack of specificity, there's very little left, other than the suspicions
I put forth so far.
I try to be thorough with my analysis, but as you can see, Medicine is not an exact science, by any means.
Otherwise, everyone would be healthy! Far cry from that.
Please note again, that this is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.
Best wishes and I hope your aunt gets this resolved soon!
Niko
As I mentioned, AIED is very difficult to dx!
Please refer to the information below.
Suggested diagnostic procedure for sudden hearing loss:
"Testing for lymphocyte transformation to rule out AIED is useful."
Source: Wynne, M. K. , Diefendorf, A. O. & Fritsch, M. H. (2001, December 26). Sudden Hearing Loss. The ASHA Leader.
From the American Speech-Language Association- Information for Audiologists.
The following tests are recommended for AIED:
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is a general indicator of inflammation;
Rheumatoid factor, which is a marker for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases;
Anti-nuclear antibody titer, to check for lupus and other autoimmune diseases;
quantitative immunoglobulin determination; and
A leukocyte migration inhibition test.
Later, Campbell and Klemens (2000) listed other medical tests they commonly use to detect AIED:
CBC (complete blood count) to check for leukemia or other hemolytic disorders;
FTA/ABS blood screen for syphilis;
MRI, with contrast, of brain and cerebellopontine angle to check for MS, vascular lesions, and space-occupying lesions;
Lymphocyte blast transformation to check for inner ear antigen, which may underlie AIED (the efficacy of this test is controversial);
Rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody, as mentioned above;
Lipid panel to check for dylipemias; and
>>>Steroid trial. <<<That is the one her doctor "probably" followed.
However it might have backfired! I mention "probably" as he may have had
treated her for general hearing loss in the absence of a diagnosis, where steroids would be the choice for treatment , and not a steroid trial for AIED.
Lyme disease is outrageously difficult to detect. Most people with LD have no sign and no knowledge of any tick bites!
And of course it may be associated with hearing loss.
If you need sources and references for this, I can get them for you.
The reason I mentioned this possibility is the neurological nature of her newly experienced symptoms and her worsening condition, which are consistent with 2 things:
1. Steroid treatment WILL cause an exasperation of Lyme disease symptoms!
2. The numbness on her fingertips and toe, could be associated with Lyme disease.
If you were to cross reference the possible causes(other than idiopathic)
"Bacterial infection,Viral infection,Lyme disease,Vascular disease
Autoimmune disease,Endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism, diabetes, etc.)
Tumors of the auditory nerve, Neurologic disorders, Encephalitis or meningitis, Leukemia, Cancer, Meniere’s disease"
with her symptoms and recent history,
by process of elimination (limited by the amount of available data on hand)
and lack of specificity, there's very little left, other than the suspicions
I put forth so far.
I try to be thorough with my analysis, but as you can see, Medicine is not an exact science, by any means.
Otherwise, everyone would be healthy! Far cry from that.
Please note again, that this is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.
Best wishes and I hope your aunt gets this resolved soon!
Niko
As your advice has been extremely helpful, however, I am a little concerned about the Lyme Disease.. After reading your post I did a bit of research of my own.. It seems that there is no symptom of any hearing loss, much less complete deafness, connected to LD.. I have to admit, LD is caused from ticks, which are very common in our area, but my Aunt has had no tick bites, or even been around anywhere to have one seize onto her.
As for the AIED, I'd assume that her worthless doctor has already checked for this.. CT scan would have picked up on AIED.. Nothing was found on the CT scan she had done 3 days ago.. They claimed everything looked "perfectly normal". As for the MRI that was done yesterday, we have no clue what was seen on that.. Suppose to know results tomorrow.. Hoping for the best, praying for some answers...
Thanks for all your help.. If you know anything else, please let me know..
As for the AIED, I'd assume that her worthless doctor has already checked for this.. CT scan would have picked up on AIED.. Nothing was found on the CT scan she had done 3 days ago.. They claimed everything looked "perfectly normal". As for the MRI that was done yesterday, we have no clue what was seen on that.. Suppose to know results tomorrow.. Hoping for the best, praying for some answers...
Thanks for all your help.. If you know anything else, please let me know..
Hmm steroids and red wine! Interesting to say the least!
He probably suspected Autoimmune inner ear disease to prescribe
steroids, however, they have fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years b.c of the unwanted side effects and now new types of medications are available for this.
Because it is difficult to dx this, he might have decided to do a treatment challenge using steroids (instead of doing all the tests required to dx this).
Should this be the case (AIED) indeed, in light of her fast onset of symptoms, there could be an underlying systemic autoimmune condition,
such as Lyme disease (which would partially explain her new symptoms), which could be consistent with the worsening of her condition,
making the choice for steroids, a really bad one, as steroids in LD is a big NO-NO!
To change course in his investigation, without verifying his original suspicion b.c of her worsening condition is borderline negligent, to my opinion.
I think your aunt deserves a second opinion, hopefully from an ENT or Oto-Neurologist perhaps, who will take the time and get the correct dx and treatment for her.
This is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.
I hope you find some answers soon for your aunt.
It shows that you love and care for her a lot.
Best wishes to you and your aunt!
Niko
He probably suspected Autoimmune inner ear disease to prescribe
steroids, however, they have fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years b.c of the unwanted side effects and now new types of medications are available for this.
Because it is difficult to dx this, he might have decided to do a treatment challenge using steroids (instead of doing all the tests required to dx this).
Should this be the case (AIED) indeed, in light of her fast onset of symptoms, there could be an underlying systemic autoimmune condition,
such as Lyme disease (which would partially explain her new symptoms), which could be consistent with the worsening of her condition,
making the choice for steroids, a really bad one, as steroids in LD is a big NO-NO!
To change course in his investigation, without verifying his original suspicion b.c of her worsening condition is borderline negligent, to my opinion.
I think your aunt deserves a second opinion, hopefully from an ENT or Oto-Neurologist perhaps, who will take the time and get the correct dx and treatment for her.
This is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.
I hope you find some answers soon for your aunt.
It shows that you love and care for her a lot.
Best wishes to you and your aunt!
Niko
Take her to see an otolaryngologist. He/she will run all kinds of tests to find what is causing the hearing loss and other symptoms.
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