This is my initial online effort. I just got my "box" today and haven't opened yet. I just didn't have the energy to open the box. I have struggled with and been on medication for depression for most of my adult life and have always been able to keep it in check. I was diagnosed with Menniere's disease (an inner ear disease) in 2002, had just about every treatment for it, and am still learning to live with it. Because of the Menniere's disease (and accompanying problems with depression) I am now disabled, after a lifetime of always working. After 4 years of trying to find a niche for myself at home, and to feel like I am contributing something, I'm still struggling.

My menniere's disease is triggered by changes in barometric pressure, and winter is the worst. I feel pretty good when the weather is stable (July - September), but living in Oklahoma that means the majority of the year I am struggling.

I will open the box tomorrow and try to get started. I don't expect to ever be off my medication, because most of it supresses the Menniere's, although it is also used to treat anxiety and depression.

I hope I can make myself give this program an honest try. It just seems like, at least for now, I just have enough energy to get through the day and do the things that have to get done.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

quote:

Originally posted by Michele Drummond:
This is my initial online effort. I just got my "box" today and haven't opened yet. I just didn't have the energy to open the box. I have struggled with and been on medication for depression for most of my adult life and have always been able to keep it in check. I was diagnosed with Menniere's disease (an inner ear disease) in 2002, had just about every treatment for it, and am still learning to live with it. Because of the Menniere's disease (and accompanying problems with depression) I am now disabled, after a lifetime of always working. After 4 years of trying to find a niche for myself at home, and to feel like I am contributing something, I'm still struggling.

My menniere's disease is triggered by changes in barometric pressure, and winter is the worst. I feel pretty good when the weather is stable (July - September), but living in Oklahoma that means the majority of the year I am struggling.

I will open the box tomorrow and try to get started. I don't expect to ever be off my medication, because most of it supresses the Menniere's, although it is also used to treat anxiety and depression.

I hope I can make myself give this program an honest try. It just seems like, at least for now, I just have enough energy to get through the day and do the things that have to get done.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Newbie,

How did your ear thing first manifest? About a month ago I started feeling "floaty" and like I am bobbing through space, but not really dizzy. I'm from Oklahoma too. Who is your ear doctor?

Thanks,
Sandina

Hi John,

I just wanted to say Hello and Welcome to the program! I don't want you to have a "faint," but hopeful smile, I want you to smile as big as you can! I had anxiety/panic attacks on a daily basis, I'm agoraphobic, and never thought I would have any calmness in my life. Since I started Session 2, Day 1, I have not had any panic or anxiety attacks, I'm out of the house most every day now and when I do start to feel a touch anxious, I just repeat the steps that I learned in Session 2 and now learning in Session 3. I was supposed to start Session 4 today, but I broke my darn CD player and need to get another one. I'm having withdrawls from not hearing my relaxation tape! LOL
This program is utterly amazing to me, as I watch people just like myself, getting better everyday. I wish you the best of luck and don't forget that you have an entire website dedicated to what you are going through and people that experience what you do on an every day basis. We're here if you need us!

Keep us posted on your progress!

Smiling and very calm for the first time in a very long time. About 23+ YEARS.

Sue

I too have just opened my package. I haven't even listened to the relaxation tape yet, although I plan to when I am done here. I am hoping that I can recapture the energy I had before; I know that when I do, I can be the success I know I should be. As I go, I have a faint but hopeful smile on my face. Good luck to us all.

Thanks Sue for the encouragement. I really don't have panic attacks that often. But sometimes its hard to tell, because the depression is so strong at times, that I have trouble distinguishing between depression and just feeling rotten from the Menieres.

I have had the surgery on my brain where they cut the nerve from the inner ear to the brain to stop the vertigo attacks, but I still have daily dizziness, just not as severe. I have Meniere's in both ears, but the "good" ear isn't as bad as the first one, so I still have slight vertigo attacks occasionally.

Mostly, when I am having a bad day, I am really light-headed, nauseaus, and bad headaches - probably tension brought on by the low-level motion sickness.

The cold front that you are expecting is moving out of here (it is 21 degrees now and supposed to be 44 tomorrow) and the change of barometric pressure is killing me. Hope it doesn't hit you too bad when it gets there.

