hi, i got diagnosed with m.s last year and have been suffering with vertigo on and off since. Many of my symptoms are managable but the vertigo strikes me quickly and leaves me unable to look after my two year old. my m.s nurse has suggested prochlorperazine but ive been reading about it and it causes tiredness which ontop of my fatigue i dont want to be even more tired!. has anyone been in the same situation or has anyone opted for other medications e.g stugeron, stemetil or serc16? any advice would be much apprecaited. thanks
Hi, I get really bad vertigo, and i would say its one of my worst symptoms, when it strikes i can be off my feet for months, i have just finished a course of neuro physio, and the physio, was going to do the ‘epley manouvre’ its a specific neck manouvre with really good results for some types of vertigo, but it doesnt work for everyone, the reason i didnt have it done, is because my vertigo has just settled down after a big relapse, and she didnt want to ‘stir’ things up again, so she will do it when my vertigo comes back,there are also some excercises ‘cawthorne cooksey’ that are good, too,someone on here gave them to me a while ago,and she swore by them.
Hope this helps you.
jaki xx
Hi Ruth, firstly I’m sorry you’re feeling shocking at the moment. I’ve had vertigo on and off for two years. Usually as part of a relapse but sometimes daily. I wouldn’t recommend using prochlorperazine for any length of time, only because your body will become too dependent on them and your brain needs to teach itself to deal with it. At one point I was using betahistine, which improves blood flow to your inner ear. However the ENT consultant advised me to come off that for the same reason as I mentioned above. I recently tried hyoscine (sp?) which is a travel sickness patch. I found that helped me too. I now only use something when I can’t sit up, or have problems walking. Are you suffering vertigo as part of a relapse? If so a course of steroids may help. I hope you start to feel better soon, I can fully appreciate how debilitating vertigo can be. Before starting rebif I was relapsing once every two months and was usually flat on my back for the first two weeks with the old vertigo. Suz xx
thanks for your advice. i will def look into the cawthorne cooksey exercises. i havent had a relapse for over a year but its only since my relapse that ive had vertigo. i had forgotten (major part of my m.s is rubbish memeory) that i took prochlorperazine whilst in hospital last year but as i slept for the majority of my 3month stay there i am not sure how it affected it me. i now take cyclizine when needed to control my sickness but its the room swaying which im struggling with as im at home alone looking after my 2yr old. what i dont want to do is take medication that makes me drowsy and unable to look after my child. i suppose its a loose loose situation though as if i dont take medication i have to go to bed and lie still so in both senarios i cannot look after my child 
any advice for the best medication?.
Serc 16 doesn’t make me tired, but it’s not as effective as Stemetil (which makes me drowsy). I take both, depending on my symptoms 
Hi,
I have really bad spells of vertigo which leave me unable to function. I take Buccastem tablets which you place under your top lip at the first sighn of a vertigo attack. I have also been prescribed this in a injection which does work quickly but I have to have my husband around to do this. I have been free of this for a few months at the moment but last year I had a attack every day. I have been told that I have these periods of vertigo due to the fact that I have scarring on my ear drum and ear canal. I wish you well and I hope that you find some relief. x
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I take 3 Serc 16 every day for my constant vertigo no side effects. It doesn’t get rid of 100% of the vertigo but does make things more manageable instead of feeling like I’ve had 3 drinks it feels like I’ve had 1 
Hi, sorry you’re not feeling to good, I suffer with this most days, I was recommended betahistine from someone on this site, I take it every day, 8mg 3 times, now I’ve noticed that at times this is not working, I suppose I could up the dose, however after reading one of you’re replies about getting to used to it I may not, on the whole though it does help me, good luck, Jean x
thanks again for ur advice. i think i will try serc16 to start with. when im reading your responses i think last year i was prescribed (whilst in hospital but have no ‘real’ recollection as had a long drawn out relapse most of the suggested medication) i havent tried serc16 so maybe a good starting point. also i might buy over the counter the anit sickness patches a recommended and use when vertogo strikes… just to see if this will alleviate things first before going on the ‘can only prescribed’ option. plus will also try the exercises.
The balanace excercises help retrain the brain, and sometimes stop the vertigo altogether, where the tablets only help the symptoms,so its worth a try,like i have said the ‘epley manouvre’ done by a phsysio can cure the vertigo for some, i know of some people that have been ‘cured’ of the vertigo,it is supposed to correct the crystals in the ear drum, that cause the vertigo.I would have a word with a physio though, the best ones are neuro physios, because the drs dont know much about it.