Valium & similiar drug users ... check this out!

The problem with telling anyone, a newbie or not, to try Valium or its benzos cousins, is no one on this site can prescribe medicine legally. You have not knowledge of other drugs the person takes and possible contridictions, other diseases they may have like diabetes, etc.

I provided the link to a support group that specializes in benzo use and withdrawal. I value their experiences over the opinions of those of us less experienced. Yes, many doctors give benzos for disorders they label "Meniere's disease." Meniere's can be anything with a mysterious cause so what else can they do? Give a narcotic that works as a hypnotic. It does NOT stop vertigo or dizziness, it simply tricks your mind into not recognizing the false sense of motion. Do a study on clinical hypnosis and hypnotic drugs. They are used in surgeries where the patient needs to be awake, but have no memory of the event. My recent colonindigniotomy required the removal of cancer polyps (tumors). I ask the doc if it will hurt. He said yes like hell, but you will never remember it. Even low doses of benzos work like this. Again nothing in the drug can stop vertigo which is the sending of false signals from the inner ear via the vestibular nerve to the brain. The signals are still being sent, just that your brain doesn't respond to it.

A drug that stops vertigo in many is Droperidol. I use to have some luck with it, but it now makes me vomit if any motion is present. if you study how it works, you will see the difference in a drug that can stop vertigo and not just alter the brain.

Now nothing wrong with altering the brain with a hypnotic except it is addictive even in small doses if used for very long. If it causes you no side effects and you take it on the rare occasion of vertigo, then I can see no real problem except I feel there are better ways, but this is my opinion.

Do you understand what vertigo is and how it works? If you don't then you can't say your benzos stop vertigo, because it doesn't. The harm is the vertigo if from hydrops is still active and still damaging more nerve sensors (called hairs) with each attack and if only in one ear it may go to the other. It may not, but you are at risk because you are not treating the hydrops, just masking it.

Now as Thornapple says don't take any drug with out a prescript from a qualified doctor. My opinion is if you have regular vertigo, say once a month or more, then taking benzos is like "switching deck chairs on the Titantic." Chances are you wlll have more problems and permanant damage you might have avoided with other treatment.

If you are convinced benzos are the thing for you, go for it but don't claim it stops vertigo because it doesn't. Ask your internal medicine doc, they are the experts on this. It is a masking drug, a hypnotic drug. We would have to have a debate on the subconcience mind and how it effects our bodies to understand the hidden truth about benzos that ENT's, etc. fail to understand or care about.

Again if it works for you ... do it. It is your body not mine and not my business to tell you how you feel. I have no idea, so you read all you can, consider the debate and decide for yourself..... I will think no more or no less of you regardless of your decision.

 

I dunno Sam, just cause some don't agree with you doesn't make YOU right.

Valium not only stopped the recent incidents of vertigo I had, it also knocks my tinnitus down to a manageable (i.e. ignorable level) when I have a hearing dropout and the tinnitus rages.

I seem to function rather well in my daytime life with one dose a day. I'm a professional, with a doctoral (non M.D.) degree and a real big boy job (for as long as I can hear). I got the wife, the kids, the mortgage, ailing relatives, the college bills, the extra-curricular activities...in short, I'm not ready to give up my full life. If I need a break from the screaming tinnitus, I take a half a low dose valium. Probably the hypnotic effect that significantly lowers the volume and my anxiety (when I max out on the screaming tinnitus).

I don't take valium every day. But it has been a godsend when I need it. For the first eight of the nine years of this MM/AIED roller coaster ride, I didn't use valium. But I wish I had. It would've made going through all of the rough spots much easier.

I also take Cymbalta. It helps keep me real, and my family says they have seen the change in me since I began taking it. My otoneuro didn't prescribe it, my GP did, but the otoneuro tells me it is good to be on an antidepressant if you are depressed and can't seem to get past this disease and the physical waste it lays to my body in it's path, as he feels depression and stress worsen the course and speed of the various diseases I have. He also directed me to medical evidence that cymbalta seems to reduce inflammation, which of course is important in an autoimmune disorder.

Does that make me defective, needy or addictive too? The Scientologists would say so, but then again they're not walking in my shoes, and neither are you.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I ain't interested in what seems to be a bunch of judgemental 12-steppin'. Your words may be wise to some, but they don't stop the EXTREME PAIN my hearing loss cause when my ears "feel full" (and aren't), when my tinnitus hits the SCREAMING JAY HAWKINS volume level, or this most recently added phenomenon of vertigo for me.

