My last several posts have been about my dietary changes, as they were most the most significant change in my recovery. Diet can't cure everything, I find that there are still a few "triggers" for me. Stress can be one of them. A few things I personally do to manage stress:
Sleep:
I ALWAYS try and get a good eight hours of sleep. Getting enough sleep keeps your cortisol levels lower and this is just plain good for your overall health. Before my dietary changes, I wanted a lot more than 8 hours. Now that I have that worked out, I find 8 is enough for me.
Exercise:
I have found that I love lifting weights and have been working out for two years now. For the last year I have found I can only get to the gym twice a week, but it is enough for me. I avoid the stairclimber and elliptical machines, and even the treadmill. I find the movements on these machines can "throw me off" and make me dizzy. Remember your eyes and ears are inter-connected, rapid up and down movements an make some people with Meniere's a little crazy. I happen to be one of them!
Right now I am doing sort of a "slow burn" weight training routine (3 sets of 4 reps as heavy as I can go) since I can only get to the gym twice a week. It gets me just the right amount of soreness with good recovery time in between.
Work:
Work gets especially busy for everyone. I do try to take my lunch break every day just have some "down time" away from the hustle and bustle at work. I find it decreases my stress.
News:
I stopped watching the news. Especially in this tough economy - it stresses me out!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Dietary Changes
In my last post I brought up the big-bad "Low Carb" diet. I say that jokingly as as whenever I say I am doing Atkins or "Low Carb" people think I am one steak away from a heart attack! I don't blame people, I used to think the same thing. However, my blood work is excellent (my triglycerides fell to only 56!). But more about that later. On to my first few days on Atkins....
I am not going to lie, the first few days of this lifestyle are HORRIBLE, especially for someone suffering from Meniere's symptoms. As your body changes over from carb burning to a fat burning mode, you will most likely suffer some unpleasant symptoms. I developed head aches, severe lethargy, dizziness (yes -exactly what we Meniere's people are trying to avoid), dry mouth, a bit of insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and more. Luckily I had read up on the subject and knew to expect this or I probably would have quit. One thing thing that is very important to know (in case you are on diuretics for Meniere's like I was) is that you will encounter quite a bit of water loss. In fact, I chose to stop taking my diuretic as I was loosing so much water. I also started some magnesium and potassium supplements in addition to a good multi-vitamin and this greatly helped my symptoms. For the restless leg syndrome I drank sugar free Tonic water. So this sounds like torture, right??? It was, but I stuck through it.
After about a week or so something amazing happened. I had a clear head and lots of energy. As long as I stuck to the low carb foods, I was able to tolerate salt again. In fact, as of today I neither take diuretics, nor do I watch my salt intake. This way of eating eliminates the excess water so I just don't worry about it anymore. In addition to salt, I no longer worry about fat either. It goes against anything we have ever been taught, but if I eat fats in absence of carbohydrates, I do not gain weight (oh, and did I mention my low very LOW triglycerides!!). Much of this is explained by leading scientific jounalist Gary Taubes. I encourge you to read his article posted in the NY Times entitled "What if it was all a big fat lie" http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html
Now I am not saying this is a cure, as I do still have to watch other "triggers". However, with the dietary change I am able to work full time, have two kids, and live a pretty normal life. I would say my day to day symptoms have decreased a good 80% or more since making this dietary change.
I am not going to lie, the first few days of this lifestyle are HORRIBLE, especially for someone suffering from Meniere's symptoms. As your body changes over from carb burning to a fat burning mode, you will most likely suffer some unpleasant symptoms. I developed head aches, severe lethargy, dizziness (yes -exactly what we Meniere's people are trying to avoid), dry mouth, a bit of insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and more. Luckily I had read up on the subject and knew to expect this or I probably would have quit. One thing thing that is very important to know (in case you are on diuretics for Meniere's like I was) is that you will encounter quite a bit of water loss. In fact, I chose to stop taking my diuretic as I was loosing so much water. I also started some magnesium and potassium supplements in addition to a good multi-vitamin and this greatly helped my symptoms. For the restless leg syndrome I drank sugar free Tonic water. So this sounds like torture, right??? It was, but I stuck through it.
After about a week or so something amazing happened. I had a clear head and lots of energy. As long as I stuck to the low carb foods, I was able to tolerate salt again. In fact, as of today I neither take diuretics, nor do I watch my salt intake. This way of eating eliminates the excess water so I just don't worry about it anymore. In addition to salt, I no longer worry about fat either. It goes against anything we have ever been taught, but if I eat fats in absence of carbohydrates, I do not gain weight (oh, and did I mention my low very LOW triglycerides!!). Much of this is explained by leading scientific jounalist Gary Taubes. I encourge you to read his article posted in the NY Times entitled "What if it was all a big fat lie" http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html
Now I am not saying this is a cure, as I do still have to watch other "triggers". However, with the dietary change I am able to work full time, have two kids, and live a pretty normal life. I would say my day to day symptoms have decreased a good 80% or more since making this dietary change.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Diet Changes
In my last post I left off mentioning that in my reading about Autoimmune Diseases there was a common thread. Sugar is not good for the Immune System. It is just about the first line I read anywhere I went. When I thought about restricting sugar, my first thought was "what kind of diet do Diabetics eat?" It seems that from everything I read, the latest research showed Diabetics to well on Low Carb Diets. When you think Low Carb, who do you think of? I immediately thought of "Atkins". Yes, Atkins...the diet nobody wants to talk about. Today similar approaches are out in all kinds of diets that don't say "low carb" because it is so unfashionable...but that is exactly what they are.
