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My Meniere's Triggers

I consider myself to be very fortunate with my own condition at the moment. I rarely get vertigo attacks, I'd say once a year. I definitely don't take this for granted, and credit medication (Betaserc) and certain lifestyle changes for doing well. However, I do have triggers that make me feel worse. Please note, that by saying these factors trigger my Meniere's, I mean they temporarily make my symptoms worse, they do not necessarily cause an attack.

Alcohol
Consuming large amounts of alcohol is simply not an option for me anymore. I learned my lesson from my very first vertigo attack ever, which, to this day, is the worst I've ever felt in my entire life, and was caused by alcohol. After realizing that alcohol was a trigger for me, I gave it up for a whole year. I've never been a big drinker anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. After that year I started testing my limits, allowing myself a glass of wine every now and then. I now drink less than I did before I got Meniere's disease, but 2-3 glasses of wine or cider won't give me an attack. 3 is my absolute limit, I have no desire to test whether I can have a 4th, and I seldom drink more than 1.

Stress
Stress is probably my biggest trigger. I stress very easily. I don't know about the chemical reactions stress causes, but in addition to giving me anxiety stress on a long run makes my Meniere's disease act all crazy.

Lack of sleep
When I say I need my 8-10 hours, I really mean it. I'll survive a few nights with less sleep, but then things start to go south real fast. My tinnitus gets louder than it already is, and I'm unable to perform simple tasks without huge amounts of effort. I'm tired even when I'm not tired, and my brain gets so foggy. Sometimes even one night of inadequate sleep causes me to feel a little off when I get up in the morning, but that I can usually fix with a nap.

Very high sodium levels
The reason I say "very high" is that I, although I mainly follow a low sodium diet, am able to enjoy a full bag of chips without having to worry about it giving me an attack. I can eat chips, microwave noodles, and all other products with high sodium levels, and all it will do to me is give me louder tinnitus. My tinnitus is loud and constant already, so for it to become louder for a day or two is not something I even register. I think I would have to eat five bags of chips in one sitting before I'd be in trouble with my Meniere's.

For many people with Meniere's disease these are common triggers, and others include caffeine, changes in weather, and even sudden movements. I drink coffee occasionally, and some beverages I enjoy also include caffeine, and so does chocolate. Caffeine is not an issue for me, but to be fair, I rarely consume a lot of it, so I guess I can't really say for sure. I haven't noticed any weather-related issues, either. Occasionally I have what I call "micro attacks", so these mini attacks that last for a few seconds, and are usually due to sudden movements. I never used to have them, and now I do almost on a weekly basis.

What are your triggers?

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