Treatment FAQ

how safe is meclizine for long term treatment of meniere's disease

by Selena Huels Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Meclizine is used for the management of nausea and vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. It may be used long term for conditions such as Meniere's disease (a balance disorder) under the guidance of a doctor. It is not intended to be used for prolonged periods unless under doctors supervision.

Full Answer

Is meclizine safe for a 12 year old?

It hasn’t been confirmed that meclizine is safe and effective for use in people younger than 12 years. The liver and kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time.

How long do the side effects of meclizine last?

The more common side effects of meclizine can include: If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects.

What is the best medication for Meniere’s disease?

Choices include Dramamine that has meclizine for vertigo and nausea. Betahistine products target certain histamine receptors (like those for allergies). The medication is available via prescription. Some people find that taking Betahistine improves vertigo, but also other Meniere’s symptoms.

How many milligrams of Meclizine should I take a day?

Typical dosage: 25–100 mg per day, taken in divided doses. Dosage increases: Your doctor will decide the dose that’s right for you. They’ll increase your dose if needed depending on how you respond to and tolerate this drug. It hasn’t been confirmed that meclizine is safe and effective for use in people younger than 12 years.

What is Meclizine hydrochloride?

Meclizine hydrochloride has active ingredients of meclizine hydrochloride. It is often used in dizziness. eHealthMe is studying from 800 Meclizine hydrochloride users for its effectiveness, alternative drugs and more.

What is Meniere's disease?

Meniere's disease (a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree) is found to be associated with 859 drugs and 460 conditions by eHealthMe.

How to use the study?

You can discuss the study with your doctor, to ensure that all drug risks and benefits are fully discussed and understood.

How the study uses the data?

The study is based on meclizine hydrochloride (the active ingredients of Meclizine hydrochloride) and Meclizine hydrochloride (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study neither.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 600+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature.

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

How long does meclizine last?

It should be taken at least an hour before traveling for maximal benefit. The effects of meclizine persist for 8 to 24 hours

What are the side effects of meclizine?

Downsides. If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include: May cause drowsiness or dizziness and affect a person's ability to drive or operate machinery.

How long does it take for meclizine to work?

Meclizine relieves nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness; however, it takes approximately an hour to start working and may cause drowsiness. 5. Tips. Take one hour before you travel if you are using meclizine to prevent motion sickness.

What is meclizine used for?

It may also be called an antiemetic. 2. Upsides. Used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness.

What medications interact with meclizine?

Common medications that may interact with meclizine include: Alzheimer's disease medications, such as donepezil or galantamine. anticholinergics, such as benztropine, scopolamine. antipsychotics, such as chlorpromazine, clozapine, fluphenazine, thioridazine, risperidone, or trazodone. botulinum toxin containing products.

Can meclizine be used for glaucoma?

Not recommended for use in children under 12 years of age. May not be suitable for people with asthma, glaucoma, liver or kidney disease, or prostate gland enlargement. The elderly or frail may be particularly sensitive to meclizine's effects.

How to control meniere's disease?

Reducing the amount of fluid the body retains may help regulate the fluid volume and pain and pressure in the inner ear. For some people, diuretics help control the severity and frequency of Meniere’s disease symptoms. Owing to frequent urination, the body may deplete certain minerals, such as potassium.

How long does Meniere's disease last?

Episodes of Meniere’s symptoms typically last between 20 minutes and 4 hours, after which they improve. Episodes often occur in clusters, with long periods of either mild symptoms or no symptoms in between. 1 The severity, frequency, and duration of each of these symptoms vary in the early stage of the disease.

How long does vertigo last?

Sudden episodes of vertigo are the major symptom of Meniere’s disease; these episodes usually last from 20 minutes to 2 hours, but may last up to 24 hours. Vertigo is a sensation similar to what a person would experience after spinning around quickly and suddenly stopping.

What is the best hearing aid for meniere's disease?