Guess what does?

 

Sam I am , Sam I am.!!! You are far too into the theory of this to be telling anyone what to do one way or the other. All I am saying is what works for me and VALIUM is the drug that works..... period. Forget the science and follow the facts!!!!!!

Piggy

 

We are all different. Personally I have used a 30 tablet bottle of 5 mg Valium since March. So at less than 5 mg per week I am sure I am ok. But then again, I am taking it as my doctor prescribed. If my doctor said to take it daily, and it helped me, I would do that , too. I am grateful for Valium; Meclizine did nothing for me.

 

I've been a member here since October 06 and have not seen a single post to this effect.

George

 

I need to take the fence position on this one. On the one hand you must tell newbies like me who are looking for some kind of relief about valium because bottom line is IT WORKS. But on the other hand it is good to have a voice of caution. That way you will use it as intended as a tool to get through and have some normal back in your life until you no longer need it.


As a newbie to this site I can offer that this is how I/we view everything here with cautious optimism as you have seen if someone finds something that works they swear by it and want to share it with the world so others can expierience the same wonderful relief. But as we all know everyone responds diffrently.

So please keep posting anything you find, give me all my options and yes keep posting your cautions I want them to so I know what to watch for when trying a new (to me) treatment or therapy.

Thanks again for all opinions Thats what makes this site SO GREAT

 

JPK: An excellent, well informed and well formulated post. Thanks!!

George

 

Groove master greg, You need to reread my post ... I never said I was right and others were wrong if they didn't agree. I have stated facts from the manufactors of benzos, doctors, and researchers about benzos. I have stated facts from Neuro-otology researchers on how benzos work to give one the false sense of stopping vertigo and why this may lead to nerve sensor damage. One can play with words and say yes it stopped the feeling of vertigo ... fair enough, but it doesn't stop the action that is causing the vertigo. This was my point. I will agree in some it stops the conception of false motion we call vertigo; however it doesn't stop the chemical action of hydrops, etc. Please reread and try to understand my point before you make me out to be a judgemental 12 stepper. I assume you refer to AA. Again, I basically stated drug information that isn't my opinion. Now here is my words from my post that you say was judging you ... quote: Again if it works for you ... do it. It is your body not mine and not my business to tell you how you feel. I have no idea, so you read all you can, consider the debate and decide for yourself..... I will think no more or no less of you regardless of your decision.

I don't have any fancy sheepskins as you do, no PH'd or any bragging rights from schooling, but I can read and understand medical text. If I don't understand a word, I look it up or have my PCP explain it. Again if benzos give you the life you desire, then do it. I feel to make an informative decision one needs the whole story and others experiences. To say Valium is the standard vertigo stopping drug given to a majority, doesn't do it for me. I want to know and understand, but that is just me. Again I don't judge you because you take benzos, but just state the facts from the drug researchers proven time and time again.

Piggy, What I said wasn't theory ... review your drug monograph ... read info on the link I provided ... it isn't a theory that benzos are a hypnotic drug, it isn't theory that it is addictive, etc. I stated the facts and facts come from science. I don't get your statement implying a contridiction. It doesn't make sense. Again ...I NEVER TOLD ANYONE WHAT TO DO .... I simply cited results seen by Neuro-otologist from benzo use as a control for hydrops. It doesn't control, cure or stop it. Now maybe your Meniere's isn't hydrops as I stated it could be anything. Doctors have different ideas on what Meniere's is.

Again I judge no one, I am not telling anyone what to do, I am just trying to point out a few facts that many doctors decide are not as important as stopping your vertigo the easy way ... with narcotics. They don't inform you that it doesn't stop action such as hydrops that may, but not always, cause further inner ear nerve sensor damage. I think you should know that this is documented fact, not theory or my opinion. I wish I was smart enough to come up with things like this, but not so. I can read and understand research and I think you should know these facts, both pro and con, to make an informed decision about your body. You have to weigh the facts as they apply to you.

