Find Relief from Meniere’s With Compounded Betahistine
As a chronic condition with no known cure, Meniere’s Disease requires medication to manage and alleviate symptoms. For many, compounded betahistine has long been used to offer some relief.
Let’s first review what we know about Meniere’s Disease, its symptoms, how it manifests, and how it impacts the lives of those it affects. Then we’ll dive into the history of betahistine, what you need to know about it and how you can get it to help combat Meniere’s and vertigo-like symptoms.
What Is Meniere’s Disease?
Meniere’s Disease is a disorder of the inner ear region that can lead to dizzy spells, vertigo, and hearing loss. In the majority of cases, it affects only one ear. Though it can occur at any age, Meniere’s usually starts between young and middle-aged adulthood or 30 to 50 years of age.
It’s a chronic condition, meaning it’s never fully eradicated. Still, some treatments can minimize the long-term impact on one’s life and help relieve the symptoms associated with the disorder. The exact cause remains unknown, but the affliction causes an imbalanced build-up of fluids in the inner ear, affecting the body’s balance and hearing. Meniere’s manifests itself in the form of ‘attacks’ that typically can last for a few minutes to (in some cases) a few hours. The number, duration, and severity of these attacks can vary significantly from patient to patient.
Most prevalent in these attacks is the recurring episodes of vertigo, a spinning sensation that seemingly starts and stops spontaneously. More severe vertigo can cause nausea as well. Other symptoms of Meniere’s include hearing loss, which can come and go — especially early on in the disorder’s appearance. Eventually, most patients have some permanent hearing loss. Also prevalent is tinnitus, or the perception of a ringing, buzzing, or whistling sound in your ear. Lastly, people with Meniere’s Disease often feel pressure (or like it’s plugged) in the affected ear. This is also known as aural fullness.
Vertigo is the most common and impactful of the symptoms. The feelings of dizziness can cause sickness when they endure for a prolonged period of time or reach severe intensity levels. Vertigo can also lead to other bodily harm as well, as it can increase the risk for falls or accidents. This is a worrisome risk in older patients as further limits on mobility are often of greater concern.
As stated earlier, there is no known cure for Meniere’s Disease. In extreme cases, surgery has helped a few patients, but that is not recommended as a viable treatment option for most. Dietary changes — such as cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine — have proven to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes for some patients. But for the majority, treatment involving medication is the best way to both relieve symptoms during attacks and minimize long-term impact. And for many, compounded betahistine has been the best treatment option.
Compounded Betahistine is a Proven Option
Betahistine acts as an agonist of the histamine H1 receptor and a strong antagonist of the histamine H3 receptor. Together, these actions increase the local vasodilation (blood flow) to the inner ear region, which can relieve pressure from the excess fluid that is the root cause of the symptoms associated with Meniere’s Disease. By affecting H3 receptors, betahistine is thought to increase the levels of several neurotransmitters as well, including serotonin. Increases in serotonin inhibit the activity of the vestibular nuclei, which functions with the cerebellum to maintain posture, balance, and equilibrium, and the perception of head position and acceleration.
Betahistine, also sold under the brand name Serc, is commonly prescribed for balance disorders and to treat vertigo — particularly when associated with Meniere’s Disease. It was first registered in Europe in 1970 to treat Meniere’s and remains available there today as a sanctioned treatment of the disorder by the National Health Service.
In the United States, betahistine was approved by the FDA to treat Meniere’s in 1970. But that approval was later withdrawn by the FDA, citing a lack of evidence of efficacy provided by clinical studies.
Several small-scale studies in recent years — including in 2007 and again in 2016 — have continued to show betahistine’s effectiveness against vertigo symptoms, but the large-scale clinical study needed to gain FDA approval has not yet been held.
Despite that lack of a stamp of approval, betahistine is widely available in the US using a compounding pharmacy — such as Lakeview Pharmacy. Though not recognized by most insurance companies as a sanctioned treatment option, with a doctor’s prescription, you can work with your compounding pharmacy to gain betahistine as a treatment option in your fight against Meniere’s Disease.
Visit Lakeview Pharmacy for Compounded Betahistine
If you have Meniere’s or vertigo symptoms related to another condition, talk to your healthcare provider about the potential benefits of adding betahistine to your treatment plan. It’s been in use for more than 50 years in Europe as a way to mitigate the symptoms related to Meniere’s and could give you another option in finding relief.
Compounded betahistine is just one of many patient-focused compounding solutions offered at Lakeview Pharmacy. With compounding available for your pets or your own pain management, we have the options and expertise to find better ways for you to use medication to suit your needs.
Contact Lakeview Pharmacy today to learn more about treating your Meniere’s Disease or vertigo with compounded betahistine.