Anyways, I had had a little past experience with a lower carb diet. A few relatives went on it and I myself had lost some weight after my first child using it. I thought I would take another look at it and read the Atkins book on the advise of my Aunt. I have since read many different kinds of books on this subject , but I find that Atkins New Diet Revolution explains things in the simplest terms. I strongly urge anybody to just read the first few chapters of the book if nothing else to open your mind up to a different way of thinking. It simply explains in layman's terms how sugar triggers an insulin response in your body. Too much insulin leads to inflammation and a whole host of problems. Now I am not a "die-hard", but I do try to keep my intake at 50 grams a day to keep primarily in ketosis. In my next post I will talk about how the diet went at first (it wasn't pretty)...but it lead to a good result in the end.
Anyways, I had had a little past experience with a lower carb diet. A few relatives went on it and I myself had lost some weight after my first child using it. I thought I would take another look at it and read the Atkins book on the advise of my Aunt. I have since read many different kinds of books on this subject , but I find that Atkins New Diet Revolution explains things in the simplest terms. I strongly urge anybody to just read the first few chapters of the book if nothing else to open your mind up to a different way of thinking. It simply explains in layman's terms how sugar triggers an insulin response in your body. Too much insulin leads to inflammation and a whole host of problems. Now I am not a "die-hard", but I do try to keep my intake at 50 grams a day to keep primarily in ketosis. In my next post I will talk about how the diet went at first (it wasn't pretty)...but it lead to a good result in the end.
On My Own
So as I left off in my last post, the doc sent me home with a diuretic and told me to cut back on the caffeine, try to stick to a low salt diet (as I came to find out, this is hard to do thus the reason for the diuretic to help eliminate salt).
I must say that I was drinking quite a few cups of coffee each day just trying to keep moving and not crash. I cut back to decaf coffee (still a little caffeine, but way less than before) and tried for the most part to keep it to one cup a day. In addition during the first month after diagnosis I cut back on work an few hours a day and religiously took the diuretic. After about a month I tried to go back to a normal schedule.
I would say that for the next year I returned to a fairly normal life in that I was able to work and "get by". However I did not like the idea of taking a pill every day and there were some mild side effects. In addition, there were still many "triggers" that would set off my symptoms.
I remember reading that it is thought that Meniere's Disease is likely an autoimmune disorder. I decided to do a little research on what people with autoimmune issues should do and see if there was a better way to handle this problem.
I found a very common thread in everything I read about autoimmune diseases. The number one thing I found is that sugar is bad for the immune system. Sugar is pure carbohydrate. Now I know that nobody want to talk about "carbs" anymore but bear with me!
I must say that I was drinking quite a few cups of coffee each day just trying to keep moving and not crash. I cut back to decaf coffee (still a little caffeine, but way less than before) and tried for the most part to keep it to one cup a day. In addition during the first month after diagnosis I cut back on work an few hours a day and religiously took the diuretic. After about a month I tried to go back to a normal schedule.
I would say that for the next year I returned to a fairly normal life in that I was able to work and "get by". However I did not like the idea of taking a pill every day and there were some mild side effects. In addition, there were still many "triggers" that would set off my symptoms.
I remember reading that it is thought that Meniere's Disease is likely an autoimmune disorder. I decided to do a little research on what people with autoimmune issues should do and see if there was a better way to handle this problem.
I found a very common thread in everything I read about autoimmune diseases. The number one thing I found is that sugar is bad for the immune system. Sugar is pure carbohydrate. Now I know that nobody want to talk about "carbs" anymore but bear with me!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
As if I was confused before!
That day I saw a brand new doctor "in training". She decided it was time for a CT Scan. The scan did not come back with anything alarming, but due to a deviated septum they referred me to a ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat doctor) to see if this could be part of the problem.
My appointment wtih the ENT revealed that although I had a deviated septum, my sinuses looked relatively good. When I told him my long list of symptoms (feeling half crazy because I felt perfectly normal that day) he immediately sent me off for a MRI, but would tell me nothing further than that.
The look of concern, the MRI, his lack to reveal more of what could be going on scared the daylights out of me. As soon as I got home I was on the intranet and typed in my symptoms. What came back was terrifying: Brain tumors, MS, Parkinson's, the list was endless and most all of my symptoms fit.
The day of the MRI results was a day of relief and frustration. I was healthy - but what was going on?