I did open my box today and watched the quickstart DVD and listened to the relaxation tape. I actually went to sleep listening to the relaxation tape. I will start lesson 1 tomorrow.

Thanks again for your encouragement. You can e-mail me directly at imdattorney@cox.net anytime.

Michele

Hi Jamie,

Funny, they diagnosed me with panic attacks when I was really having severe vertigo attacks. It took them about a year to come to a conclusive diagnosis, and I had every test imaginable, but the real flag was the loss of hearing in one ear, along with the "fullness" - that feeling you get in your ears when you go up in altitude - a feeling that you need to "pop" your ears. However, mine left ear wouldn't pop - and now I have a constant roar (like when you hold a seashell up to your ear and "hear the ocean", only louder and it doesn't go away. Also, when I am having a Menniere's attack, the ringing in my ears change tones - a sure indication that I'm going to start the motion sickness. Menniere's is a diagnosis of elimination - they eliminate all other causes for the dizziness, attacks, etc. and the four symptoms must be present: vertigo, fullness in the ears, buzzing or ringing in the ears and loss of hearing.

The meds they were giving me for panic attacks are the same meds they give for panic attacks -a tranquilizer (some type of benzodiazipine - I take 4 Xanax a day) and an anti-anxiety (temazepam - another type of benzodiazipine.

Just imagine a constant feeling of the room spinning and motion sickness, along with your ears hurting and you can't hear so well.

I also had the surgery in my brain where the dr. clipped the nerve from my inner ear to the brain to stop the faulty signals of vertigo. However, we have since found that I have it in the other ear. They can't clip the balance nerve in both ears, because that effects your ability to focus. Eventually I will lose a lot of my hearing in the other ear.

The depression seems to accompany the miseries of Menniere's. And it doesn't go away, so I'm glad they ruled out Menniere's in your case. It is really tough to deal with, because the change in barometric pressure seems to be the real trigger for me. I may feel fine one day for awhile, and then the dizziness hits. That is the frustrating thing - I don't seem to have time to recover between the next onset.

I hope you get the panic attacks under control. A vertigo attack feels much like a panic attack, except the room is spinning. Either one makes you feel like you are having a heart attack and that is very frightening.

Thank you for writing. I hope this program helps us both.

Michele

hi there when i was first having panic attacks my doc and others thought i had menniere but as it turns out i went through about a year of going for tests and seeing specialist to find out i didnt have anything wrong with my inner ear. Did you have to go through all those tests and how did they finally diagnose you with it? Just curious, I hope the program works for you i am just starting it myself. Good Luck!

Jamie

Hi Michele,

Welcome to the program! I don't have Meniere's Disease, but I do have M.S. and can totally relate to that horrible vertigo, nausea, and a feeling of being unbalanced, that you must experience. I'm the same way with the M.S. as far as barametric pressure. We have a cold front coming in on Friday and the pressure is already changing and my legs are affected. It's so strange how closely we are related to our world...meaning the weather, the oceans, etc.

Do you have anxiety/panic attacks or do you experience depression alone? The reason that I ask is that when I have a vertigo attack,it throws me into a panic attack.

Please Michele, make yourself give this an honest try. I have to tell you that Session 2 has been fantastic for me. I follow the steps the program tells me to and I warded off 7 "anxiety" attacks yesterday and no panic attacks since I started Session 2. I stopped it with my thinking and my breathing. I'm starting Session 3 tomorrow and I have not had one panic attack since last Thursday. Six days. That's a record for me! lol Yes, I did have the "startings" of 7 anxiety attacks, but to me, they are quite different as far as severity.

I know you don't have any energy, but Michele, you need to get started a.s.a.p. Believe it or not, this program has given me energy. For the first time in 7 years, I was actually looking forward to getting up this morning. This program works. It's already working for me. So, please try and get started. To be honest, that's the hardest part of the program...getting yourself started. I wish you the best of luck and totally understand how you feel with your disease. We have quite a bit in common. I'm quite familiar with Meniere's Disease.

I know! Let's put our heads together and find a place in this big world, where the barometric pressure is pretty much stable year-round! lol Is there such a place? I wish I knew!

Wishing you the best and just know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Just get started and it will be easier from there! I promise you!

Take Care,

Sue
PS If you would ever like to email me, you can reach me at SueKline520@aol.com. Feel free! Anytime. Keep me posted on how you're doing!