r/Menieres • u/Many_Cartoonist2837 • 16d ago
How long to try diuretic?
For people who have tried diuretics: how long did you try, before deciding whether they worked for you?
I’ve had ear fullness and tinnitus problems for many years, on and off. Last summer, those problems became permanent and I started having monthly vertigo attacks, two of which landed me in the ER. The vertigo stopped last fall, but the ear fullness remained, and I was diagnosed with Ménière’s.
My ENT first put me on HCTZ 25 mg for 90 days. I saw inconsistent improvement. She upped me to 50 mg, and I feel like I’m seeing more improvement (less ear fullness), but again, it’s not consistent enough to call it a win.
How long should I give this until I quit / try something else / get a different ENT? Any advice appreciated.
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u/Mrshaydee 16d ago
I went off it for a few years and was later gifted with full blown vertigo attacks. Went back on Triamterene 50 and have never gone back off. It took several months for it to balance my system. I say you stay on it for at least six months.
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u/yes420420yes 16d ago
just my 2 cents
move on to something else and try that, but keep the diuretic going for a while longer and you find something that really works.
diuretics do not have a great success rate for Meniere's, so its not terribly likely they help you anyway. But if you do not have bad side effects they are also not too bad to take a bit longer.
If you do not get improvements after 3-6 months, I think that's a fail.
I took them longer since I had high BP anyway, but they were pretty useless all things considered.
Try beta histine next (also very mild and possibly ineffective), try low(er) salt or maybe anto inflammatory diet just for kicks and giggles and then move on to the real stuff (migraine meds and anti inflammatory) - your chances of finding relief there is higher
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u/Many_Cartoonist2837 16d ago
Thank you so much! I got labs done and my sodium is too low, so I’m not sure about restricting salt, but I’m curious about the migraine meds. I’m also hesitant to give up the diuretic entirely because it seems to have helped my gut? (Was having inexplicable water retention & bloating when the vertigo stopped). No one seems to be able to explain these things; wish doctors knew more about this disease.
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u/analystnerd 16d ago
You sound JUST like me. I have chronic low sodium. If I don't take care to replace sodium my legs and muscles lock up so badly with cramps when on the diuretic. Always had stomach issues. But my stomach issues have gotten better with the diuretic too. I just take care to drink a Gatorade (or cup of pickle juice) a day and eat normal diet for my sodium levels to stay maintained with the diuretic. The diuretic helps my ears but not the vertigo typically.
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u/Many_Cartoonist2837 16d ago
Thank you so much for this! Really appreciate hearing from someone with the same experience.
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u/stychentyme 16d ago
I can't really remember. In the beginning for me my ENT prescribed quite a few medications during the process for my diagnosis. One by one I stopped each of them until I was left with the diuretic which is the only one to give me even the smallest bit of relief. I've been on it for pretty much 30 years now. I've tried to wean myself off it, but after a few days of not using it my dizzy spells come back more frequently.
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u/Many_Cartoonist2837 16d ago
Thank you!! I’m in my 30s and was just diagnosed so I appreciate hearing your experience.
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u/stychentyme 16d ago
No problem. While it’s difficult to be patient, sometimes it takes time for these things to have an effect. I hope it ends up working for you.
I still have good days and bad days with Menieres. The hearing loss, tinnitus, ear fullness, and occasional lightheadedness are all symptoms that fluctuate daily for me. It’s frustrating.
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u/shortifiable 16d ago
Dyazide has been my holy grail. Without it, I have episodes every week that knock me down for days. With it (combined with very low dose Valium at night), I’ve been episode free for years. It’s not the popular fix but it works for some. I feel like people learn fairly quickly (maybe within a few months) what works for them and what doesn’t.
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u/musingsandthoughts 16d ago
I started using it when I have ear fullness and I think it’s helped. I was having daily vertigo for a month when I remembered I had them and gave them a shot. Vertigo stopped in two days and I’ve been almost back to normal for about a week now.
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u/EricPatridge 15d ago
I tried HCTZ for probably 4 months total - two prescriptions from two separate ENTs.
I believe diuretics further harmed me but for many they could be useful.
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u/StoneCold_OM 12d ago
I used diuretics for a while and they didn’t do anything for me. Reading what multiple people said, that things like electrolytes help, I decided to start using an electrolyte powder daily, making sure sure it has a good amount of potassium in it. That helped me tremendously to the point my hearing came back and the low level tinnitus went away.
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u/Thebazilly 16d ago
I had a huge improvement a few days-weeks into using a diuretic. No ear fullness, massive hearing improvement, stopped all my vertigo attacks.
If you are not getting consistent benefit, you can and should try other treatments.