hey guys!

As you know I went to the hospital and they prescribed me with Betahistine. I'm only taking this for a while until they diagnose me.

I have constant dizziness....for 5 months...no spinning..just falling and boucing when I walk and general horrible head.

I have a few questions..if anyone could help!

1. Did taking Betahistine help you?

2. How long did it take before you felt any relief?

I've been taking it since thursday evening and was wondering how long it took to take effect.

Thanks guys!

any help would be greatly appreciated.

I just found out I have to wait til march for testing and am starting to get scared that this medication will not work.

If so I'll have to pay to go private.

Thanks guys!

Kelly

As Ive said - am not a fan of serc and its friends - but i took it once for 2 days and it made me feel like a zombie...have heard it takes 1 month to work.

Not all of these drugs work for everyone. Give it more time.

xxx

I've been taking it since thursday and at the moment I feel like crap..the dizziness is worse..but my ears feel funny. Could this be the meds working on the pressure in my ear?

I took Serc for a few months (second month they doubled my dosage). Unfortunately they didn't do anything for me. They didn't give me any side effects either. Like CL said it could take up to a month.

Hi, I took serc for a few months too and like Mica, it didnt help at all or give me any side effects. March must seem like forever to have to wait when you feel like that. Ive lost count of all the times Ive gone private to avoid waiting months on the NHS. Not that anything has helped me over the past 6 years unfortunately - the jury is still out on my diagnosis lol.

Chris x

I took it for a few months at the start - to be honest, it didn't do a thing, good or bad. Sorry I can't be more positive about it! :(

Ann xx

It doesn't look good to me. It doesn't seem to work for most people. I was diganosed it after being examined and explaining what my symptoms were. and also I have fuid building up in one ear thats causing pressure. This only started a month ago...I've had the dizzies for 5 months. Can I ask what everyone's symptoms are?

Betahystamine Dihydrochloride (serc) is not used widely except in canada and europe.

It was developed as a drug to help regulate inner-ear fluid levels, hence could be of use in menieres. There are a number of people with menieres who swear by it, but no studies have ever proved it very effective (ie it performs little better than the placebo). For this reason it wasn't licensed in the US (that was the case a few years ago - it maybe different now).

It is a hystamine antagonist, and some docs (esp. in europe) believe it has somekind of suppressant effect and therefore prescribe it as alternative to other vestibular suppressants. There are also many docs (particularly GPs) who prescribe it because they they think if it works for menieres then it should work for other ear problems - which isn't the case (esp as we don't have much evidence it works for menieres- though I suspect it may work for a subset of menieres patients).

Bottom line is, either it's not too effective as a treatment for chronic dizziness or that if it does work then it's through a suppressent effect, and this could slowdown or interfere with any compensation process. Of course if your doctor suspects you have menieres (or secondary EH) then the first thing to try is the low sodium diet (which is currently the most effective treatment for mild/moderate cases of menieres, and usually brings attacks under control within a few weeks.)