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Living With Menieres & Tinnitus | A Personal Story & Why I Do This Channel

John Banks

13,203 views

For a short while, I have wanted to make this video showing what it's like living with Menieres Disease & Tinntius. My story dates back to around 2006 when I had my first vertigo attack. It was shortly after that I was diagnosed with Meniere's. I have lived with this now since then and as a result of the attacks, I am now left with 24/7 Tinnitus. (Ringing or buzzing in the ears)

It can be a real struggle to cope with tinnitus as I am sure many of you will know. The ringing in my ears never goes away, although the "volume" does fluctuate from time to time.

There are many coping strategies that your ENT can help you with but it's all about management as there is no cure for Meniere's or Tinnitus as of now.

I hope some people can watch this short video about my experience and know that you are not alone and that there are people out there that are experiencing the EXACT SAME things and feelings that you are living with.

My inbox is always open on my Instagram channel below.
🖼Instagram: Instagram: sideincomeman

👉For my FREE side hustles ebook: https://sidehustlesbook.net

As always, do leave a comment if you found it useful or please leave suggestions of anything else you would like me to do a video on. Thank you!

Reach out to me:

🌏Website: https://sideincomeman.com
👉Twitter: Twitter: sideincomeman

Thanks for watching, you can also ask questions or suggestions in the COMMENTS section and I will get back to you.

20 Comments

@bwrobert 4 years ago Pinned

John, I'm four years into MD and whilst playing your tinnitus section my husband yelled "what is that, turn it off". I said what? thinking the numbers were simply a countdown to the example. He continued "that terrible sound". I never heard it, obviously I've lost the frequency, my tinnitus is a whooshing air sound at a lower frequency. I'm been trying to explain to him what tinnitus is, thanks to you he totally gets it now. Thanks for sharing your journey.

@DANDIETERT-c1f 1 hour ago

It’s horrible! I had gentamicin injections in the affected ear to stop the severe vertigo spells and it worked, but one is never the same afterwards. Tinnitus doesn’t bother me for some reason.

@anthonycaputo2669 9 months ago

You’re not alone friend. I’ve had this for about 9 years. My first attack was just me sitting on the couch watching tv. My dad has it for most of his life. so my first reaction that night was oh no!!! I’ve been trying everything! I have noticed running or going on bike rides helps. Makes the dizziness not last 12 hours. But when I miss a day it’s almost like it comes back 10 times worse. It’s ruined me. I get bad mood swings. Depression. Lucky my wife has been supportive. And explains it to our kids when it does happen. I just want you to know you have friends out here in the YouTube world. I haven’t try support groups yet. Was gonna bring me and my dad to them. The problem is, I can deal with the hearing loss on my right ear and the ear ringing from tinnitus. Then I can deal with but the dizziness vertigo. It makes me scared to do anything productive. And in my work area people don’t really know what it is so when I do get a dizzy spell, they think I’m just being lazy or pretending to be dizzy and it makes me feel guilty. Because why do I have to have this? I don’t know I just want you to know you’re not alone if you stay positive I’ll stay positive.

@alwaysmarcy9428 4 years ago

I know exactly what it's like, it's hell on Earth. I'm sick of it, so sick of it

@CW-Innovations 3 years ago

Thanks John. Very dark place indeed. > 8 years here. My world has become very small. I have a great friend and a great wife who try to understand. ... just a note to those living with a MD sufferer, please do your best to understand that you can't understand. You can't understand, and we don't expect you to. The dark places can be very dark despite all the strength in the world. Please just be present and reach out with love. That makes a world of difference.

@stvnhthr 1 year ago

I relate. Tinnitus is 24/7 (seashell sounds), 20% hearing loss, but the aural fullness and vertigo are the worse. I seldom leave the house because vertigo attacks are at least every three days, usually 2 out of 3 days. Then after every attack it takes a few days to feel strong again, problem is I never get those few days without another attack. It is hell. Doctor said I was just a bit dizzy, I would have kicked him in the nuts if I could have stood up without vomiting.

@frankporter6169 1 year ago

Sir, You are preaching to the choir.

@neilyoung41 1 year ago

I was recently diagnosed having experienced an attack in December 2024 which lasted 7 hours. It was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced and was terrifying as I didnt know what it was. I was taken into hospital (A&E) as they thought I was having a brain stem stroke. Thank god it was hut but it was Endolymphatic Hyrdops. Im now on Betahistine 3 times a day to help reduce the pressure in my right ear, but im so anxious it will happen again. I have also now wear a hearing aid in that ear as my hearing fluctuates a lot. Thanks for sharing the video as it mirrors what I have been facing.

