Currently on Flunarizine 10mg nightly and 600mg Gabapentin per day.
The flunarizine gave me a slight improvement in dizziness but I’m exhausted all the time - sleeping about 9.5 hours at night and usually needing a nap during the day too. I’m finding it hard to stay awake through the day, and I’m still too dizzy to sit comfortably in a chair.
The Gabapentin didn’t really make any difference so far other than to give me numb fingers in one hand.
Now. Do the good people of this forum think I should: a) increase the flunarizine to see if it helps the dizziness even more, b) increase the Gabapentin and see if that helps since 600mg is a very low dose, C) try a new drug / some combo of the previous options, or d) get off the flunarizine completely as well?
I’ve already tried amitriptyline, propranolol, and topiramate with no success and I’ve been practically house-bound for about 2.5 years so I’m getting a little desperate here.
I have an appt with my neurologist in just over a week so your opinions will help me prepare for that. Thanks very much in advance.
I’m really out of my depth here but I can offer sympathy particularly with the drug sensitivities. At outset one is told there’s plenty of choice and you see long lists of possible alternatives but when it comes down to it one often finds there’s alot one cannot tolerate due to side effects, some you cant take due to other mental issues and others that dont seem to work for your condition. So soul destroying and frustrating and time ticks on and one doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Been there and done that one. Horrendous.
Might I ask what diagnosis you were actually given, out of interest.
I guess you will Have to see what the neurologist suggests is best to do. The neuro-otologist who diagnosed me referred for guidance/dosage of preventatives to this website www.exeterheadacheclinic.org.uk which you might find helpful or check out Dr Hain www.dizziness-and-balance.com on migraine preventatives, that too is very informative. Both these will give you good background information. Hope your appointment goes well. Helen
Thanks for the reply it’s much appreciated :). I’ll check those sites out.
I was diagnosed with chronic vestibular migraine by a neurologist that a dizziness clinic referred me to (so he’s pretty experienced with this kind of thing).
I suppose you’re right I’ll just have to wait and see what the doc has to say. I’m leaning towards halving the flunarizine and upping the Gabapentin. Still have pizotifen and others left to try If that doesn’t work out.
From a brief read I doubt you are on high enough doses of either to know how effective they might be for you but not sure how they expect to dose drug combinations. I have found to obtain results ine does need to be on an effectively high dose to contain symptoms for a sufficiently long enough period (I’d say 4 months maybe) before you can write it off and move on. Anyway have a read. I think from brief read on Hain I might be inclined to do the reverse. May well be the neurologist is in a better position to guess than either of us but there’s no harm in going prepared. All for that. Helen
i was reluctant for a while on getting on effexor and then increasing it. I am currently at 112.5 mg, and saw significant improvement in the dizziness / rocking. My neuro yesterday told me to give it a couple more weeks and if still dizzy, to go up to 150mg. I was scared about this at the beginning because of withdrawal, but we are on a trend here, so I am going to give it all in before making any changes. I think if you dont have side effects, its ok to go up meds, specially if you seen some little improvements. Good luck.
Do not go higher than 10mg on flunarizine. It is also good to take a break every six months once on flunarizine. As flunarizine has been associated with induced parkinsons. Give yourself more time on same dose if it is helping.
I haven’t tried any of the same drugs as you, but I am on Verapamil and have had good results with it. I know propanolol is similar, but not the same, might be worth giving Verapamil a shot. I would rarely describe myself as dizzy now days, mostly just off balance when moving around and a bit wobbly. Was totally different 3 months ago before starting the Verapamil…
True, verapamil and flunarizine are both calcium-channel blockers, so I’ll keep verapamil as an option on the table since I’m having SOME success but with bad side effects on the flun.
