Medical Treatment of Vertigo
Although often used interchangeably, dizziness and vertigo are not the same. Dizziness is a general sensation of lightheadedness, weakness, or imbalance. Vertigo, on the other hand, is the specific sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving when they aren’t. This can feel like being on a merry-go-round and may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, sweating, visual disturbances, difficulty walking or talking, or a sensation of reduced consciousness. Episodes can range from brief to long-lasting and may occur sporadically or continuously.
What Causes Vertigo?
The most common type of vertigo is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV causes short, intense bursts of dizziness triggered by changes in head position. This can happen when lying down, sitting up, turning over in bed, or looking upward. BPPV is typically linked to problems in the inner ear, particularly in the small structures that detect motion and changes in head position.
Medical Approaches to Treating Vertigo
If you’ve been diagnosed with BPPV, your doctor may recommend a canalith repositioning procedure—a specific set of head and body movements designed to shift tiny calcium crystals out of the part of the inner ear causing symptoms. Following this procedure, patients are usually advised to avoid lying flat for 24–48 hours and to sleep with their heads elevated.
When repositioning maneuvers don’t provide relief, a surgical procedure may be considered. This involves placing a small bone plug into the problematic area of the inner ear to prevent the triggering of vertigo symptoms.
In many cases, the exact cause of vertigo remains undiagnosed, and patients are left with few options beyond symptom management. When no clear cause is found, or when repositioning procedures are ineffective, prescription medication is often used.
Medication for Vertigo
There are over 50 different drugs that may be prescribed to treat vertigo-related symptoms. These include:
-
Prochlorperazine – often used for severe nausea; blocks dopamine in the brain.
-
Antihistamines – such as cinnarizine, cyclizine, and promethazine; used to manage milder nausea and motion sickness symptoms.
-
Betahistine – commonly used in cases of Ménière’s disease to help prevent episodes; thought to improve blood flow in the inner ear.
These medications are available in a variety of forms including tablets, liquids, injections, and even sublingual (dissolving) tablets.
However, it’s important to note that none of these medications treat the underlying cause of vertigo. They are used to reduce symptoms and may only provide temporary relief.
Common Side Effects
The use of these medications can come with unwanted side effects, such as:
-
Drowsiness or fatigue
-
Constipation
-
Headaches
-
Insomnia
-
Indigestion
-
Muscle twitching (particularly with prochlorperazine)
While these drugs have been used for many years, there is limited research confirming how effective they truly are in resolving vertigo.
Exploring Other Solutions
If you’re frustrated with the limited effectiveness of medication and the side effects that come with them, it may be time to explore alternative options. In some cases, vertigo symptoms may be connected to issues involving head and neck alignment. NUCCA care is a gentle, non-invasive chiropractic approach that focuses on correcting misalignments in the upper cervical spine, which can sometimes reduce or eliminate vertigo symptoms.
At Advanced Spinal Care, we specialize in NUCCA chiropractic care to help you find a more natural path to relief.
Ready to explore a different approach? Schedule your NUCCA evaluation today.
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our patient results here.
Dr. Craig Lapenski at Advanced Spinal Care, in Graham, Washington is one of 27 Board Certified NUCCA Doctors worldwide. His clinic serves the highest quality upper cervical care in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Lapenski also serves a number of patients who are out of state including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New York, and more! He is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines, headaches, fibromyalgia, vertigo, neck pain, back pain, and more. More information can be found on our website at https://www.nuccawashington.com/