@BrianWatts-i1b 1 year ago

My father had tinnitus 25 years ago. We didn't have a clue what he was going through. We did not support him well enough cause we didn't have people like you to pass on their experience . 6 th June 2021 he committed suicide. RIP dad. Now I have it and can now understand his reasoning. Thank for posting

@steph2016 4 years ago

Thank you for sharing! I just starting hearing a high pitched sound about 5 days ago. My anxiety is really bad right now, but I find videos like this very helpful. I'm very scared because I don't want to loose my job, because I have 3 children to support. But it's comforting knowing that other people understand what I'm going through. Please continue doing videos, sharing your experiences. It will really help others learn to cope.

@Yinsherr 3 weeks ago

The worst thing about having MD for me is that other people don't understand how I feel. They think I'm exaggerating my situation. I often feel lonely.

@avihana2002 2 years ago

Thank you, John. It’s really kind of you to post this. I hate that others suffer like this too, but at least I’m not alone.

@Cake... 10 months ago (edited)

I’ve had Ménière’s for 10 years now. I travel alone and had an episode on the day I was catching a flight from Beijing to Phnom Penh. Vomited 5 times at the airport and no one came to my assistance. Thankfully after the vomiting I miraculously felt a lot better and was just able to continue my journey. But that was truly a frightening moment in my life. Now, i think twice before I consider any travel.

@andrewharchar891 2 years ago

I have the exact same story! But, My wife left me 9 years ago, convinced my adult children that I was lying to cover my being abusive, after all was said and done she had it put into the divorce documents that I could not sue her for desertion! My lawyer said to me let her go, you have the proof you wanted that she is no good, stop fighting it, Its public record now, she is just no good! So I signed and now I live with this disease alone! If I watch my salt and sugar intake and take plenty off antioxidant vitamins I'm ok. Humid weather, intense heat in the summer and most of October are horrible, because the furnace kicks on! Yeah it's a challenge but at least you have youe family!

@SjStehle 1 month ago

6 months ago I was diagnosed. When onset hit, I thought I was dying. The worst day of my life. I'm so angry that at 32 I'm a mere shadow of the woman I was before this condition hit me.

@shaunferguson260 10 months ago

I've been suffering with Menieres for a while now, i was experiencing symptoms since I was 25. I served in HM Submarine service and when i was diagnosed, this was given as a cause due to pressure change exposure and heavy machinery noises.

These past 3 years have been worst affected and now 38, I have had to take time away from work, as I now work in IT, it is difficult to use a monitor without triggering vertigo, nausea etc.

My hearing is/was at 60% when diagnosed, I've not had a test recently but i assume its worse as my wife is fed up of being on repeat.

Thanks for sharing your video, i only know of one other person, personally, who suffers and they had to leave their job, this is the biggest fear for me at the moment. 2nd fear, is becoming completely deaf.

@Mewillo 3 months ago

luckily Betahistine or Serc has helped a bit. thank you for your channel. sometimes you feel you're alone .

@gunpowderboardgames 1 year ago (edited)

Good vid, thank i use Betahistine and generally it keeps me stable. Tinnitus is a pain true but i try to ignore it, takes a while but it does become a background noise like traffic. You will get your life back and people live with much worse. Keep positive and let's hope a cure arrives soon.

@matthewmcwade 6 months ago

I have had left ear fullness off and on for a couple years now and last month I had my first vertigo/dizziness attack. It was awful, I was vomiting and went to the ER by ambulance. My ENT suspects Ménière’s but I do not have constant Tinnitus or hearing loss as of yet. The aural fullness comes and goes usually every 6-8 weeks. I suspect this is just getting started for me and I walk around with Meclazine on me at all times. Living my life the best I can and my wife is awesome and super supportive. My best to all of you suffering with this. Be well!

@mykeprior3436 1 year ago (edited)

Yeah 100% this shit is hell. The hellish sounds you hear, jet like torture ringing and circus noises/seashells, the fear of losing hearing and just have garbage instead, not even being able to hear your own voice as if it were a broken speaker., the hearing loss attacks, the random bouts of so much for standing. I have nutty sounds in both ears, thank god I can still hear...but you're absolutely right, all my life plans are scrapped because of the fear of worsening. I can't just "man up" over real fears of getting worse when my risks are increased.
And we're told live with it, when every other day I wonder if I'll just end it.