 

...What I try to do is not tell people what to do but to tell what has worked and not worked for me and for the most part, that's what I've seen on this board. I looked at the list of withdrawal symptoms and a lot of the symptoms are things that would get a prescription for a Benzo.
...In the normal course of things, we tolorate our symptoms until we can no longer stand them. We thn go to the doctor to get cured. If we are prescribed a benzo, we may get relief from the symptoms but what ever is making the symptoms worse will continue to get worse, therefore if the drug is stopped, then the symptoms will be worse than when the drug was started.
...I looked at a few studies and there are a few symptoms that are repeatable in different studies, but list does not compare to the one at the anti-benzo site. When my wife first went on the Benzos, I posted a little at that site and soon found that the symptoms "some" of the people were talking about were the symptoms that they had when they first started taking the drug, except worse.
...And again that's going to be for continual use and not to occasional use. I don't take benzos and I don't recommend taking them, but my wife takes them and without them, she would be a recluse stuck in our house afraid to go outside. For some people, there would be no quality of life without the benzos and SSRI's.
...And as someone has already mentioned and the same thing I mention even when changing diets, talk it over with your doctor. For more info on the Benzos go to PubMed and look through some studies that were done. Try to find studies that were done on people who were taking the Benzos for a particular condition and look for studies that were done to people withoput any underlying condition. If your going to look at the anti benzo sites, also look at the pro benzo sites.
...Make an informed decision, learn all you can about a subject.
Rick

 

Sam,

You make an interesting and good point that while benzos ease symptoms, they're not really fixing anything, the damage of Meniere's (or whatever one wants to call it) continues. However, I don't think this really matters in terms of living with the disease or how you're doctor will treat you. Your doctor can follow the damage from the disease by measuring hearing loss or other tests, so masking vertigo has little to no effect on what your doctor is going to do, or little to no effect on your doctor's ability to measure the extent of vestibular damage... so if valium helps a person on occasion from suffering from severe vertigo, I don't think it matters in terms of medical treatment for the disease. The damage is going to occur whether you're taking valium or not, only you're going to suffer more, and your doctor can tell by various tests and hearing loss what's going on. Now if a person is using valium as a crutch and not continuing to seek medical treatment because they can get through the day with drugs, that's a different story, but if you're taking valium and still seeking solutions to your problems and following up with your doctor, then valium is certainly not causing any more vestibular damage than what would be occuring anyway drugs or no drugs. Also, from what I've learned, I don't think it's quite so simple your hypnotic theory on how benzos work. They're bascially, simply central nervous system tranquilizers, they don't really mask vertigo more than they sort of make your brain "dumber" so it's not as alert in how it processes mixed signals coming from the central nervous system... now don't get me wrong I'm not saying that taking valium lowers your IQ

 

I've started taking Tranxene back in the early 70s with my first attack. Unfortunately the attack was a cluster one and I relied on the Tranxene to get me through the day. Even when the attacks stopped, I took Tranzene as a sleep aid. One little pill. 30 years passed and I never increased the dosage and it was effective until I got the mother of all Meniere's attacks in the year 2000. Then I started with the .5 Ativan under my tongue during attacks and one at bedtime.

Even when my MM is not active, I take .5 Ativan at bedtime to help me sleep. It still works for me during violent vertigo taking one whole one under my tongue. I've been doing this now about 3 times a week for the past two months. I told my ENT I didn't want to take more because I was afraid of Ativan losing its effectiveness for me when I really needed it. He said...dear, you NEED it now. ;D Perhaps for some, a benzo is addictive and they feel the need to increase their dosage. I was careful all these years and now, I'm grateful every day for the effectiveness of Ativan in stopping my spinning. I guess....to each his own cure. And I pray this benzo doesn't lose it's effectiveness for this old gal

 

I take care of drug seekers who make up symptoms to be admitted to the hospital to get their drugs.
There is a world, a huge world of difference between that, and people who take something like valium
to relieve their symptoms and live more normally!! That is a wonderful use for a drug like that--hopefully,
what it was invented for--to help people. I dont get the lectures about benzos but I've heard the ones about antidepressants. I really don't care what people say and am amazed about all the warnings you read.

I bet no one here gets their drugs on a street corner. An MD prescribes them in response to what he sees as a need for them. I take Lexapro and will continue to take it as long as it helps me. I think what a lot of the warning and criticism does is cause polarization and bad feeling, as most people here seem not to need the warnings at all. They seem to have their benzo/AD use under control quite nicely--and may never face the need to withdraw from them. I think it is great that these drugs are out there to help--as at times little seems to help this crappy disease.

