Thousands of people suffer from this troublesome disease that affects the inner ear. Major symptoms include constant ringing in the ears and vertigo (dizziness). The disease is caused by overproduction of fluid in the inner ear but the reason for this is not understood. Theories include food allergies and spasms of the blood vessels, and problems with the immune system.
It has been treated with antihistamines, motion sickness drugs, anti-dizziness drugs, diuretics, and vaso-dilators with very little relief of symptoms. The patients often end up in surgery to get relief. It is common to have remissions and exacerbations of the symptoms; Meniere’s Disease treatment severely challenges doctors.
Conditions that suggest Meniere's Disease
Recommendations for Meniere's Disease
Shark Liver Oil
See the link between Grape Seed Extract and Shark Liver Oil.
Grape Seed Extract / Resveratrol
Reports by doctors state that a combination of pycnogenol (pine bark extract) and shark liver oil may be useful in treating Meniere’s Disease.
Processed Foods Avoidance
Among individuals with Meniere’s disease who replaced refined carbohydrates in their diet with high-fiber, complex carbohydrates, tinnitus frequently improved or disappeared. [Hyperlipoproteinemia, hyperinsulinism, and Meniere’s disease. South Med J 1981;74: pp.1194-7]
Artificial Sweetener Avoidance
Aspartame use has been reported to trigger or mimic symptoms of Meniere’s Disease.
Conventional Drugs / Information
Your doctor may prescribe medications to be taken during an episode of vertigo to lessen the severity of an attack:
There are several classes of medications that may help.
Motion sickness medications, such as meclizine (Antivert) or diazepam (Valium), may reduce the spinning sensation of vertigo and help control nausea and vomiting.
Anti-nausea medications, such as prochlorperazine, may control nausea and vomiting during an episode of vertigo.
Long-term medication use can reduce fluid retention (diuretic), such as the drug combination triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide (Dyazide, Maxzide). Reducing the amount of fluid your body retains may help regulate the fluid volume and pressure in your inner ear. For some people a diuretic helps control the severity and frequency of Meniere’s disease symptoms.
Histamine
Histamine diphosphate therapy at 2.75mg in 500cc of 5% dextrose solution given in a slow intravenous infusion can relieve an episode of severe dizziness and nausea due to Meniere’s disease. Periodic infusions can lengthen the interval between these episodes. At the University of Maryland Medical System’s Looper Clinic, this therapy is performed on 4 to 6 patients each week. [“IV Histamine for Meniere’s”, Guyther, J. Roy, M.D., Cortlandt Forum, May 1994;78 75-8]
(Address: J. Roy Guyther, M.D., 150 Lockshill Rd., Mechanicsville, MD 20659, U.S.A.)
Ozone / Oxidative Therapy
Those who work with ozone claim that Meniere’s is one of those conditions which may respond to ozone treatments.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
B6 supplementation may be effective in vertigo, including Meniere’s syndrome. One study found that 15 of 47 patients with Meniere’s disease who had failed to respond to previous treatments improved with B6 (pyridoxine). Three patients failed to improve and others gradually improved but it was uncertain whether pyridoxine supplementation was responsible. Furthermore, 23 patients with vertigo due to unknown causes received pyridoxine and many of them responded. Intravenous administration relieved symptoms more rapidly than oral administration [Lewy A., Fox N. Clinical notes; New instruments and techniques: pyridoxine (B6) used in the treatment of vertigo. Arch Otolaryngol November, 1947, pp.681- 3]
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Individual reports have suggested that taking vitamin B3, especially as niacin, along with vitamin B6 improves their response. In addition, on bad days, using a B-complex several times a day instead of only once can help also.
Key
| Strong or generally accepted link |
| Proven definite or direct link |
| May do some good |
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Vertigo
The sensation of spinning or whirling; a state in which you or your surroundings seem to whirl dizzily.
Allergy
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Immune System
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation.
Diuretic
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Meniere's Disease
An affliction of the middle ear characterized by vertigo, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus and progressive deafness.