Drug treatments for dizziness

[milhaus]

I have been told before that people experiencing long term dizziness shouldn't take any medication that suppresses the vestibular system on a regular basis (valium, benadryl, promethazine, meclizine, scopalamine, etc.) because it disrupts your body from adapting to your dizziness and compensating. However, after mentioning to my GP that I felt I was struggling to overcome my dizziness after my translab surgeries he suggested I could try a drug called carbamazapine.

Has anyone else been prescribed medication to combat dizziness over the long term?

[milhaus]

Well i guess I can count this as at least 38 "no" answers so far. I think I will hold off on trying it for now. This medication would probably work but I think I will try more VR first.

[CHD63]

Hi milhaus .....

Just adding that I also have read that taking medication for normal vertigo-type symptoms does suppress the vestibular system.  It makes sense to me that what we AN patients really want/need to do is strengthen the working vestibular nerve on the side opposite the AN side, not suppress it.  Therefore, I would probably vote for more intensive vestibular rehab to speed up the conversion process, rather than meds.

In some cases (maybe in some radiation treatments???) the AN vestibular nerve is still working erratically and causing the conflict in the brain's ability to compensate using only the good vestibular nerve.

These are all layman thoughts so by all means check with your AN doctor(s) about this.

Thoughts and prayers.

Clarice