Anyone out there like me, who has both OSA and Meniere's Disease?  Without getting too detailed, my Meniere's Disease is rare in that it is "positional."  I can correct an episode of vertigo by changing my position.  And certain positions are impossible for me to maintain because they create a vertigo episode--such as sleeping on my right side.  (Since my deviated septum is on my right side, I need to sleep on my left side anyway.)

Now that I'm 4+ weeks into successful CPAP therapy, suddenly my vertigo episodes have disappeared!  I can sleep equally well on either side.  (I have started using Veramist nasal spray to eliminate the sinus drainage issue.)

I'm certainly not complaining.  Just curious.  I have noticed that very often the PAP makes my inner ears "pop," (my pressure is 17) so there's probably a connection.  Has anyone else with MD or chronic vertigo noticed this great side effect of CPAP?  Or am I imagining things?

jettstream


_________________
REMstar Plus M CPAP Machine
w/C-flex, Ramp, & Heated Humidifier
ResMed Mirage Quattro Full-face Mask
Pressure setting 17
Began therapy 18 July 2008

jettstream wrote:

Anyone out there like me, who has both OSA and Meniere's Disease?  Without getting too detailed, my Meniere's Disease is rare in that it is "positional."  I can correct an episode of vertigo by changing my position.  And certain positions are impossible for me to maintain because they create a vertigo episode--such as sleeping on my right side.  (Since my deviated septum is on my right side, I need to sleep on my left side anyway.)

Now that I'm 4+ weeks into successful CPAP therapy, suddenly my vertigo episodes have disappeared!  I can sleep equally well on either side.  (I have started using Veramist nasal spray to eliminate the sinus drainage issue.)

I'm certainly not complaining.  Just curious.  I have noticed that very often the PAP makes my inner ears "pop," (my pressure is 17) so there's probably a connection.  Has anyone else with MD or chronic vertigo noticed this great side effect of CPAP?  Or am I imagining things?

jettstream

Hi jettstream,

A Menieres diagnose is a diagnose they give you, if they don’t find anything else. I assume that they had checked out your ear crystals (I’m thinking of this because of your positional Vertigo).

But there is a connection between SA and the inner ear. When you have an apnea your brain pressure will increase. This pressure can go through your Cochlear Canal to your inner ear. This is depending on the length of your apneas and how open your Cochlear Canal is (some has a very open Cochlear Canal, and others nearly a closed one). There is no way to measure that. But there is a study on pigs, which shows that an average time of 10 – 15 sec. before the pressure goes to the inner ear. This repetitive pressure in your inner ear can give you Vertigo and dizziness. (And a Menieres diagnose).

Therefore there can be a good reason why your vertigo seems to disappear after you got on CPAP.

You also mentioned that your inner ear is popping. I think you mean your middle ear. The CPAP pressure of 17 cm H2O can never affect your middle ear. It has to go through you Eustachian Tube. To open this Tube you need a pressure about 45 mmHG (CPAP pressure of 20 cm H2O is only about 14 mmHG).

But you also mentioned “deviated septum” and “sinus drainage issue”. This can give you a blocked Eustachian Tube, which can give you ear popping. I think you should read the sticky in the top of this page – about sinus irrigation.

I had a Menieres diagnosis for nearly 2 years before I found this connection. If I have only 2-3 apneas the whole night, I still can have dizziness the day after. So I also think that the sensitivity of your inner ear has some importance.

Henning

Interesting.  (Though I may disagree with your opinion of a Meniere's diagnosis.  I was subjected to many tests including MRI, vertigo tests to bring on episodes, as well as hearing tests confirming sudden nerve deafness in one ear, and diagnosed by a specialist in MD.)

My deafness certainly hasn't "cleared up" and never will.  But some serious pressure changes are going on in my ENT, be it inner or middle ear, and I think it is positively affecting my ability to lie on either side.  Whoo hoo for that.  Just wondered if others had a similar experience.

(And nasal irrigation doesn't do much for me.)

jettstream[/quote]


_________________
REMstar Plus M CPAP Machine
w/C-flex, Ramp, & Heated Humidifier
ResMed Mirage Quattro Full-face Mask
Pressure setting 17
Began therapy 18 July 2008

jettstream wrote:

Interesting.  (Though I may disagree with your opinion of a Meniere's diagnosis.  I was subjected to many tests including MRI, vertigo tests to bring on episodes, as well as hearing tests confirming sudden nerve deafness in one ear, and diagnosed by a specialist in MD.)

My deafness certainly hasn't "cleared up" and never will.  But some serious pressure changes are going on in my ENT, be it inner or middle ear, and I think it is positively affecting my ability to lie on either side.  Whoo hoo for that.  Just wondered if others had a similar experience.

(And nasal irrigation doesn't do much for me.)

jettstream

Hi jettstream,

All these tests are the normally tests done for all disorders in the inner ear.

Here is a link to an article about Menieres. This article is written by Dr. Timothy C. Hain, Professor of Neurology. He is also known as “The dizzy doctor”.  Dr. Hain was selected to be included in the Best Doctors in America on several occasions.

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/menieres/menieres.html#whatis

In this article you can read that they really don’t know what is causing Menieres disease. There are a lot of theories, but in the end it is an exclusion of alternative causes.

I agree with you, that your deafness possibly will be permanent.  But maybe it will not be worsened.

Your sinus drainage issue can be worsened with the use of xPAP.

I also had sinus problems, and have used the Neti Pot for a year, without any results. But then I found one of these pulsating machines (Water Pik or Hydropulse), and this have cleared up my sinus problems.

(You also can read about these systems at the sticky about nasal irrigation).

Henning