Meniere's Disease and C/L

[David_Stack]

Good Morning all;

  Curious, does anyone participating in the hobby suffer from, or know of someone suffering from Meniere's who has been able to continue flying?

  I'm looking to become active in the hobby but also suffer from Meniere's, and am hesitant to invest if it is going to be for naught...

Thank you in advance,
Dave

[RC Storick]

well how often to you have a attack? I don't have it but did read what it is and don't see a issue unless you have a attack every hour or so.

Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing.

See also: Vertigo


Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The inner ear contains fluid-filled tubes called semicircular canals, or labyrinths. These canals, along with a nerve in your skull, help interpret your body's position and maintain your balance.

The exact cause of Meniere's disease is unknown. It may occur when the pressure of the fluid in part of the inner ear gets too high.

Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing. Symptoms: Attacks or episodes of Meniere's disease often start without warning. They may occur daily, or as rarely as once a year.

[John Craig]

A friend who just did sport flying gave up C/L after similar problems developed.  His symptoms have improved but I have not seen him fly again. There is a special chair, for other & similar disabilities, that some people fly from that seems to help them.  I saw it advertised in one of the model magazines.  Perhaps you are close to a club or individual that has a trainer plane that they could let you try to fly. Our club has such a plane. A friend is going to try to fly from his wheel chair. Years back he was a competent pilot, but has not flown in 15 years.

Best advice is to find someone close that could be a mentor or join a local club if there is one.

[Tim Wescott]

David: you have my sympathy.  I'd hate to have to hang it up because just because I couldn't twirl around in a circle for six minutes at a stretch.

If you live close to Oregon City, Oregon, send me a PM -- you can come fly with me and see if you can manage at all, then decide to buy if you feel that it's worth it.  And, if not, I do most of my flying at an RC field, so you can do that instead.

[Jim Kraft]

I have had inner ear problems twice in my life and both times it made me so dizzy I could not stand up. Mine usually started with a cold that settled in my ear. The first time was in the 50's when I was in highschool. I went to the doctor and he gave me Dramamine for it, and some other meds to clear up my cold. Then I had it again in the 90's and the doctor gave me Bonine which is about the same as Dramamine. Once in a while I still get a little dizzy in the overhead 8's, but I seem to get through it OK. I do remember the doctor telling me it can become permanent if let go to long.

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I had a very good friend (since deceased) and flying partner that suffered with this desease.  He was able to fly two or three times, then he would be done for the day.  He had an easier time with the big stuff (60' lines) than he did with 1/2a stuff.  If he flew 1/2a, he was done in two flights for sure.  

He suffered the problem, but enjoyed the heck out of the hobby.  He also built and flew rubber power free flight and gave me the bug as well!

[Randy Cuberly]

I've had this or at least what I was told was like Meniere's for many years, due to inner ear injuries in Vietnam.  It kinda comes and goes.  I seldom have severe attacks more than about once or twice a year but small effects of it are always present.
I have to avoid certain movements of my head like violent jerks to the side.  I also cannot lay flat on my back with my head down flat.  That one results in instant dizziness and neausea.
I usually have little to no effect when flying as long as I'm a little cautious in the overheads, too far back with the head can result in some disorientation, but not enough to lose control of the airplane or myself.
There are a few times when I feel unsteady enough not to fly at all but not often.
I actually had most trouble with mine when R/C pattern flying.  Less with Control Line aerobatics.  Basically I gave up CL Combat because of it. 

I agree completely with Robert that it depends mostly on the frequency of the attacks and their severity.  In my case they are interfereing but not bad or often enough to curtail flying.  I manage to fly upper middle of the pack expert scores most of the time.
You learn to compensate and live with it. 

Randy Cuberly

[phil c]

My flyng buddy, Gil Reedy, got hit by Meniere's disease about 1995.  It is a virus infection of the inner ear.  He woke up from a nap one day with the room spinning around.  Took him all afternoon to get out of bed and get to a phone.  The treatment was limited to cortisone for the swelling/fluid and Dramamine etc.  He didn't fly for about 6 months.  Had to quit flying full scale for about a year until the doc cleared him.

After a year he was back to flying both model and full scale with no particular problems.  I think he had one semi-serious relapse a few years later.  But he flew both stunt and combat up until about 18 months before he died.

There is such a thing as "vestibular training". About half the air combat pilots get vertigo a times when they do air combat maneuvering.  They practice hard to work through it and keep flying successfully.  Making yourself dizzy and learning to keep your orientation by eyeball can help a lot.  If you don't have Meniere's it can be helpful.  One simple excercise- stand in the middle of the room, or over soft grass in case you do fall over.  Hold your hands straight up over your head.  Look straight up and turn around a couple of times and then turn the other way.  It helps to have something directly overhead to focus on.  Do the exercise regularly, increasing the number of turns and the speed, focussing on paying attention to the focus point and what your body, feet especially, try to do by reflex.

Another good one is to take off, turn upside down, and fly the tank out.  Then try doing short climbs and dives, both upside down and right side up.  Finally, work up to flying the pattern upside down.  Unless you really have Meniere's or some other problem, most people can get dizziness under control in a few practice sessions.

The other thing is medicines.  Almost everything I take seems to list dizziness as a side effect.  Beta blockers, propanolol, some cholesterol meds, diazepam, anti-spasmodics most of the anti-anxiety meds, anti-depressants, etc.  Check with your doctor what ones are really necessary or what can be substituted for them.  I was taking propanolol for awhile.  I found myself simply flying into the ground because it interfered with reflexes so much.  I dropped it when I figured out that I didn't really need it most of the time and the problem went away.

Have fun!

