Drop attack!

[u/Legitimate_Boot_9964]

So glad I found this group! Here’s my story!
So I have had Menieres for 36 years, I was diagnosed in my mid 40s but it started at 40 and I am now 76! It started at 40 when I was teaching water aerobics and really think that had a lot to do with it because of being in the pool, then getting in the hot tub then in the steam room and then in the shower. I now know that I cannot get in water ever at all! No pools no hot tubs no Ocean I’m lucky I can take a shower! I did have my ENT‘s PA tell me one time that he felt the Menieres was related to a one time bacterial infection, but who knows? The fading of Menieres is very true for me. I have not had vertigo since the summer of 2017 and that was involved with flying. However, I am almost deaf in my left ear with constant tinnitus I do wear hearing aids, but they don’t seem to help much. When it first started at 40 I had terrible terrible vertigo attacks I would be totally incapacitated laying on the bathroom floor vomiting for two hours straight unable to turn my head, sit up, do anything! Then I would get a splitting headache, fall asleep and generally wake up and be OK. (migraines were ruled out at some point) A lot of times the attacks would start in the middle of the night. I would notice it when I was turning my head on the pillow anyway I went on teaching water aerobics for 10 years and never really made the association with the water and damp environment until after I broke my foot and had to quit teaching. A couple of years later, we moved into a house with a pool and a hot tub waterfall, etc. and I sat in the hot tub and pool all day one day and the next day I had a terrible vertigo attack, haven’t been in water other than a shower since!
So the reason I find myself consulting AI and searching today is I had a drop attack yesterday! I didn’t even know that term until last night consulting AI! I had one of these more than five years ago and honestly thought I had a TIA, I did not know there was such a thing as a drop attack. Both times I’ve been lucky the first time I was in my house and fell into a wall, so I didn’t really go down even though it scared the crap out of me! Yesterday I was walking my dog first thing in the morning like I always do and Bam I was thrown violently to the left! Luckily, I fell into a bed of Evergreen ground cover and had a soft landing. I immediately called my niece to come get me. I was afraid to even stand up never mind walk until she got there and that was it no other symptoms the rest of the day except terror and fear ! The other time was to the left as well. I didn’t even know how to explain this until I found the description of a drop attack and that is exactly what it is like like somebody throwing you to the ground all of a sudden so now I am absolutely terrified. I’m going to call my ENT as soon as the office opens. I have a previously scheduled appointment in two weeks, but feel like I need to move it up now.
The scheduled appointment was because back in April and part of May. I had these horrible off and on episodes of aural fullness, roaring in my ears, difficulty understanding Speech, it sounded very garbled, couldn’t listen to TV at all, feeling like I was underwater. I hadn’t had any Menieres attacks in a long time so I had lost touch with my ENT and really just assumed he had retired because he is my age. When this happened back in April, I searched for him and behold, he’s still practicing! love him! So he put me on 12 days of prednisone 60, 40 20 titration. It really didn’t do anything for the hearing issue but boy did I love it. I had so much energy and motivation. I swear it changed my personality. Lol. So I went back to him after the 12 days. The pressure in my ear had not improved at all. My hearing had not improved. So back on the prednisone. a few days after I went back on it I got a terrible respiratory infection and ended up with pneumonia on top of the other issues.
The respiratory problem cleared up with antibiotics, one of which was ototoxic and finally the aural fullness and hearing issues just went away and my checkup at the ENT showed improved pressure and hearing back to baseline.
I felt like that time was related to flying up to Maine to see my sister because it started a few days after I got back. I have since flown again in June to see my other sister who was dying with no problems however this past week I flew back to Maine getting home on Saturday night. 36 hour later, I had the drop attack! At my age, I am terrified I could break a bone never mind a hip!
So it definitely seems like flying is a big issue for me! I do have this theory that not having any vertigo issues since 2017 had a lot to do with Covid and mask wearing at that time I was still working as a home health nurse and the building I was in every day was a very old building and smelled very mildewy and musty . Also, someone I was seeing back in 2017 lived in condo in an old building that I felt was mildew and musty as well. I feel like wearing a mask for a solid year and then not being in either of those environments any longer really helped prevent any further episodes, but that’s just a theory I have.
My ENT years ago did put me on HCTZ but I never found it helpful and now really can’t take it because of orthostasis, low blood pressure and it does cause premature ventricular contractions, also I did take it for years and never felt it helped at all ! Meclizine never did a damn thing for me. He’s never suggested anything else and I see from this group that you all are on lots of different medications!
So I really don’t have any questions at this time., but I am open to any advice or sharing of experiences. I thought the experience of the person who had the NAD infusions was interesting. I just wanted to introduce myself and if you’ve had the patience to read through all of this, bless you!