Usually the only reason that anyone takes valium is for anxiety and nervousness. At least that was what I always thought. But it is helpful in its own way with MM.
I guess it was about the fifth trip to the emergency room from work, when I first heard about valium. The doctor on call asked all the usual questions about what medications I was taking. I told her the Antivert and a diuretic. She asked if I had ever taken valium. I told her no. She wrote out a prescription for 10 mg.
I took it till the medicine ran out and frankly I didn’t see any difference. I didn’t hear about valium again till I went to an inner ear specialist and he told me to begin taking it. He prescribed a 2 mg dosage. I begin taking it once in the morning when I woke up and I believe that it has been effective along with my other meds.
Why does it work? Simply put it relaxes the vestibular system. And you only need a small dosage which is good because the valium will make you tired. I know that the 10 mg made me tired.
Ask your inner ear specialist if it is right for you.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Some of the striking informative tidbits associated with the anti-anxiety medication valium make it apparent that valium is a prescription-based drug for treating anxiety, it belongs to the medicine group termed as benzodiazepines and is duly approved by the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) for treating anxiety disorders.
ReplyDeleteThanks for comment Erick!
ReplyDeleteDavid, I am in the same boat as you with the meniere's. After several trips to the ER, my attending doc asked me if I had been prescribed anything at all for the mieniere's. When I told him no, he was very upset (not at me) that I had never been offered anything, so I was immediately started on valium, zofran, and meclizine. To me this was a huge miracle. It worked. I was told that valium is, indeed, a vestibular depressant and works in conjunction with the other meds. I wouldn't be without it!
ReplyDeleteI have had meniere's for eight years and tried
ReplyDeletea low sodium diet,diazide,antivert and steroids.nothing worked.finally after several drop attacks my ent gave me a prescription for
valium and it works. why didn't he give it to
me years ago instead of letting me suffer with
severe vertgo,vomiting,and drop attacks.
Valium is good for me too along with the other stuff. I am glad you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteStay in touch
David
Hi Guys.
ReplyDeleteDoes the valium help with the deafness?
I don't know if it does
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI was diagnosed with Meniere's back in September of 09 although some of the symptoms started over 4 years ago. I can honestly say that my life has been turned completely upside down since the diagnosis. I can tolerate the ringing in the ear and the hearing loss but this vertigo has me pretty screwed up. I am on a diuretic and I have been taking meclizine and the vertigo attacks occur daily. I don't know when they are going to hit and how hard they are going to hit. The spinning sensation comes hard and the speed is like warp speed. I have just been given a prescription for valium and I haven't even picked it up. I guess the most difficult part is trying to figure out when my life will be back to normal if ever. I mean will I be able to return to school? Everything feels so out of control... I am new to Meniere's and up to this point I can honestly say that I hate it
Ana
Hi Ana,
ReplyDeleteI take the valium every day and I think it helps but then again it is hard to say what works with meniere's disease. I also take the meclizine but only when I feel an attack coming on.
In my own situation and what others have told me the attacks come and go. You may have an attack every day for a while then you might be attack free for months.
The best advice that I can give you is to continue to read as much as you can about meniere's so you can work with your doctor to find the best way to go to help with the symptoms. And if you aren't happy with your doctor look for another meniere's is too terrible a disorder to just accept that things are never going to get better.
good luck and stay in touch.
Two days ago started on Valium 2mg 3x a day along with my usaual regime of a water pill & Vertigoheel 2x3 daily . 1st day felt pretty clear headed and confident. Yesterday while scrolling through an article on the Internet I got hit again (to a lesser degree).Any idea how logng it takes Valium to work.
ReplyDeleteJoe K.
Hi Joseph,
ReplyDeleteI can't really say how long it takes the valium. It is always best to consult with your doctor on that.
David
Hi, Will the Valium work once an attack has started? Susan
ReplyDeleteHi Susan
ReplyDeletesome folks find that taking a valium when they feel an attack coming on helps. They put the pill under their tongue and let it disolve this way it gets into the system faster. I have tried it a few times and it has helped to a certain extent.
Thanks for the comment and stay in touch
David
Susan, When I feel an attack starting I grab for the valium instantly and it may not prevent it entirely, but it sure does lessen the intensity and duration. I now know that I can take one and lie down for about half to 3/4 hour and then get up and get on with my life. However, I have had shunt surgery so my attacks are very rare and mild compared to pre-surgery. Loree
ReplyDeleteI have a question for Loree: How long ago did you have the shunt surgery? And how has it changed your symptoms? I was diagnosed when I was 14 years old, had vertigo for a year and then the symptoms subsided until I was 24 years old. That was last spring. At first it came back, with a vengeance, with the fullness of ear. I didn't have a vertigo attack until a week ago. I've had one a day since then. Since last spring I've been taking a diuretic daily and I thought it was helping....
ReplyDeleteI agree with Loree.
ReplyDeleteIf I have enough warning and get a valium down, I can sometimes avoid the attack completely, although I will still feel shaky sweaty and nauseated.
If the vertigo attack has already begun, I quickly place the tab under my tongue and let it dissolve. It won't stop the attack once it's begun, but it lessens the length and severity.
Without Valium I am guaranteed a violent 5 hour attack. With Valium, not as violent, and may only last 1-2 hours.
It's a life saver for me.
I used to really worry about addiction, but when the only thing standing between you and 5 hours of a living nightmare is the medication, my worry about addiction went out the window.
I don't take it daily unless I'm in cluster attack mode.