Audiologists will discuss what hearing aid options are available and most suitable for the patient. Meniett pulse generator: This device is for vertigo that is hard to treat.

What is the diagnosis of Meniere's disease?

A diagnosis of Meniere’s disease requires two spontaneous episodes of vertigo, each lasting 20 minutes or longer, hearing loss verified by a hearing test on at least one occasion, and tinnitus or aural fullness. Exclusion of other known causes of these sensory problems is also a key factor in properly diagnosing Meniere's. 3,4 The evaluation process may include the following:

How often is ear pressure applied?

The treatment is performed at home, usually three times a day for 5 minutes at a time.

How does Meniere's disease affect people?

In addition to the physical effects, Meniere’s disease may affect interaction with friends and family, productivity at work, and the overall quality of life. Patients may find encouragement and understanding in a support group. Group members can provide information, resources, and coping strategies.

How it works

Meclizine belongs to a class of drugs called antihistamines. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. Meclizine works in your brain. It works by blocking chemicals that control nausea, vomiting, and balance.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

Alcohol interaction warning

The use of drinks that contain alcohol can increase your risk of drowsiness from meclizine. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor.

Warnings for people with certain health conditions

For people with breathing problems: This drug can thicken the mucus in your lungs. This may make it harder for you to breathe. Talk with your doctor if you have breathing problems, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), before starting this drug.

Warnings for other groups

For pregnant women: Meclizine is a category B pregnancy drug. That means two things:

Storage

Store meclizine at room temperature. Keep it between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C).

Refills

A prescription for this medication is refillable. You shouldn’t need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

What is the best treatment for Meniere's disease?

Antivirals: A professional may prescribe antiviral drugs like Acyclovir to Meniere’s patients whose condition originates from a Herpes virus. Diuretics: What we might call a “water pill,” diuretics are among the first medication treatments given to those with Meniere’s Disease.

How many symptoms are there for Meniere's disease?

There are four classic symptoms of Meniere’s Disease that a doctor looks for when taking your history and doing an exam. Unfortunately, each one of these symptoms can point to another physical problem altogether.

How long does vertigo last?

Meniere’s vertigo is not like a short loss of balance. The swirling, moving sensation in an attack lasts 20 minutes or more (sometimes all day!). Sometimes vertigo becomes so severe as to cause a drop attack.

What are some home remedies for meniere's?

There are home remedies for dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus, including approaches to Meniere’s like yoga, massage, reiki, and aromatherapy . What’s most important is that you communicate your choices to the primary provider for your Meniere’s.

Can you hear hearing loss from a meniere attack?

Hearing Loss: People with Meniere’s often experience hearing loss during an attack. Over time, hearing loss outside an attack may develop. It is so slight at first you may not even realize it. Hearing loss begins with sounds in lower frequencies but slowly grows to other frequencies.

Does Meniere's disease have over the counter medications?

There is no one medication that allays all the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease. Rather, there are both over-the-counter and prescription medications that target symptoms to decrease them and increase the time between Meniere’s vertigo attacks.

Is Meniere's disease a chronic disorder?

Many times, you’re left with trying to suppress symptoms rather than stopping them entirely: Such is the case with Meniere’s disease. Meniere’s is a rare, chronic disorder that affects a person’s balance and hearing.

How to reduce the impact of Meniere's disease?

Certain self-care tactics can help reduce the impact of Meniere's disease. Consider these tips for use during an episode: Sit or lie down when you feel dizzy. During an episode of vertigo, avoid things that can make your signs and symptoms worse, such as sudden movement, bright lights, watching television or reading.

What are some noninvasive treatments for meniere's disease?

Noninvasive therapies and procedures. Some people with Meniere's disease may benefit from other noninvasive therapies and procedures, such as: Rehabilitation. If you have balance problems between episodes of vertigo, vestibular rehabilitation therapy might improve your balance. Hearing aid.

How to treat vertigo with pulse generator?

