I have written many times about how antivert has helped me out when I think an attack is about to happen. Whether it was the medication that helped or maybe I just wasn’t about to have an attack, I don’t know. I used to feel that way about valium but I stopped taking that because it seemed to be making me awfully tired. Of course antivert does the same thing. In the past couple of weeks I have taken the antivert and it almost seemed like really wasn’t helping much at all. In fact I felt worse the rest of the day and even the following night. I am starting to reconsider whether to take meclizine at all.
This would be a real turnaround for me because I have depended upon this med for a long time. I carry it with me wherever I go and at the slightest feeling of dizziness I take one, unfortunately taking this med means that I will be groggy the rest of day. But you probably remember that one doctor earlier this year told me to stop taking it because it didn’t help even though other doctors suggested that it did. It is all very confusing.
But the big question is what if I feel that an attack is about to come on, what do I do? Since I am on disability (with a private insurance company from my previous employer) I don’t drive very much and I spend most of my time in my home so when an attack hits I will just lay down. I will see what happens and let you know.
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21 comments:
David,
Is it possible that you are building a tolerance to the medication? I've had this issue with many of the medications prescribed to me. Currently, I am on Valium and I've accepted taking a 45 minute nap in exchange for vertigo. Even the anti-nausea medication I've been on for years (Zofran) is becoming ineffective. I hope you find something that works.
Best wishes,
Holly
david,
i check your blog for new posts often but i don't comment too much, mainly because i don't have meniere's, i have mav and 45% nerve damage in my right ear. so i have neuro symptoms and vestibular symptoms. i take 5mg. of valium 3x daily and 30mg. of elavil at night. i have no fatigue with the valium but when i went from 20mg. to 30mg. of the elavil i had very bad fatigue for about 2 weeks and then it stopped. maybe you need to stay on the valium for a while to see if your system will change. the valium does wonders for my balance problems, i couldn't function without it. i took antivert for about a week and slept 18 hrs. a day and it gave me vetigo, i never had that as a symptom before and i don't want it again. all of you with meniere's are heros to me because you suffer so much but still keep up the good fight. we all have our pity parties though, don't we?
Back in February when I had 2 episodes in one week lasting over 12 hrs, I took some meclazine because that's all I had, and in the past it had worked, but in February, It did nothing for me. And it also made me VERY tired. It could have been because it was a really bad episode and I took to long to take it, or it simply just doesnt work anymore. I now relly on 5mg of Valium if I feel something coming on, and if I take it with food, at the first signs of pressure and slight dizziness, I feel fine a little while afterwards. I keep it with me at all times, but try not to take it as much as possible.
You can't take valium for prolonged periods, because the body adjusts to it, and you plateau. You will need larger and larger dosages for it to be effective, and it's considered habit-forming for this reason. So it should be used with caution.
David, I also wanted to comment on the antivert/meclizine... I can't take it at all, it turns me into a zombie. Which is really too bad, because I've heard it helps a lot of people. But I've found I really can't function at all if I'm taking meclizine.
I wonder if there's a way to cut the dosage? You could try cutting the pills in half and see if it still helps with the vertigo attack, maybe.
Peggy
That is an interesting idea that I haven't thought about before. I might just try that
thanks
David
I took antivert for years, and never really felt that it stopped an attack. It seemed to help when I had worse than usual disequilibrium, but never when I felt a real attack coming on...it just came.
I take Valium. I know it makes a lot of people really tired. Not me, so much. If I feel a possible attack now, I immediately take a Valium and Phenergan. They have stopped an attack in it's tracks, and shortened one after it has started (phenergan suppository there).
Yes, the phenergan does make me sleepy sometimes, but I'd rather be asleep than spinning. Or even feeling groggy. I have horrible attacks that last for hours upon hours (often up to 12) I would do anything to stop them! When I got the endolymphatic shunt surgery I told the doctor I'd rather be deaf than live like that. (I was having attacks 3-6 times a week.) I'm happy to say, I may be having other symptoms, but I haven't had a real attack since my CSF patches in January!
Came very close yesterday.
It appears that the patches I had on Monday have caused a spike, then the meds they gave me got me too low....what a crazy world I'm in right now.
Hope you find something that works.
wendy
(oh, both Valium and Phenergan have properties that help with vertigo. that's why I use phenergan instead of a different anti-nausea pill.)
David~
When my vertigo began 3 years ago, the ENT I first saw only told me about Meclizine, so that's what I took. In order for the Meclizine to help at all, I had to take it every 4 hours, or I'd have Vertigo.
Made me sleepy all the time.
The vertigo eased up some after a few months...I saw a new ENT, and I went to Valium when an attack hit after that. I didn't take anything in between. Now the vertigo is bad again, and I went back to the Meclizine in between attacks with really poor results, and even more sleepiness.
So now back to just Valium when the attack hits.
I try to only take it when I have to because I also worry about my body building a tolerance to it and it not working anymore. I feel like it's my only recourse against bad attacks, so I need it to work for me. I worry about addiction too, but I'd take that over vertigo if it came to that.
We are often between a rock and a hard place with this disease, aren't we?