The ENT then sent me to a Speech and Hearing Center for another battery of tests. I thought it was strange he was sending me there, but what the heck? The hearing test went pretty well, as I was having a good day that day (my ears were not feeling "full"). It showed just marginal hearing loss. Then she asked me to stand on a cushion and close my eyes. How ridiculous I thought! Embarrassingly enough, I couldn't stand on the cushion. She had to hold me up. Then came another battery of tests that went in a similar fashion.
The Speech and Hearing Therapist walked me down the hall to my ENT so he could reveal the results. He said something like this: "This is not something we know a lot about, but we call your bundle of symptoms Menieres Disease when nothing else quite fits". He said to try and cut back the salt and Caffeine and handed me a prescription for a mild diuretic and sent me on my way.
My appointment wtih the ENT revealed that although I had a deviated septum, my sinuses looked relatively good. When I told him my long list of symptoms (feeling half crazy because I felt perfectly normal that day) he immediately sent me off for a MRI, but would tell me nothing further than that.
The look of concern, the MRI, his lack to reveal more of what could be going on scared the daylights out of me. As soon as I got home I was on the intranet and typed in my symptoms. What came back was terrifying: Brain tumors, MS, Parkinson's, the list was endless and most all of my symptoms fit.
The day of the MRI results was a day of relief and frustration. I was healthy - but what was going on?
The ENT then sent me to a Speech and Hearing Center for another battery of tests. I thought it was strange he was sending me there, but what the heck? The hearing test went pretty well, as I was having a good day that day (my ears were not feeling "full"). It showed just marginal hearing loss. Then she asked me to stand on a cushion and close my eyes. How ridiculous I thought! Embarrassingly enough, I couldn't stand on the cushion. She had to hold me up. Then came another battery of tests that went in a similar fashion.
The Speech and Hearing Therapist walked me down the hall to my ENT so he could reveal the results. He said something like this: "This is not something we know a lot about, but we call your bundle of symptoms Menieres Disease when nothing else quite fits". He said to try and cut back the salt and Caffeine and handed me a prescription for a mild diuretic and sent me on my way.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Meniere's Diagnosis
Welcome to my blog! This is my journey on how I was diagnosed with Meniere's and how I have come out the other end with a pretty normal life. I was finally diagnosed in 2004...and suffered many years of leading up to that day. Today's post is the time leading up to diagnosis.
My symptoms really started to become noticeable in 2000 when I turned 30, however looking back in time I had little tell-tale symptoms long before then. I started feeling constant fatigue and a general feeling of "brain fog" all the time. I would have light dizziness, and kept telling my doctor I felt "plugged up and can't think". They diagnosed one of many sinus infections and many rounds of antibiotics.
Over time the symptoms got worse. I would go to the doctor because I could not hear, but they said my ears were clear. Then my ears started ringing. Sounds would pass between my ears like you were changing the balance on your car stereo. Left ear works.....now all the sounds has moved to my right ear within a matter of seconds. Went to the doctor and was told, you must have another sinus infection, time for more antibiotics.
Next I lost my depth perception. I would run into walls, miss steps on stairs, not duck when I should. I was know for being a "klutz". Then the vertigo hit. So many things triggered the vertigo. Crowds of people, a strobe light, video games, a flickering candle, action movies, riding in a boat, escalators, elevators, dim lights, lights of on coming traffic at night. I went on a simple ride at an amusement park with my small child but came off the ride feeling like a drunk in an egg scrambler! Anything with movement or a lot of noise triggered major sensory issues for me.
Went back to the doctor. You must have another sinus infection. "Have some super antibiotics, this should solve it once and for all". I wasn't convinced.
So guess what? The super antibiotics didn't work. Went back to the doctor. I was lucky that day, my doctor wasn't in.
My symptoms really started to become noticeable in 2000 when I turned 30, however looking back in time I had little tell-tale symptoms long before then. I started feeling constant fatigue and a general feeling of "brain fog" all the time. I would have light dizziness, and kept telling my doctor I felt "plugged up and can't think". They diagnosed one of many sinus infections and many rounds of antibiotics.
Over time the symptoms got worse. I would go to the doctor because I could not hear, but they said my ears were clear. Then my ears started ringing. Sounds would pass between my ears like you were changing the balance on your car stereo. Left ear works.....now all the sounds has moved to my right ear within a matter of seconds. Went to the doctor and was told, you must have another sinus infection, time for more antibiotics.
Next I lost my depth perception. I would run into walls, miss steps on stairs, not duck when I should. I was know for being a "klutz". Then the vertigo hit. So many things triggered the vertigo. Crowds of people, a strobe light, video games, a flickering candle, action movies, riding in a boat, escalators, elevators, dim lights, lights of on coming traffic at night. I went on a simple ride at an amusement park with my small child but came off the ride feeling like a drunk in an egg scrambler! Anything with movement or a lot of noise triggered major sensory issues for me.
Went back to the doctor. You must have another sinus infection. "Have some super antibiotics, this should solve it once and for all". I wasn't convinced.
So guess what? The super antibiotics didn't work. Went back to the doctor. I was lucky that day, my doctor wasn't in.
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