When you start taking betahistine, it may take a couple of weeks before you notice any improvements.
You'll usually take betahistine 3 times a day, leaving 6 to 8 hours between doses. When you start taking betahistine it may take a couple of weeks before you notice any improvements. Common side effects include headache, feeling sick or indigestion. They're usually mild and do not last long.
Continued improvements in vertigo have been observed throughout betahistine treatment, and at a range of doses, for periods lasting from 45 days up to 12 months [7,11–15]; therefore, a longer duration of betahistine treatment may be required for the maximal effect of betahistine to be observed.
If you follow your doctor's instructions, SERC should start working within a few days, although in some cases it may take a few weeks. The length of time that you should take SERC tablets varies from patient to patient. Some patients respond rapidly to treatment and others may take some time.
Betahistine comes in both a tablet form as well as an oral solution, and is taken orally. It is rapidly and completely absorbed. The mean plasma elimination half-life is 3 to 4 hours, and excretion is virtually complete in the urine within 24 hours.
Betahistine enters the CNS and improves histaminergic neurotransmission (12). Although several studies have reported subsequent improvements in cognitive function (12–16), they have shown conflicting findings on the effects of betahistine on cognition.
About betahistine
It typically causes attacks of dizziness with a spinning sensation (vertigo), hearing loss and noises in the ear (tinnitus). The attacks can vary in severity, and in how often they occur.
Anxiety symptoms
The repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of time (P<0.00001), indicating that both high-dose and low-dose betahistine could significantly reduce the HARS score.
Common side effects (at least 1 in 100 and less than 1 in 10 patients): Nausea, indigestion, headaches. Itching, rash, hives, mild gastric complaints such as vomiting, stomach pain and bloating. Taking Serc with food can help reduce any stomach problems.
However, remember that the disease for which you are being treated with Betahistine (Ménière's disease) can make you feel dizzy or sick, and can affect your ability to drive and use machines. Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.
How should I use this medication? The usual recommended dose of betahistine for adults is 24 mg to 48 mg given in 2 or 3 divided doses (i.e., 12 mg to 24 mg twice a day, or 8 mg to 16 mg three times a day). To prevent stomach upset, it is recommended that this medication be taken with food.
Betaserc used in treatment of balance system disorders lessens the insensitivity of vertigo, gait disturbances and nausea/vomiting. It does not affect hearing loss or tinnitus. The first therapeutic goals are achieved (especially in patients under 40 years of age) after 14 days of treatment.
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Headache, occasional drowsiness, nausea, indigestion, mild gastric complaints such as vomiting, stomach pain and bloating. Taking Betahistine with food can help reduce any stomach problems.
Antihistamines, e.g. betahistine and cinnarizine. These are sedative, and patients should not operate machinery or drink alcohol.
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Serc affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness, and tiredness in some people. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous.
How should I use this medication? The usual recommended dose of betahistine for adults is 24 mg to 48 mg given in 2 or 3 divided doses (i.e., 12 mg to 24 mg twice a day, or 8 mg to 16 mg three times a day). To prevent stomach upset, it is recommended that this medication be taken with food.
Overall, the results of the study provide evidence that the fixed combination cinnarizine/dimenhydrinate, compared to the widely used betahistine, is a potent and superior treatment option for patients suffering from vertigo of peripheral vestibular origin.
Taking too much betahistine can make you feel sick or sleepy, or give you stomach ache.
Medicinal Benefits
BETAHISTINE is indicated to treat symptoms such as ringing in your ears (tinnitus), dizziness, vertigo, loss of balance, and hearing loss associated with Meniere's disease. BETAHISTINE works by increasing the blood flow to your brain and by lowering the extra pressure build up in the inner ear.
Increases in vestibular blood flow and decreases in blood pressure were observed in response to betahistine infusions.
You should not drink alcohol while being treated with this medicine, because there have been reported cases of interaction between this medicine with alcohol. Betahistine should not be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding unless your doctor has decided that it is necessary.
This medication may irritate the stomach, and should be taken with food. It is best to avoid coffee, spicy food or alcohol.
Whilst histamine has positive inotropic effects on the heart, betahistine is not known to increase cardiac output and its vasodilator effect may produce a small fall in blood pressure in some patients. In man, betahistine has little effect on exocrine glands.