Going to start module 1 tomorrow! Just watched the free video - she is completely right in what she’s saying! I can’t wait to start. Thank you for giving me the link. Really appreciate it! 
Let’s hope we can get to a stage where these horrid symptoms can be managed without the drugs!
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Hi Jen! I’ve been diagnosed with both/ either McD’s and migraine since my main trigger is elevators. I also got a shock from a 14-hour car ride. Computers and wine dont help either. I agree that it doesn’t matter what you have really since they are in the same class of condition (secondary hydrops though is somewhat different for example.)
I take small amounts of ALL the drugs and it is a weird cocktail that has been working:
Ami 15mg
Effexor 37.5mg
Trazadone 25mg (been taking that for sleep for 3 decades)
Klonopin .25mg
I have no side effects except the Effexor curbs my appetite a bit and the other 3 help me sleep. I used to be concerned to be on 4 drugs but they are such tiny doses and they help keep me calm. I’m normally an anxious and cheerful person and now I’m just cheerful!
I don’t have the visual issues you have - just a general wooziness when symptoms flare.
I don’t know what functional medicine is but there are certainly supplements that are known to help: butterbur, feverfew, magnesium and one of the B vitamins (sorry I can’t remember which but you can Google it.) Petaldolex from Germany.
Exercise daily, routine eating and sleeping habits, avoid red wine and chocolate in excess, and learn how to manage stress. Foods don’t make much of a difference to me but everyone is different.
Good luck! And welcome, um, aboard
Shazam
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I am seeing a functional doctor after being treated for a year with Dr. S. (I had 24/7 crap)
He prescribed for visual vertigo Effexor and it helped quite a bit.
The functional dr in London help also a lot and got rid of other symptoms. I am left with very minor symptoms at the moment and a couple of weeks ago I was 100% for 2 weeks, and that was a first for me.
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Great progress Joanna! Keep that trend up!
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Interested in learning more about functional medicine.
Hello!
I am also seeing a functional doctor in London as I really have no interest in going down the drug road. I will if I have to but only if I really have to! Red wine sets off my flashing aura! So this I have stopped (Prosecco is my poison these days).
The vision issue is annoying and it’s 24-7 (looking under a microscope is not fun) but I’m hoping wholistic medicine is the answer. Being a scientist, I am confident that looking at the body as a whole will help these symptoms. It’s a hard road though! No doubt in that.
Absolutely. What is it? Couldnt find much to read and what I did find came across as words without substance and to the cynical me seemed to smack of ‘quackery’. MAVers tend to be long term and would therefore seem easy prey for fraudsters.
Oh, would that the whole medical profession would do this. Sure long term it would save them money. So many different specialisms and then MAV which involves brain, eyes, ears to name but three and probably other body parts too and that throws them into turmoil. I found that’s enough to make you dizzy if you weren’t already so being sent to and fro. So the ‘whole body’, rather ‘whole person’, idea would be great. Particularly so because my main theory about MAV is that everybody with it may well have similar symptoms and migraine with vertigo/dizziness but behind that they must have something else, some sort of Achilles Heel/functional defect, ie an ear not working 100% because, if nothing else, millions of people get migraine and it comes and goes away completely and doesnt leave them dizzy and/or long term incapacitated. A ‘whole person’ approach would be ideal, but what of these ‘functional doctors’. Are they trained medics. Can they prescribe treatments, drugs, request MRI etc, etc once they have done their ‘whole thing’. Can they also cover eyes, another common source of balance issues. How ‘whole’ is whole? Are they a complete ‘one stop shop’ as it were? I’d be interested to know.
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Functional doctors are trained to find the root cause of the problem & treat it, rather than treating the symptoms. They run the gamut of qualifications from what I’ve seen, md’s, do’s, chiropractors, arnp’s, etc. can all get the functional medicine training. The one that I saw happened to be a DO so it was great, he could treat & was knowledgeable in most everything, however he still sent me to specialists for certain issues. However, he’s gone out of practice & I’ve moved so I’m on the search for another one. I have to say though that I saw him for 2 years but he still had me see my neurologist & neurootolaryngologist for migraines & vertigo. I much prefer to go the “natural “ route when possible but he didn’t have a good alternative for the meds they had me on, & I’m still on. I’d have to give this particular functional dr mixed reviews.
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That’s for that. Very valuable input from somebody who has actual first hand experience. In theory FM seems a very good idea. It wont be well supported by UK NHS though. Too much initial expense although long term it might not prove so. Its theory certainly appeals to my principles. Could prove better than just pumping drugs into bodies on the off chance they might work. I cannot imagine in UK they’d get sufficient support from the specialist they referred on to alot of the time which would hinder progress.
So are you saying he couldnt find a root cause for your case or one that he could treat ‘naturally’ and can I assume, if you dont think me impertinent, you are referring to migraine or MAV here.
Again, very many thanks for taking the time to respond. Truly appreciated. Helen