Have had Meniere's since 1997. If it wasn't for Diazepam (generic for Valium), I wouldn't be where I am today. I take if BEFORE an attack might happen so that I can drive, do chores, etc. If you wait and take it during a dizzy spell, it won't take hold very fast and you will be left lying in bed until it helps. An ear doctor, after many tests, diagnosed Meniere's and precribed Diazepam (1/2 2mg. 3 to 4 times per day. Some folks just don't believe I have Meniere's (they should be dizzy!) and don't understand the use of Diazepam. I tell them to call my doctor and ask him! Terrible, debilitating condition no one understands unless they are struck with it.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachie I see you were diagnosed at 14 ..that must have been so hard for you.. mine started at 19 and it has stopped me doing certain things ..because of the spins I wasnt able to learn to drive ..have you been able to do that?
ReplyDeleteAs for medication (I was never offered Valium but Stemetil worked for me) this eventually stopped helping and I had a decompression of a sac surgery at age 26 and this helped me for nearly 20 years.
hello mel
ReplyDeleteits seems in england they give you stemetil/buccastem, rather then valium, which i think is absurd.
heavy use of valium is addictive, while heavy use of buccastem can bring on neurologial disorders.
i only found out about valium from this site, as the majority on here are american.
regards
ali from london:)
Yes thats the case with many different drugs Ali ..will what your takings benefits outweigh the disadvantages..
ReplyDeleteI am also from a London borough.
In general the doses of Stemetil prescribed for Menieres are not the high antipsychotic doses that could bring on neurological disorders ..
Initially I was taking just 5mg twice a day this went up to 3 x a day before I had the decompression of sac op I was then back on 2 a day for 19 years..then up to two 3 x a day until the labby op ..since then 13 years ago no medication for menieres .
For me the use of stemetil was appropriate and extremely useful at the time.
Glad to find this active Meniere's blog. Have had since 2001, sac surgery 2002, revision 2011 w/ vestibular nerve destruction (Gent sponges intra- operatively). Didn't help although massive scar tissue removed. I'm in subset after subset of Meniere's: Intractable, vestibular variation, bilateral, BPPV bilateral, and persistent d/t apparent Utricular damage and this is permanent. So, now up to 10 mg Valium BID (Valium is definitely the drug of choice), along with the Meclizine, diuretic, Compazine, Scopalimine transdermal patch. My hearing has held up, but motion intolerance is so very severe that it is totally debilitating. PTs want to work with me on using a cane and other safety type measures; I may benefit some from the Vestibular Rehab although I haven't experienced benefit in the past and the Meniere's and BPPV are just getting worse and liken all Meniere's sufferers, symptoms vary, I'm a walking barometer, etc.. The CRP doesn't help at all because of the Utricular damage.
ReplyDeleteAll of you out there, suffering with this dread neuro-sensory disease: I feel your pain!
I was in the health care field when hit with this and it took me 11 months to get a definitive diagnosis. I am under the care of Dr. Paparella (Mpls, MN); ppl come to him from around the world and for me, the only upside of this disease is that I am under the care of this Dr. with an astounding CV and who is a person of infinite compassion.
My advise to anyone: don't mess around with local MDs or ENTs who are not experts in this specialty; you need to go to a major medical center after researching the Dr. you are going to see, do the e-research to find the best specialist in your region. If they are not widely published and cited on Meniere's, don't bother. The ESE/shunt surgery will preserve your hearing and with the proper 'cocktail' of meds, the vertigo can be controlled.
I have noted that many US Meniere's speciality clinics are now using Gent infusion via the tympanic membrane; I find this scary because it is still under clinical trial so the long term impact on hearing, etc. is unknown.
The vast majority of Meniere's patients can live a modified normal life once you get the proper meds, possible surgery and monitoring.
I wish you all the very best in living with this disease and I hope that you are not taken down by it, as I have been. There is every reason to remain hopeful when diagnosed as to the type or variation you are suffering and you will be fully informed, if you are under the care of a good Meniere's specialist. You can get a fair idea of what the future holds once diagnosed in the early phases of Meniere's.
Good luck!
Undeniably consider that that you stated. Your favourite reason seemed to
ReplyDeletebe on the net the simplest thing to consider of.
I say to you, I certainly get irked even as other people consider concerns that they just do not realize about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the entire thing
with no need side-effects , people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more.
Thank you
Here is my web blog; compositor
I find a very low dose xanax helps - is that the same or similar as valium? Grahame
ReplyDeleteHi - I have heard people refer to anti-vert. Is that the same as Stemetil. I thought Stemetil was only to reduce nausea but does it also reduce the vertigo?
ReplyDeleteCheers Grahame
hello grahame
ReplyDeleteCompazine, Stemzine, Buccastem, Stemetil, Phenotil,
are all same things
it really helps with vertigo if your just about to get a bout.
not something you should take too often. i take the british version buccastem. i wish they would give valium here cause me personally i would prefer that just before an attack.
regards
ali
Hi Ali
ReplyDeleteThank you for that information, I thoougyht it was for nausea only which I dont really suffer from any more. Now I will treat Stemetil as an Anti-vert and see what impact it may have.
Do you happen to know if Xanax is much the same as Valium. I note others take valium as it assists. I find Xanax helps, I wonder if the two drugs are much the same or if I should switch.
Many thanks
Grahame
hello grahame
ReplyDeletefrom what i have heard they are from the same benzodiazepine family
xanax i think is the stronger of the two. google to confirm
start tai chi my friend.
regards
ali