I had a checkup with a new ENT the other day. Actually I had seen him before about 3 years ago so I was considered a new patient. One of things that we talked about was my problems with getting enough rest. As I have mentioned before I also have sleep apnea which makes getting any rest nearly impossible. Another doctor had written a prescription of Ambien for me and I had been taking it for a couple of months. I told the ENT that I didn’t think that it was helping that much. He didn’t think that it would in fact he thought that it would make my sleep apnea even worse. It also seems to have made my meniere’s worse also.
I stopped taking the Ambien after I saw the ENT. That night I couldn’t get to sleep till about 3 in the morning. When I got up I felt that familiar feeling of an eminent attack. Luckily it didn’t happen although I have felt lightheaded since I stopped taking the sleeping pills. Hopefully this will go away in time because Meniere’s disease and being tired isn’t a good combination.
By the way I also took a hearing test at the doctor’s office and the results were pretty much what I expected. The hearing in my right ear is very bad (meniere’s ear) and the hearing in the other is okay. The ENT did say that I was a candidate for a hearing aid; unfortunately my health insurance doesn’t cover hearing aids.
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David - I've had trouble sleeping as well and I agree, my meniere's symptoms are typically worse when I don't sleep well. I take a 1/2 tablet of Trazodone and/or .5 mg of Lorazapam to help me sleep. Ironically, my ENT has told me to take Lorazapam (under the tongue for quick absorption) with Meclizine if I feel a vertigo attack coming. Something to consider... wishing you well with your battle.
Hi,
Meclizine makes me tired too but I only take it when I feel an attack about to happen.
thanks for the comment and stay in touch
and let us know how you are doing.
David
Wow. I think if I took Lorazepam and Meclizine together I would be rendered unconscious. On the other hand, it's not a bad idea to try the Meclizine alone when I'm having trouble sleeping, because it makes me so sleepy I can't really function.
David, maybe you should try the Meclizine at bedtime? Or do you mean it makes you tired the next day even if you take it only at night?
Ambien scares me a little. I participate on a local message board, and another member once posted a question a few minutes after she had taken Ambien. It was SO incoherent that it has lived for years as one of the funniest things ever written there. But it's a bit of an object lesson on how powerful that drug is.
I seem to have a pretty strong emotional resistance to strong medications. I wonder why that is? I really don't want to take them, if I can possibly avoid them. That might be something for me to work on...
Hi Peggy,
I think that I tried antivert at night and the next day I still felt tired. Right now I think that I am going to lay off taking any type of sleeping pill and see what happens.I'm sure that it will be difficult at first.
David
It seems some people can handle Ambien, and some can't.
I know someone who walked in her sleep when she took it (unbeknownst to her!) and her Husband woke her up to show her the problem when he found her crouched on top of the kitchen table one night.
We still laugh about that, but it actually was dangerous. She won't ever take it again.
have you tried Niravam? Its basically a dissolvable fast acting form of Xanax. My DR prescribed mine to take during an attack (I also have agoraphobia & take it for panic attacks) Lately I've had trouble sleeping & like you the meclizine leaves me feeling bad the next day so I've put a Niravam on my tongue & have actually managed to fall asleep & I'm fine the next day. (it may just be stress keeping me awake) Its worth a shot especially considering how much stress takes a toll on us.
Kristy
Kristy, I think Niravam is one of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, of which another one is valium (diazepam). But I agree that a mild prescription for this would be a good way to get to sleep and help prevent panic attacks AND Meniere's attacks.
Interesting about the Ambien. I've been taking a rather small dosage (5mg) each night to help me sleep. But I've never thought about it triggering an attack.
hi!.. i didn't take any medicines on my panic attacks i just learn to overcome it, and my panic attacks is not as strong as before, now its been 7 months that i have no ataacks :)
That is good to hear, thanks for commenting
David
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