My boyfriend introduced me to the alt-rock singer Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Bryan Adams) a little while back, and I really dig his music style – so much so that we took a trip to Boston recently to see him in concert [thanks, David 
].
Last week I watched this interview of Ryan Adams where he discusses his struggles with Meniere’s Disease – a very disturbing illness, that can cause hearing loss, pressure in the ear, tinnitus, and severe imbalance and vertigo. It was interesting to listen to him talk candidly about how he had to give up his music for a few years because he was so debilitated by the daily symptoms that besieged him.
Check out the vid below to hear Ryan Adams being interviewed on Skavlan – a Norwegian-Swedish television talk show – where he discusses his symptoms and how he regained his health.
While he is much improved after making some changes to his diet and lifestyle, such as giving up coffee and smoking, I wondered while he was speaking if his Meniere’s could actually be a case of Lyme disease. I too was given a diagnosis of Meniere’s at one point which clearly turned out to be Lyme, and it just makes you think about how many people are diagnosed with one disease when it is really just Lyme’s clever masquerading act.
“DIAGNOSING MENIERE’S DISEASE
Other conditions can produce the same symptoms as Meniere’s Disease and, thus, have to be ruled out or excluded in order to develop an accurate diagnosis. For instance, infections of the inner ear, including syphilis and Lyme’s Disease, may produce episodes of vertigo and hearing loss quite indistinguishable from Meniere’s; these symptoms usually occur in both ears.” (earsurgery.org)
If you’ve been diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, a differential diagnosis of Lyme disease may be something to discuss with your doctor.
Here’s the video of Ryan’s awesome song, “Lucky Now”, from his new album, “Ashes & Fire”.
My Dad, now 90, has had many major symptoms of Lyme, but has not been tested. We are rural, he was a “yard guy” out mowing, in the yard that at night is frequented by many animals…my folks also had cats always, who were “in and out” cats;-)He, over the course of the time we lived in this rural location (since 69-Nor Cal foothills)suffered total loss of hearing in one ear, Bells Palsy (diagnosed as shingles event), mystery low grade fevers, painful feet, ocular eye pressure, sudden hearing loss, vertigo, high blood pressure. In my 1/2 year course of self research, a few obvious clues fell into place. My Pa might very well be a lifelong chronic Lyme case..he also spent part of his early childhood in Eastern Oregon scrub; his mother would pick the ticks off my Granddad’s clothes after his forays into the high desert as a surveyor. When I brought up the possibility of Lyme disease to my Dad’s PCD when accompanying his medical visits,as well as his cardiologist, his ophthalmologist,..they all quickly shunned the topic, turned me off like a faucet, or laughed. So I’ve seen that sort of professional reaction as well, now too.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you so much for sharing your story and for your being such a strong and caring advocate for your father.