For vertigo that's hard to treat, this therapy involves applying pressure to the middle ear to lessen fluid buildup. A device called a Meniett pulse generator applies pulses of pressure to the ear canal through a ventilation tube. You do the treatment at home, usually three times a day for five minutes at a time.

How long does vertigo last with Meniere's disease?

A diagnosis of Meniere's disease requires: Two episodes of vertigo, each lasting 20 minutes or longer but not longer than 12 hours. Hearing loss verified by a hearing test. Tinnitus or a feeling of fullness in your ear.

What tests are used to rule out Meniere's disease?

Tests to rule out other conditions. Blood tests and imaging scans such as an MRI may be used to rule out disorders that can cause problems similar to those of Meniere's disease, such as a tumor in the brain or multiple sclerosis.

How does Meniere's disease affect your life?

Meniere's disease can affect your social life, your productivity and the overall quality of your life. Learn all you can about your condition. Talk to people who share the condition, possibly in a support group. Group members can provide information, resources, support and coping strategies.

Can you take salt for meniere's disease?

Long-term medication use. Your doctor may prescribe a medication to reduce fluid retention (diuretic) and suggest that you limit your salt intake. For some people, this combination helps control the severity and frequency of Meniere's disease symptoms.

When was Ménière's disease first described?

Confusion in the nomenclature of Ménière’s disease and lack of a standard definition of the disorder until 1995 has hampered accurate assessment of treatment efficacy since the presently defined disorder was first described in 1938. The lack of a widely accepted mechanism of the disease has also delayed the development of rational treatments.

What is the best treatment for migraines?

Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil, and in Europe, flunarizine, are effective in migraineurs.20The carbonic anhydrase inhibitors have some diuretic effects and so may impact hydrops directly in addition to treating migraine.

What is the best medication for vertigo?

Benzodiazepines, meclizine, other antihistamines such as promethazine or diphenhydramine, and transdermal scopolamine patches have all been used to control the sensation of vertigo during acute attacks. These medications have no effect on the progression of the disorder.

Can steroids help with migraines?

Therapeutic rationale . Steroids are not useful in migraine and there is no plausible mechanism for alteration of hydropic distention by steroids.

Is sodium restriction good for migraines?

Sodium restriction has not been advocated as a migraine treatment, but reduction of monosodium glutamate intake as a part of sodium restriction maybe helpful in migraine because glutamate is a known trigger for migraine.14A low-sodium diet is also useful in controlling hypertension, a vascular risk factor.15.

Is acetazolamide a second line agent?

Acetazolamide is used for those who have migraine with aura or as a second-line agent in patients with migraine who do not respond to other migraine prophylactic medications. There is a risk for renal calculi with this medication, so patients are advised to increase fluid and citrus intake.

Is acetazolamide used for migraine?

Acetazolamide is also used in the treatment of migraine with aura, so it has been used by both the hydrops and migraine groups. In our center, we use hydrochlorothiazide with triamterene in Ménière’s disease patients without migraine, particularly for those with hypertension and atherosclerosis.

How It Works

  1. Meclizine is used for several different conditions, such as vertigo, or nausea associated with motion sickness or radiation therapy.
  2. Meclizine blocks H1-histamine receptors, reducing the effects of histamine such as vasodilation (opening up of the blood vessels) and increased permeability, narrowing of the airways, and stomach c...
  1. Meclizine is used for several different conditions, such as vertigo, or nausea associated with motion sickness or radiation therapy.
  2. Meclizine blocks H1-histamine receptors, reducing the effects of histamine such as vasodilation (opening up of the blood vessels) and increased permeability, narrowing of the airways, and stomach c...
  3. Meclizine belongs to the class of drugs known as first-generation antihistamines. It may also be called an antiemetic.

