Vertigo

[jojomac23]

Anyone developed vertigo

I have had tinnitus for years and now increasing deafness

I had a really serious vertigo attack a month ago Was given cinnarzine but it made me very sleepy Had stopped taking it because of that reason and was fine until the other day when I had vertigo when moving my head

Gp has prescribed betahistine. I thought that was only prescribed for menieres disease

I am hoping it will work . Would appreciate any advice

Thanks

[Happyrosie]

The advice from NICE is not to use betahistine for T. But, your condition might be different.

It’s quite easy to look up the advice - just google National Institute for Health Excellence and input the condition you want to look at - in this case Tinnitus. Many doctors aren’t particularly au fait with this advice as it came out when Covid arrived.I found that, as I was getting a bit deaf and got hearing aids, that improved the T as the real world is louder.

[jojomac23 in reply to Happyrosie]

My gp has prescribed it for vertigo. I already have tinnitus and deafness but this vertigo is a recent horrible addition. I can cope with tinnitus and deafness but not the vertigo

[Happyrosie in reply to jojomac23]

The T never goes, you just habituate as you know, The vertigo(if it’s labyrinthitis or BPPV ) will go. Your physio may do the Eply procedure on you which apparently works in eighty percent of cases. I now know what caused the BPPV (exercising while lying down!!!) so I don’t do that any more. Looking up at the sky can cause a bout, also turning over in bed, but I know to do it all very slowly.

[Pantu]

They usually prescribe Betahistine to prevent Vertigo episodes. Every case and situation is unique but Betahistine normally does its work. It may take a few weeks for Doctors to nail the proper dose (which can be frustrating I know. And being patient is so difficult sometimes!) Again, every person is a world apart. But, general recommendations are to avoid fast and sudden moves, and if you feel a vertigo episode is coming there are several breathing exercises to try to cope. Check the NHS page and Menieres Uk page (which has info about vertigo attacks despite having or not that condition)

Hope you well!!!

[jojomac23 in reply to Pantu]

Thankyou for the information. I am going to see a specialist physiotherapist tomorrow who says that betahistine is not effective against BPPV which is what they think I have . It is all very confusing and there doesn't seem to be a proper diagnosis pathway

[Pantu in reply to jojomac23]

I know, right? They took one full year to get my proper diagnosis, but I don't blame them, these conditions might be really tricky. Hopefully, you'll get a diagnosis soon! and that's an awesome first step. Good luck there!

[Golfinggirl]

I had what was subsequently diagnosed as a menieres attack back in May 19. They took nearly a year to diagnose it. Initially they thought it was BPPV and did Ellet manoeuvre a couple times which made me violently sick and far worse. They then thought it was some type of labyrinthitis but I didn’t have an infection so if it was then it was caused by a rogue virus of some sort with no other symptoms. I had however been suffering with a Horrible closed ear feeling, to the point I’d been clicking my jaw for many years to try and make it pop open. Reading the symptoms for menieres in google it seemed far more like those symptoms and when I was referred to the ENT consultant that is what he eventually deduced, however, though I’ve had tinnitus ever since, I hadn’t suffered any hearing loss, just muffled hearing when my ears felt full. I was given betahistine 8mg 3x a day and over a period of a few weeks it subsided and my ears started to feel more normal. I was also given a nasal spray, veramys which helped unblock my eustacion tubes. They’re now saying I may have pernicious anaemia.

The point is there are several things it could be and they seem to struggle to narrow it down in some cases! Good luck with your treatment.

I am now off the Betahistine, though I did have what I thought was an attack a couple weeks ago and the doctor thought it was triggered by my immune response to the jab I had 3 weeks pre iously.

[Hidden]

Meniers is diagnosed after the elimination of everything else. One clear symptom is hearing loss of lower frequencies only. For me betahistamine works my attacks have reduced to annually (or longer) still get T constantly and patches of ear pressure but no attacks. I’d press to get an appointment with a neurotologist (note the T in the name) to be sure of correct diagnosis. The meniers society have a list of specialists by area on their site so you can know who to ask your GP for.