Can Valtrex Help Meniere’s Disease
This post was written by admin on October 12, 2009
Posted Under: General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome
Posted Under: General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome
I recently had someone comment on one of our youtube videos that “everyone knows Meniere’s is a result of viral infection and Valtrex helps it”…….One of the first things most doctors check for when they suspect Meniere’s Disease is a blood check for the Herpes virus. If this is present then they might use valtrex. In that case it may well help. If you haven’t had blood checks to discount herpes virus, I would demand one from your ent specialist.
The fact is though, most cases of Meniere’s don’t show any signs of viral infections, so we must look elsewhere.
Reader Comments
85% to 90% of cases respond to a viral treatment with total elimination of vertigo, please address the clinical studies bellow, if you have other proof that shows this is not the case, please kindly state your sources. thank you!
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Morphological and clinical evidence supports a viral neuropathy in Ménière’s disease (MD). Quantitative examination with transmission electron microscopy of vestibular ganglion cells excised from a patient with MD revealed viral particles enclosed in transport vesicles. Antiviral treatment controlled vertigo in 32 of 35 patients with MD (91%). PMID:? 19142031 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
“Effectiveness? of Acyclovir on Meniere’s Syndrome III Observation of Clinical Symptoms in 301 cases,” Mitsuo Shichinohe, M.D., Ph.D., The Sapporo Medical Journal, Vol. 68, No. 4-6, Cases of 301 MD patients treated with antiviral meds The results were: In 82.5% of cases diagnosed as Meniere’s Disease, 85% of cases diagnosed as Meniere’s Syndrome, and 89.1% of cases diagnosed as vestibular dysfunction, vertigo disappeared, and tinnitus and hearing were improved.
Acupuncture is a great stress reliever on me. it is also great for headaches “
acupuncture seems to be a good alternative medicine *’.
Thanks Emma, yes I know from experience that given a good practitioner, acupuncture can help ‘relieve’ the symptoms a lot, but shouldn’t be seen as a ‘cure’
Thanks Wu, I am very aware that many studies support the ‘theory’ that meniere’s is brought on by the herpes virus. BUt for every 10 studies that support this, 5 studies discount it??!………..
……..one of the reasons it is discounted is because the hepres virus can be present in all of us in a dormant state and that presence doesn’t prove anything when it comes to Meniere’s. Also, even the studies that suggets there might be a connection, often state that treatment with ani-viral medicines may only be effective in the early stages of infection/meniere’s symptoms..
…..it is surely debate that will go on but worth investigating for each of us.
Desperate to help my husband with his Meniere’s disease I went online to find answers and in that search found the information on the viral component and Valtrex treatment. We work with a psychiatrist that has a fabulous bio-pharmaceutical background and forwarded him the information that we found. He gave my husband a blood test and the herpes virus was NOT found. He agreed to prescribe the Valtrex and I can report it has worked!! The severe attacks have gone and know we have a mild one from time to time, still have the fullness in the ear, but much, much better than it was.
That is wonderful news Laura,
long may it continue…..can I ask you……how long has your husband been sick with Meniere’s? I read that valtrex can only help in the early stages and if the virus has been there a long time, then not so successful. However, you are saying they didn’t even find the virus but valtrex helped him. This is very interesting …..thanks for the comments
Hi-
Just thought I may be of help here. I do believe there is a connection with meniere’s and hsv 1 (cold sores).
I have both lovely diseases and I have also had the luck of having tmj, allergies and recently was diagnosed with tonsillitis. My tmj symptoms have gone away over the years, although I’m sure that stress can bring them back. Finally after years of agony from meniere’s (ear fullness, caffeine induced headaches, plugged ears, loss of hearing, etc…) I sought the help on an ent Dr. about a month ago. The only reason I even thought I needed to go to an ENT Dr. was because my balance was off. I started getting vertigo, nausea and vomiting. Mind you, I had known something was wrong for years. My Family practice Dr. Kept throwing antibiotics at me which, Drs. please grab a clue, don’t help menieres at all. So, today I had a tonsillectomy, yay. I feel 10 times better already and I’m not even healed yet. To anyone considering a tonsillectomy, keep plenty of sucrets on hand. They are life savers. I virtually have no pain along with the
codeine I’m taking.
Back to the interim where I was diagnosed with Meniere’s and before my tonsillectomy. I had read several articles about how valtrex helps meniere’s. I just happened to have some available for the first sign of a cold sore. I took it for Meniere’s to give it a whirl and it did seem to help tremendously. I have been taking Maxide for the meniere’s but I’m going to ask my ENT Dr. for a daily dose of valtrex and that might kill 2 birds with one stone. Anyone who suffers from any of these ailments, I’m sorry, I have complete empathy for you. Stop @ nothing to heal yourselves. Remember always that we are the teachersm. Drs. Need to listen better and learn from us. A phd doesn’t mean crap when your patients know more than you do. Anyway, I hope that helps. Hang in there meniere’s sufferers, there is hope!
i learned acupuncture from my dad and it can really help ease away minor pains and discomfort..
Lisa- I too have TMJ. I am guessing the TMJ caused my meneires considering they both started the same time. My question for you is, what was the purpose of the tonsillectomy? Did it help alleviate the menieres symptoms?
I have been on valtrex for 5 months. I still have meniere’s disease. I’ve only had one bad day in that time, although I still have the ringing and vertigo and ear fullness and blocking. I am just hoping the valtrex keeps the meniere’s from getting worse, but I guess only time will tell.