Upsides

  1. Used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness.
  2. May also be used to relieve symptoms of vertigo associated with diseases such as labyrinthitis and Meniere's disease.
  3. May occasionally be given off-label (not an FDA-approved indication) for the treatment of nausea during pregnancy or as a result of radiation therapy.
  1. Used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness.
  2. May also be used to relieve symptoms of vertigo associated with diseases such as labyrinthitis and Meniere's disease.
  3. May occasionally be given off-label (not an FDA-approved indication) for the treatment of nausea during pregnancy or as a result of radiation therapy.
  4. Not as sedating as some other medicines used for motion sickness.

Downsides

  • If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include: 1. May cause drowsiness or dizziness and affect a person's ability to drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcohol because it may enhance these side effects. 2. May also cause a dry mouth, a headache, tiredness, and rarely, bl…
See more on drugs.com

Bottom Line

  • Meclizine may be used to treat vertigo or nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness; however, it takes approximately an hour to start working and may cause drowsiness, although it is less likely than some other antihistamines to cause drowsiness.
See more on drugs.com

Tips

  1. Take one hour before you travel if you are using meclizine to prevent motion sickness. The dosage of meclizine may be repeated every 24 hours for the duration of the journey.
  2. Do not drive or operate machinery if meclizine makes you drowsy or impairs your judgment. If meclizine does make you drowsy, try taking it the night before you travel.
  3. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking meclizine as this can enhance its side effects.
  1. Take one hour before you travel if you are using meclizine to prevent motion sickness. The dosage of meclizine may be repeated every 24 hours for the duration of the journey.
  2. Do not drive or operate machinery if meclizine makes you drowsy or impairs your judgment. If meclizine does make you drowsy, try taking it the night before you travel.
  3. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking meclizine as this can enhance its side effects.
  4. Do not give meclizine to children under the age of 12.

Response and Effectiveness

  • Meclizine works in about an hour when used for motion sickness. It should be taken at least an hour before traveling for maximal benefit. The effects of meclizine persist for 8 to 24 hours
See more on drugs.com

Interactions

  • Medicines that interact with meclizine may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works for, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with meclizine. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be mana…
See more on drugs.com

Further Information

  • Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use meclizine only for the indication prescribed. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Copyright 1996-2022 Drugs.com. Revision date: February 14, 2022. Medical Disc…
See more on drugs.com

Signs and Symptoms

Image
Episodes of Meniere’s symptoms typically last between 20 minutes and 4 hours, after which they improve. Episodes often occur in clusters, with long periods of either mild symptoms or no symptoms in between.1 The severity, frequency, and duration of each of these symptoms vary in the early stage of the disease. A pers…
See more on uspharmacist.com

Pathophysiology

  • Although the etiology of Meniere’s disease is not well understood, it appears to be the result of the abnormal volume or composition of fluid in the inner ear. The inner ear consists of a system of connected tubes and cavities called a labyrinth. The outer ear consists of bone, and is known as the bony labyrinth. A membranous labyrinth, made up of a soft structure of membrane, is locate…
See more on uspharmacist.com

Diagnosis

  • Primary care physicians may perform a preliminary evaluation of the condition, and may refer patients to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, an audiologist, or a neurologist. A diagnosis of Meniere’s disease requires two spontaneous episodes of vertigo, each lasting 20 minutes or longer, hearing loss verified by a hearing test on at least one occasion, and tinnitus or aural fulln…
See more on uspharmacist.com

Treatment

  • No cure exists for Meniere’s disease, but a number of strategies, including medication, surgery, supplemental therapies, and dietary changes may help manage the symptoms. Research shows that most people with Meniere’s disease respond to treatment, but have to cope with long-term hearing loss.5
See more on uspharmacist.com

Conclusion

  • Although there is no cure for Meniere’s disease, it can be effectively managed, and most patients respond to treatment. In addition to the physical effects, Meniere’s disease may affect interaction with friends and family, productivity at work, and the overall quality of life. Patients may find encouragement and understanding in a support group. Group members can provide information…
See more on uspharmacist.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9