While taking betahistine to treat spells of vertigo, you are advised to be cautious of other drugs that you may be taking. In general, drugs may interact with co-administered meds if taken without proper medical advice. Betahistine is a widely used drug to treat the symptoms and signs associated with vertigo. It use is mainly for the treatment of Meniere’s disease / condition; you need to know that this condition arises due to sudden changes in pressure level of the inner ear. One commonly asked question is – can you take betahistine along with anti-psychotic meds such as prochlorperazine? It becomes essential to know more on this prior to starting your treatment plan.
Betahistine
Betahistine is a commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of vertigo; it can decrease discomforts like nausea, dizziness as well as inner ear problems such as ringing. This medication is used for treating vertigo or related conditions triggered by the incidence of Meniere’s disease. The drug helps manage conditions related to a significant decrease in pressure levels of your inner ears. It is always considered safe to consume betahistine as per the prescription of your treating physician.
Betahistine must not be taken when you are not witnessing signs of Meniere’s disease. If you are taking this drug without experiencing an episode of vertigo, you may develop problems like loss of hearing, nausea, vomiting and drop in inner ear pressures. The safe dosage level is 24 milligrams (mg) within a 24-hours timeline, and the maximum safe dosage level is usually kept lesser than 48 mg. In case of a dosage plan of 24 mg, it is advised to take it as 3 distinctive doses of 8 mg each. As an added precaution, this dosage is evenly spaced-out or distributed to avoid overdosing or related conditions.
Prochlorperazine and its uses
Prochlorperazine is an anti-psychotic med; this is mainly used for the treatment of mental conditions such as schizophrenia, anxieties as well as nervousness. As an extended use, this drug is also used for the treatment of abdominal discomforts such as vomiting, nausea, etc. Always remember that you must not take this drug if you have consumed alcohol or other forms of intoxicants or sleeping pills. Prochlorperazine is administered orally or at times – as an injection.
An abrupt discontinuation of this drug is likely to cause a few withdrawal problems; these can show up as acute spells of dizziness, shakes, involuntary twitching of muscles, vomiting as well as nausea. This drug needs to be taken strictly under the clinical supervision of a qualified doctor. People who took larger dosages – i.e., more than what their doctor prescribed – may witness acute side effects such as being in an agitated state of mind, convulsions, epileptic fits or seizures, passing out and erratic heartbeat.
Intake of prochlorperazine with betahistine
In general, administration of these two drugs needs to be avoided. Talk to your treating doctor about your existing medication plans if any of these two drugs features in your list. Your medical team may either alter the dosage levels or may discontinue one of these drugs to avoid / minimize adverse side effects. Intake of these two drugs may cause dizziness of an acute proportion. It may also trigger blurring of eyesight or may result in loss of coordination / impairment of your motor function. Odds of an accidental fall are also very high.
You are advised not to engage in activities such as driving or working on heavy machines. As an extended precaution, it is strongly recommended to stay away from adventure sports such as diving, cycling or swimming. Pursuit of any of these activities may result in accidents and is likely to result in near-fatal or fatal outcomes. Not stopping with the aforesaid risks, you may also turn very sensitive to sunlight. As a result, you are more likely to experience sunburns, rashes on skin, bruising as well as itchiness. Your medical team may advise you to use protective clothing (especially, those with long sleeves) as well as sunscreen before stepping out of your home. In general, you are also advised not to use tanning booths or take sunbaths.
Call for medical help on an emergency basis if you witness side effects like involuntary muscular movements – such as, erratic movements of your eyeballs, smacking of your lips, restless legs and arms, etc. Call 911 on an urgent mode if you experience slurring of speech, stiffening of muscles, spasms or pains. Those with poor liver function or hepatic disorders may notice discoloration or yellow coloration of their eyes as well as skin. It is strongly advised not to take any of these two drugs – i.e., prochlorperazine as well as betahistine – if you have a clinical track record of liver problems.
Other precautions
People who have a medical history of breathing problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchial asthma must stay away from these medications. As mentioned above, if you are taking any meds for liver conditions, you must consult with your treating physician or a pharmacist about the intake of these two drugs. Above all, women who are already pregnant and those who are planning to get pregnant must not try this combinatorial treatment. It is highly recommended to take birth control measures such as pills, vaginal rings or patches to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
Women who are nursing or breastfeeding must talk to your treating doctor; medical research has not evidenced the extent to which this drug’s active ingredients enter into breastmilk. So, needful precautions are required by breastfeeding women; it is a safe practice to avoid these two drugs while you are nursing your baby.
In sum, intake of prochlorperazine along with betahistine needs to be avoided as both medicines can cause excessive levels of dizziness. You may also experience blurring of sight, impairment of motor function as well as loss of coordination. As chances of an accidental fall are very high, it is not safe to drive or work on heavy machinery. Engagement in adventure sports like diving, cycling or swimming is also a no-go. People who did such risky activities are likely to meet with accidents that may lead to a near-fatal or fatal outcome. You are hence advised to talk to your treating doctor or pharmacist prior to taking prochlorperazine along with betahistine.
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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