 

I have a question - if the damage to your hearing/balance occurs during the vertigo episode, then doesn't taking something to stop the vertigo attack (ativan, valium) help to stop the damage? Or since these drugs just make us think the vertigo is gone....does it not?

 

BINGO!!! The valium makes your brain think that the valium has stopped. You may think that it has but the actions in your inner ear that causes teh vertigo is still doing harm to the inner ear.

And that is what Sam has been saying all along. Valium is NOT a drug for meniere's in the sense that it does not stop the chemical activities from destroying the inner ear. It just makes one not feel it by knocking them out, making them not care, or drugging them to the point of having to fall asleep.

 

I have been on Klonopin since 1997. Back in March I tried to go off of this in order to have a VNG conducted by my neurotologist and had to cancel it due to the severity of withdrawal effects. Now I am facing the possibility that I may have to come off of it to go on some other anti-seizure meds and am very worried about how this will affect me.

I appreciate your posting this information Sam as it has good information in it. I have tried in the past to cut way down on the Klonopin and nope, couldn't do it, even reducing it brought on the withdrawal symptoms. So, I am very stuck on this drug. So far I have gone off of all my medication and Klonopin is the only one left onboard. It's been almost 3 weeks since I started all this process and I honestly have to say, it hasn't been a walk in the park. I am still having bizaare withdrawal symptoms.

Sparrow

 

Valium is NOT a drug for meniere's in the sense that it does not stop the chemical activities from destroying the inner ear. It just makes one not feel it by knocking them out, making them not care, or drugging them to the point of having to fall asleep.

Well that just sucks.

 

WELL..HERE GOES (AND YES GEORGE I AM YELLING). I SPENT THE FIRST 2 YEARS IN BED DUE TO VERTIGO. I HAD TO CRAWL TO THE BATHROOM AND THEN A DOCTOR FINALLY PRESCRIBED VALIUM AND VESTIBULAR THERAPY. GOD ONLY KNOWS I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THE THERAPY WITH THE VALIUM TO SETTLE MY VESTIBULAR SYSTEM DOWN. VALIUM IS A VESTIBULAR SUPRESSANT. I CARRY MY VALIUM EVERYWHERE...IN MY PURSE, JUST IN CASE I HAVE A SPELL OUT IN PUBLIC, WHICH HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS! SOOOO, GIVE ME A BREAK!
ONE CAN BECOME ADDICTED TO ANYTHING...FOOD...COMPLAINING...SMOKING...DRINKING...AND BEING A FIRST CLASS JERK!! IF I WERE A DIABETIC, I WOULD TAKE WHATEVER WOULD KEEP ME ALIVE AND KICKING. BUT I HAVE VERTIGO FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT "CAUSES" AND VALIUM KEEPS ME ALIVE AND KICKING! SO TO YOU NEWBIES....IF YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBES IT, TRY IT...IT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU AND IT MIGHT NOT. IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL KEEP IT ON HAND SO THAT I CAN TAKE IT, IF NEEDED! Blessings, twinkle

 

I don't know of any drugs for menieres that stop menieres from progressing. They are to alleviate the symptoms. That is not a big surprise, is it? I never thought valium would save my hearing. Even steroids are known to temporarily boost hearing, but not in the long run. This is all known information, right? To me it's no surprise that valium doesn't keep my menieres from progressing. Would that there was a drug out there that did! But it does work for what it is prescribed to do, at least for me. Lisa

 

It just makes one not feel it by knocking them out, making them not care, or drugging them to the point of having to fall asleep.

Funny thing is I have never had any of these side effects...it never knocked me out, made me fall asleep or not care. A slight reduction in anxiety maybe. But then, I have both peripheral and central issues going on at the same time. The Neurontin and Flexeril are much more potent with me than the Valium ever was. The Neurontin makes me kind of brain dead and the Flexeril is definitely a knock out pill. But that is me and we are all different.

 

Valium never knocked me out either, just function without vertigo. I agree Twinkle with all your shouting, everything makes sense in a world where this disease makes no sense. SHINE ON. I think this thread is old and done with, move on. We all make choices to our own benefit, if others don't like it so be it and move on, yes....we are all different ...thank gawd.