Antivert/Dramamine/Meclizine

SO CONFUSED

I am on another dizzy group and was just informed that Meclizine and Antivert and Dramamine are NOT diurectics....??????

Is this true...I was told originally by an ENT that these were diurectics and used to help with vertigo..they had me on them for like 2 days and I was so sick and dizzy and terrible and peeing every 2 minutes...

Someone just told me it was actually an antihistime...is this true?? How many of you are on these things, and does it decrease your dizzies or increase your dizzies...and does it have any effect on your bladder....

sorry to be so graphic...

red

I am pretty sure that they are antihistimines. I have not had any success with them, they just made me sleepy. Go to www.rxlist.com and type in meclizine and it will give you a buch of info. I honestly don't think they are a type of diretic. ;) T/C
Kristi

Yes, it's an antihistamine. Remember, antihistamines do dry you up, so you probably do need to use the bathroom more. Michele

Dear Redcat:

Everyone is so different, I have found antivert and some other antihistimanes to be soothing to my bladder pain. About three years ago I started also doing heat and massage stuff and stretches on my pelvic area muscles and the calcium carbonate and diet modifications and I have decreased my pain A LOT! I also take antivert or benedryl on a regular basis for the vertigo and nausea I get and this also seems to help my bladder area. My bladder is not at a normal level, but it sure is a lot better than before. :)

I am sorry to hear that you have not received any "extra" benefits from it as well. :( Ok here is a delicate question: Was the volume greater than normal or was it just urgency and frequency that was making urination more often.

If it was more frequency and urgency, it could be a filler or binding ingredient in the brand you took that you were sensitive to. I personally find the yellow colored meclizine pills irritating to my bladder, but can take the blue ones or Bonnie which is pink.

Ok, just my opinion, but I would be scared of a doc who thought antivert was a water pill!

Why have I never been given these meds?
My doctor said the only thing available for dizziness is betahistine(SERC) and Stemetil which is an anti nausea med.
I would try anything!!!
Loev Deb

Sorry, Red, their antihistamines. Meclizine helps me alot but at one time I had the same problem as you did as far as the dizzies. Two things happen with mechlizine and Benadryl: One thing is your adjustment to them. Both will make you sleepy until you adjust to them and it takes a while sometimes. I don't even notice Benadryl anymore unless I'm in a meeting. The other thing is to adjust your dosage. I usually get the 25mg tabs and split them unless I'm already dizzy and then I'll take a whole one. But you can also get them in 12.5 mg tabs and you can split them and only take 6.25 mgs. I'm at 245 and 25 or 12.5 is good for me. Chances are that 6.25 or 12.5 would be good for someone that is 150 lbs or less. You just got to play around with it and see what's right for you. I go to the bathroom all the time no matter what I take, so I can't help you there.
Rick <---Bladder the size of a peanut

Hi Red,
From all the replies to your post I know by now you know its true these medications are not diuretics. I cant believe your original ENT told you they were. Yikes! You should give him a call and let him know there not.

I took meclizine for years. At first I took it only during a bad vertigo attack, this did seem to help with the really bad ones. I could not take it during the day because it made me way to sleepy. I instead took it at night right before I went to bed. This seemed to make the mornings more tolerable for a long time. After a while I was finding it was forcing me to fall asleep to fast and this is when I was getting those jolts you get right before you go to sleep where your whole body shakes. I stop using the meclizine after the medications I took last spring for the autoimmune, and the jolts went away so now I just take the xanax. I never had a problem with having to pee to much on the meclizine..

Hope your having a good weekend (((( Red ))))

Jill

Found this ........

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. The following side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine; however, check with your doctor if they continue or are bothersome:

More common

Drowsiness
Less common or rare

Blurred or double vision; constipation; diarrhea; difficult or painful urination; dizziness; dryness of mouth, nose, and throat; fast heartbeat; headache; loss of appetite; nervousness, restlessness, or trouble in sleeping; skin rash; upset stomach
Not all of the side effects listed above have been reported for each of these medicines, but they have been reported for at least one of them. Buclizine, cyclizine, and meclizine are similar, so any of the above side effects may occur with any of these medicines.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

Yup- I know at least that Meclizine is an antihistamine of sorts. I took it for MANY years, and it seemed to keep the vertigo/dizziness relatively under control. Problem was, I took it for so long, 15 years, 3 x a day, that it stopped working. In fact, I was recently told that such long term use is actually bad for you- it can mask test results, you can build up an immunity to it, and, eventually, it can start to have a negative affect on your brain and vestibular system. I have actually weaned myself off of it. But, I think in the short term, esp when taken on an "as needed" basis, it can be very helpful during a vertigo attack. I took it every day regardless. Still, when things get real bad, I break down, and buy Bonine- (which is Meclizine)- or Dramamine.
Dramamine makes me sleepy and dried out- but, the meclizine stopped affecting me years ago.