Lauri, you take valium the same way I do -- only as needed and as a last resort. I doubt that will develop into an addiction. The addiction only happens if you take it on a regular basis, I am pretty sure. If you take it sporadically, your body can't really adjust to it because there's no pattern of use.
Then again, you are having so many attacks these days (according to your other posts) that you might be taking more valium than I am aware of. I hope not. I remember too well what several attacks a day felt like and hate to think of anyone going through that. :(
These past two nights I have woken up with severe riniging and pressure in my ear and also might sweats. Has anyone have that symptom before? Last night I had to take some Valium because I drempt I was spinning, but I don't think I was really dreaming concisering the way my ear felt. I'm also feeling a lot of crackling and odd sensations in my other good ear and I'm terrified of going bilateral. But that may just be allergies and me being extra paranoid. The hearing test shows no change, but I really have no idea what's it's like for the other ear to go bad. Lately I've been feeling worse at night while laying down. Has anyone delt with these issues?
Tara, I'm having similar sensations -- how disconcerting. And I'm past menopause by a couple of years, so I was very confused by the night sweats. I never thought to associate that with Meniere's. I also had a dream a week or two ago that I woke up with VERY loud ringing in my good ear. Tinnitus started a few weeks ago in that ear, and I was terrified of going bilateral, too, so I had it checked out. No change in hearing, but I have voice recognition issues.
And yes, I also feel worse at night than I had in awhile. When I turn over, I feel like I'm on a waterbed, even though I'm not.
I have no idea what to make of it. My doctor put me on diuretics again to see if it helped, but it hasn't.
PEGGY~
Yes, lots of attacks lately, it's wearing me out. Reminds of how bad I was when it first began years ago. It's possible that it's worse now due to the other ear acting up, leaving no ear in charge, so to speak.
In-between I take Vertigoheel to help ward off bad attacks, rather than Meclizine. Sometimes nothing helps. I'm expecting it will ease up soon though. Since I'm also battling Bronchitis right now, it's playing havoc with my ear pressure. Result: More vertigo.
TARA~ I've noticed increased ringing & pressure as well.I've always experienced the "flushing/sweating" with Menieres...100% worse during an actual vertigo attack.
The lesser hot flashes seem to hit whenever they feel like it, often worse at night.
Does remind me of Menopause...but different.
Lauri, that's interesting about bronchitis. My first experiences with Meniere's 10 years ago were triggered by a very bad case of bronchitis that lasted nearly a month.
I think the three of us have hit on something very, very interesting with the hot flashes/Meniere's connection... it makes me think of information I've read that says hormones could play a role in MD. I wonder if it flows the other way, too, with Meniere's causing fluctuations in hormone production or distribution? I'll have to mention that to my ENT.
Peggy~
Let me know what your ENT says about Hormones.
I had a full Hysterectomy a long time ago, so I have no Hormones in play at present.
I took the fakes for several years.
I doubt the Dr. would put me back on them now...but if it could help with the vertigo I would want to try!
Lauri - I've been really bad about my gynecological health for a few years. I know I went through menopause about two years ago, but I haven't had blood work done to track my hormonal balance since then. I know that I started Meniere's attacks in a big way shortly after I stopped menstruating. Coincidence? Maybe, but how could we tell, or make a definite connection, or rule it out?
It comes back to stress, too. People have talked about herpes virus and cold sores being linked to Meniere's, and for me both cold sores and Meniere's flare-ups have been linked very strongly to stressful periods in my life. It's probably no coincidence that I began a terrible string of attacks immediately after being laid off from my last full-time job, and had another bad set of attacks during a job that proved to be impossible for me.
So many things tied together so closely.
I used to take 1-2 Dramamine each night before bed. I also carry Bonine with me @ all times just in case but have only taken like 2 or 3 in the last 6+ months. I read someone where that taking it regularly can actually make things worse (for me it was my balance and I would wake up wobbly) I'm not sure if that is true or not but since I stopped taking it regularly Ive actually felt much better.
Jen D.
I have heard the same thing that after a while the drugs lose some of their effectiveness.
I'm glad you are feeling better.
David
To David, Lauri, Peggy, and all in general.
I have been a Meniere's sufferer for going on seven years and stumbled across this blog while looking for a connection between hot flashes and Meniere's. I too have obviously noted this phenomenon. It gets difficult to breathe, the dizziness intensifies and I just ride out the sensation. It occurs too many times a day to keep count. I generally try to avoid taking valium at these times since I know it should pass soon.
I too, only take valium as needed and take the smallest dose I can that will effectively curtail the dizziness enough for me to function without the old heaving stomach. I have been on valium for over two years without any lack of benefit. It still curbs my dizziness even though it does make me groggy. However, it is a willing trade off for being too dizzy to move.
My original doctor was so fearful of addiction that he refused to give me a prescription. I can't thank my new doctor enough for agreeing that an addiction to valium is far less a problem than spending every day reclined, trying to hold food down.
I wish you all well with the condition and cheer you on to not give up hope for something better.
Hi Ally,
I am glad that the valium is working for you, thanks for comment and stay in touch
David
I just want to say I miss Lauri. I hope she is doing OK and can find a way to get Internet connectivity despite her Meniere's-connected financial issues. :(
Her insights are missed.
I agree with you Peggy
David
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