Meniere' s Disease treatment, natural supplements, alternative therapy
January 18 2016 by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Despite extensive research, the exact cause of Meniere's disease remains elusive. I have searched for natural and alternative treatments for this condition but there is hardly any research published yet, but I keep looking. There is currently no gold standard treatment for Ménière's disease.

Natural supplements and herbs, home remedies
I am not aware of nutraceutical pills that have been shown in studies to be of benefit. Perhaps one could try ginger, vinpocetine, or ginkgo but this is a guess.

Q. Can you recommend supplements / herbs such as vinpocetine or at least recommend someone out there who is looking into improving the lives of those suffering from it. There are many people writing articles on the internet who swear by certain products that cure Meniere's disease and we as the general public are to just blindly trust out of desperation. I am sure that Dr Sahelian is a caring doctor who has some insights on the subject of this condition. I personally am using Mind Power Rx but am looking for products for my elderly mother.
   A. As of 2016, I have not come across any good research on supplements that improve Meniere's disease, but I will keep searching.

I am wondering whether you would recommend vinpocetine for someone with Meniere's. I am desperate to help my mother. I also feel there is a correlation with this condition and an inactive thyroid and weakened blood circulation. I know the answer is out there.

I found that flax oil and fish oil along with vinpocetine in a small dosage and as well ginkgo biloba, again in a small amounts, reduces the symptoms of Meniere's disease. I had all the symptoms for about a yr and a half. and finally I decided i would do something myself as i could not function and was offered no solution other than a lot of very expensive tests and procedures. "yep, you got a problem!" or expensive words to that effect.

There is a theory that it is connected with herpes simple and shingles? If you know of anyone you can recommend I would be eternally grateful. I would love to be able to give my mother some relief and I am concerned it may also be hereditary. Any suggestions would be so appreciated. Even a medical explanation as to what it is caused by and whether in fact there is a connection between Menieres and herpes simplex and shingles would really be so helpful. There are many non medical opinions out there that his knowledge and expertise would really help me in my research.

First let me tell you how much I love your products and am actually awaiting an order in the mail. I would like to ask about Menieres. My mother has been diagnosed with the condition. She has suffered with this condition for many years and I am always looking for ways to help her when the attack may hit. I am allot like her in that I have already had problems with the same health conditions that she experienced when she was my age. She also has been diagnosed with osteoporosis which I suspect is somehow making the condition worse because of the decreased bone density around her neck and ears. I am not medically trained at all so forgive my conjectures...Have you come across any literature or can you recommend any supplements that might help her and possibly myself in the future. I have also read that there is a correlation between the herpes simplex virus and Menieres. Once again I don't know whether this in fact is true or not. I am sure like most other illnesses what may work for one person might not be work or for another because of individual differences and circumstances. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Once again thank you so much for your effective products, like Mind Power Rx, among many others.

Cause, why it happens
Allergy and its relation to Meniere's disease.
Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2010. Clinical Studies Department, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Ménière's disease (MD), which by definition is idiopathic, has been ascribed to various causes, including inhalant and food allergies. Patients with MD report higher rates of allergy history and positive skin or in vitro tests compared with a control group of patients with other otologic diseases and to the general public. Recent immunologic studies have shown higher rates of circulating immune complexes, CD4, and other immunologic components in patients with MD compared with normal controls. Published treatment results have shown benefit from immunotherapy and/or dietary restriction for symptoms of MD in patients who present with allergy and MD.

Acta Clin Belg. 2010. Meniere's disease: update of etiopathogenetic theories and proposal of a possible model of explanation. MD is an affection consisting of an association of sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo initially presenting by crises. A review of the most considered possible causative factors and pathophysiologic interpretations allows us to underline the uncertainties which still exist about the genesis of this illness. We propose a mechanistic model based on the effect of a haemodynamic imbalance leading to transient ischaemia which could have an effect on the pH of the inner ear as well as on the work of the inner ear proton pumps. It is hypothesized that under ischaemic conditions and consequent metabolic acidity a preserved proton pump activity can generate an overload of anions in the endolymphatic partition, which is a closed system, thus resulting in an enhancement of osmolarity and consequently in the formation of a hydrops resulting in the development of fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo which characterize Meniere's Disease.

Eur J Med Genet. 2013. High incidence of Meniere-like symptoms in relatives of Meniere patients in the areas of Oulu University Hospital and Kainuu Central Hospital in Finland. A family history of Meniere's disease was convincing (confirmed or probable) in 23% of the patients. Genetic factors are significant in the development.

Management and outcome
Medical management of Ménière's disease: a 10-year case series and review of literature.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2010. Martín González C, González FM, Trinidad A, López-Cortijo C. Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain,
Ménière's disease is frequent in our area. It is a disabling pathology that affects the patient's quality of life. Its etiology and pathophysiology remain unclear and there are some therapeutic alternatives with controversial results. We present our series and treatment protocol and discuss the current evidence regarding its medical treatment. In the last 10 years, 252 patients were diagnosed with Ménière's disease based on their symptoms, and the results of tonal audiometry, videonystagmography and caloric stimulation tests. All cases received medical treatment according to our management protocol. Ménière's disease is more frequent in women (54%); 83% of cases are unilateral. Among these, vertigo was observed in 93%, hearing loss in 88%, tinnitus in 86% and pathologic caloric stimulation tests in 71% (88% with a reduced vestibular response). A 5-year follow-up was performed in 89% of the patients. Subjective improvement as reported by patients was achieved in 94% of the cases. There is great controversy about the medical treatment of Ménière's disease. We found no evidence for the most adequate medical treatment among the different alternatives described in literature. The patient's acceptance and understanding of the disease is very important.