Phil C

[Ed Neuzil]

The other thing is medicines.  Almost everything I take seems to list dizziness as a side effect.  Beta blockers, propanolol, some cholesterol meds, diazepam, anti-spasmodics most of the anti-anxiety meds, anti-depressants, etc.

I take propanolol, entocort, and sumatriptan.  All 3 cause dizziness. They are the main
reason I took an 8-year break from the hobby. I seemed to have developed a tolerance
to the side effects, which is why I started becoming active again, but lately the side
effects have come back.

If I stop taking propanolol, I will get episodes of atrial fibrillation. If I stop taking
sumatriptran when I get a migraine, then it will last 8-30 hours. The entocort is
for Crohn's disease. I am allergic to the most commonly used medication for that.

I used to take metropolol, that was *worse.*

I have only flown once since 2004, that was last fall and I crashed my Twister
on its first flight. Either I am rusty or more impaired than I think.

Maybe I should take that as a big hint and go back to model railroading.

[Randy Cuberly]

I take propanolol, entocort, and sumatriptan.  All 3 cause dizziness. They are the main
reason I took an 8-year break from the hobby. I seemed to have developed a tolerance
to the side effects.

If I stop taking propanolol, I will get episodes of atrial fibrillation. If I stop taking
sumatriptran when I get a migraine, then it will last 8-30 hours. The entocort is
for Crohn's disease. I am allergic to the most commonly used medication for that.

I used to take metropolol, that was *worse.*

I have only flown once since 2004, that was last fall and I crashed my Twister
on its first flight. Either I am rusty or more impaired than I think.

Maybe I should take that as a big hint and go back to model railroading.

ejn,
I sent you a PM.

Randy Cuberly

[Will Hinton]

David, if you're any where close to northwest Ohio, I'll ditto Tim Wescott's post.  Pm me & we'll get together.  I have plenty of airplanes you can try.

[David_Stack]

Good Afternoon All;

  Thank you for your anecdotes, feedback, encouragement, and offers to put a handle in my hand (alas I am distant from those who extended those gracious invitations).

  My attacks are random in occurrence, I can go a year or more or I can experience a serious instance (unable to stand, vomiting) every other week or so (much as Randy reported).  There is no pattern that we can discern, though I have become familiar with the warning signs and know when I may be about to have a problem.  During an 'episode' I also experience rotatory nystagmus, an involuntary movement of my eyes.  In my case, the pupils do not move laterally or vertically, but rather in a rotational manner.  Each time I blink the eyes rotate such that when I open my eyes, the image has rotated approximately 10 - 15 degrees, slowly returning to 'plumb' (until the next time I blink).  Not on any prescription medication at this time as a treatment, though I have been provided meds intended to reduce the severity of an incident once it begins (Meclazine).

  The other day I was able to 'shadow fly', turning in a circle for 2 1/2 minutes with one arm extended, approximately 5 second 'laps'.  At the conclusion I was a bit unsteady, but it passed rather quickly.  I intend to try the training that Phil C mentioned to see if that won't help.

  Haven't committed to purchasing a model yet, but am increasingly leaning toward doing so.  Thank you once again for your positive messages!

All the best,
Dave

[Randy Cuberly]

Good Afternoon All;

  Thank you for your anecdotes, feedback, encouragement, and offers to put a handle in my hand (alas I am distant from those who extended those gracious invitations).

  My attacks are random in occurrence, I can go a year or more or I can experience a serious instance (unable to stand, vomiting) every other week or so (much as Randy reported).  There is no pattern that we can discern, though I have become familiar with the warning signs and know when I may be about to have a problem.  During an 'episode' I also experience rotatory nystagmus, an involuntary movement of my eyes.  In my case, the pupils do not move laterally or vertically, but rather in a rotational manner.  Each time I blink the eyes rotate such that when I open my eyes, the image has rotated approximately 10 - 15 degrees, slowly returning to 'plumb' (until the next time I blink).  Not on any prescription medication at this time as a treatment, though I have been provided meds intended to reduce the severity of an incident once it begins (Meclazine).

  The other day I was able to 'shadow fly', turning in a circle for 2 1/2 minutes with one arm extended, approximately 5 second 'laps'.  At the conclusion I was a bit unsteady, but it passed rather quickly.  I intend to try the training that Phil C mentioned to see if that won't help.

  Haven't committed to purchasing a model yet, but am increasingly leaning toward doing so.  Thank you once again for your positive messages!

All the best,
Dave

Dave,
Your profile does not give your location.  Can you tell us what state and area you live in.
actually I thought that was necessary to become a member of the forum.
Maybe that's changed.
At any rate if you can tell us where you live it's likely that someone would be happy to help you get started and help you fly the first few flights with a loner airplane before you have to make a commitment.

Randy Cuberly

[David_Stack]

Good Afternoon Randy;

  I went ahead and updated my profile to include location information.

  To 'cut to the chase', I live in Williamsburg, VA.  The local C/L group here is the Norfolk Aeromodelers, and I've touched base with several of their members the past few weeks, to include John Tate and Steve Fitton.  I've not been able to clear my schedule to attend a meeting, or get out to one of the fields they fly at, but hope to before long.

r/
Dave

[Randy Cuberly]

Good Afternoon Randy;

  I went ahead and updated my profile to include location information.

  To 'cut to the chase', I live in Williamsburg, VA.  The local C/L group here is the Norfolk Aeromodelers, and I've touched base with several of their members the past few weeks, to include John Tate and Steve Fitton.  I've not been able to clear my schedule to attend a meeting, or get out to one of the fields they fly at, but hope to before long.

r/
Dave

Good Folks.  I'm sure they'll take care of you!
Good luck.

Randy Cuberly

[Douglas Ames]

Somebody was selling a device where you could sit outside the circle and fly a control-line model. RSM? maybe.