Incidence of vertigo is often accompanied by acute levels of dizziness, sweating, shifty eye movements or restless eyeballs, severe episodes of headaches, ringing deep inside ears or tinnitus, etc. In some one-off cases, a few abdominal problems such as vomiting and nausea may also occur. These signs are known for last for varying spans of time; in some people, these spells have lasted only for a few minutes while in others, it took hours for these effects to ease away. Betahistine is a vertigo medicine which is prescribed widely for the treatment of the symptoms and signs related to the incidence of vertigo. Can this drug suppress your appetite levels? Getting to know this drug’s impact on food intake becomes essential.
You may experience discomforts like dizziness due to many reasons; one of them include a condition known as vertigo. Vertigo often develops when there is a pressure differential inside your ears. Changes in inner ear pressures can upset your vestibular system. You need to know that this system plays an instrumental role in keeping you balanced. A disturbance in this system can soon make you go dizzy as well as lose balance while you are walking. Other sense organs such as your eyes try their best to restore balance. In short, without the vestibular mechanism and other organs, you may receive distorted inputs about gravitational forces; eventually, you may stumble off.
Apart from inner ear pressure levels, you may also experience vertigo owing to other causes. Once such cause is dislocation of inner ear crystals; these crystals enable your vestibular system to find balance. In order to put the crystals back to their original location, your therapist may recommend a few head manoeuvres. Using these movements and manoeuvres, it is possible to set the right balance. You may be encouraged to know that a reputed nodal agency like the academy of neurological science in the US has backed such manoeuvres to restore crystalline balance of your inner ear.
Administration of betahistine for vertigo
In general, various forms of drugs are commonly available to treat vertigo. For instances wherein there is an incidence of movement of crystals, head manoeuvres are often coupled with doses of drugs. In this milieu, betahistine is widely prescribed / administered drug for the treatment of vertigo and its common symptoms or signs. Use of this drug is known to bring down episodes of dizziness as well as a few other discomforts that are commonly related to the incidence of vertigo. However, it is strongly advised not to discontinue the use of this medicine all of a sudden, without telling your treating doctor. If you stop its use abruptly, you may soon witness relapse of discomforts such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tremors and involuntary twitching of muscles, jerkiness of eyeballs and being in a restless state of mind.
You also need to know that the sale of betahistine in US is highly restricted. It is because of the drug’s inability to clear the guidelines of US-based federal drug agency – Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Needful approvals are not fully available to this drug as it is now regarded as ineffective for the treatment of vertigo. However, this drug can be procured in most other countries. In many countries, betahistine needs to be sold only with the availability of a prescription of a qualified doctor or caregiving physician.
Can the use of betahistine lead to a possible loss of appetite?
There are a few reports on the drug’s capabilities to suppress your appetite levels. As an extended use, some agencies claim that it can help manage your bodyweight, especially among people who are obese. It is a well-known fact that betahistine is used for treating the signs of vertigo and its side effects such as dizziness, inner ear pressure differentials, etc. One lesser known side effect of this drug is its capability to help shed additional kilos of bodyweight. This property is tapped effectively while antianxiety / antipsychotic drugs such as olanzapine are administered. Such antipsychotics are capable of increasing your body weight.
However, the capability of betahistine to suppress appetite is not fully established. Some studies have been done to assess the extent to which this drug can control the quantum of food intake. But, these studies could not conclude any marked decrease in intake of foods due to the administration of betahistine. So, if your current medical condition – such as being obese, overweight, or related other medical conditions, requires a decrease in the quantum of food you take, talk to your treating doctor as well as a qualified dietician.
A few other things you need to know about betahistine
Foremost of all precautions, it is essential to talk to your treating physician about drugs that you are presently taking as well as about treatment plans you are presently pursuing. You need to know that a few drugs may interact with the ingredients present in betahistine. So, it is a good practice to prepare a list of all meds you are taking. As you are compiling the list, take special care to include over the counter drugs (OTCs), prescription meds, dietary or herbal supplements, vitamins, proteins, etc.
Moreover, this drug is known to cause a few minor side effects. In some rare cases, some users developed some severe adverse reactions. But, in most instances, betahistine is unlikely to cause such acute reactions. The usually experienced minor effects include acid reflux or heartburns, formation of gas, flatulence, gas, bloating of lower abdomen, etc. Apart from these, discomforts like vomiting, nausea and giddiness may also show up. Many of these problems are likely to disappear on their own; upon witnessing these effects for a longer duration, it is a safe practice to consult with your treating doctor or pharmacist as quickly as you possibly can.
You may also observe a few allergies while using this drug; again, these allergic reactions do not occur in all users. If you have prior spells of hypersensitivity, you need to inform your doctor about such episodes. Those who have a medical history of breathing problems or respiratory difficulties – such as chronic pulmonary diseases or disorders such as bronchitis, asthma or bronchial asthma, it is a safe practice to stay away from betahistine. If your clinical history or your family’s medical history includes liver problems – mainly, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation or swelling of hepatic system (this is referred to as hepatitis), the drug may get accumulated deep inside your biliary ducts. Over a period of time, this can cause toxicity or other related problems. It is a good practice to talk to your treating doctor about such hepatic diseases; most importantly, you must not take this drug.
Last but not the least, you can order this drug either through online pharmacies or other web-based vendors. Before ordering, it is important to ensure that the web-based vendor or online pharmacy is a trustworthy vendor. In a few one-off instances events, some online vendors have shared transaction related information along with details of your health with other agents. It is hence highly recommended to authenticate credentials of online companies by studying reviews about such vendors as well as procuring certifications. Such precautions are needed before filling your orders through such online agencies.
In sum, the capability of betahistine to reduce your appetite level is not evidenced in full. So, if your current clinical condition requires you to reduce the intake of food, you need to consult with a qualified clinical practitioner doctor or with a dietician. Above all, you also need to know that the use of betahistine without the approval of a medical professional is not considered safe.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
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