Labyrinthitis and Prochlorperazine Maleate

Hi Rachel ,so awful to hear about your problems. I think it is great to talk to other people ,at least you don't feel on your own .I don't have the symptoms you have so I'm not much help to you. The problem I have is when I stand still I sometimes feel I am going to fall,these feelings make you very anxious and worry about going out. As for drinking I had a glass of wine and lemonade (half) and I felt as if I had had a bottle.Not Going to drink again until I have this problem sorted. Try not to worry about it as it really does make it worse. Good luck :-)

Hi,

I'm not sure if many people will see this as it has been a while since the last post.

I have been diagnosed with labrynthitis with hearing loss in my right ear. It started about 10 days ago. I woke up with an earache and my ear felt full. We went out in the car and by the time I got home again I had to go back to bed I felt so ill. I noticed after that that my vision was distorted and at times I felt as though I was going to fall over, I can't stand perfectly still because the world seems to move around me. My GP has given me Prochlorperazine 5mg 3 times a day and has said I may need them long term as hearing loss suggests that my inner ear is damaged. She said once my symptoms have stabilised she will refer me to ENT for assessment. I am quite scared as I work as a nurse and I'm worried I won't be able to manage. 

Any reassurance and advice would be great.

Thanks,

Cat x

Hi Rach can understand how you feel, I have been off work since 24th September it all started with an ear infection and started to feel unwell then got an viral infection  had terrible headaches for 5 weeks kept going back to the doctor just told me to go home and rest couldn't drive, dizziness, vertigo feeling sick all the time, was told I got Labyrinthitis, had 3 lots of antibiotic, blocked ears all the time when back to a different doctor. Got ringing in my ears, feels like a sharp percil pocking in both of my ears, the doctor told me I have Meniere's disease so he gave me prochlorperazine maleate, started taking them, I find the tablets are not helping I just feel worse then ever, went to an E, N, T, Consultant the other day had  an hearing test as well, going for an MRI scan soon, I thought I was the only one with this. Never realised a lot of people got the same, I would push for an MRI scan so the consultant can tell you whats wrong.

Shar123  

                 

I thought i would provide you with an update as a lot has happened since I was diagnosed with Labyrinthitis last year.

I had an appointment with ENT and they told me to come off the prochloperazine as it was stopping my balance from compensating. I was given VRT exercises and managed to completely come off the tablets by the end of December 2013.

I still didn't feel 100% but was managing back at work and day to day.

In about February this year (2014) I started to suffer from headache every day which gradually got worse and worse and I started with on/off dizziness again, together with numbness down the left hand side of my face and all my symptoms of my ear came back, tinnitis, fullness etc.

My doctor, after 8 months, finally referred me to a neurologist mainly because of the facial numbness. I have now been diagnosed with Migraneous Vertigo (also known as migraine associated vertigo). They also believe this is what I had last year which was misdiagnosed as labyrinthitis and this is quite commonly misdiagnosed.

I have now been put on medication to prevent the attacks but this is something I understand that will not go away and can only be managed. I had an MRI scan just to check that nothing else was going on last week but am now waiting for the results.

All this being said, the dizziness has got a lot better than the initial attack last year and I appear to comensate much quicker after each attack.

Rach

Thank you for letting me know                                                                                    it's a shame it takes so long to find out whats wrong

  

Thanks 

shar123

Hi all,

Just wanted to add my own on-going experience here in case it helps anyone - I've found something really works for me. In short, it's protein shakes (one a day seems to bring the need for Prochloperazine tablets down from 3 to 1-a-day and I literally don't get the dizzy episodes). Might be total rubbish but seems to work for me. In long..

I got hit like a train with this about 2 months ago, suddenly found I was dizzy, sick and having the instantly lie down for hours and was unable to do anything. Doctor, diagnosed Labyrinthitis and gave me the Prochl.. tablets. They work a treat, but I'm not always great at taking 3 a day. I'm busy and sometimes I forget, often to my own punishment the next day when POW, suddenly I'm out of action for 3 hours! I've noticed though that when I am hitting the gym, and having a protein shake once a day, I can reduce my tablets right down to once a day (just in the morning with breakfast). Initially, I thought my body was just fixing itself when I noticed that once a day was fine, until I stopped the gym for a week (and thus stopped protein shakes) and suddenly it was coming back with a vengeance. Then suddenly, back in the gym, back on the shakes and it clears up again with reduced medication.

This isn't scientific, at all, and maybe a total coincidence and a bunch of rubbish, but I find it really works for me. I'm 28 years old, in good shape, no other medical problems ever (touch-wood) and can personally vouch for how debilitating this virus can be. I can feel myself much better, on less medication, when I'm necking a protein shake once a day. Simple as that. You may want to give it a go, go into a health shop or Holland & Barrett, buy a basic flavoured protein shake, and give it a few days of 1 (hefty) shake a day - 1-2 scoops. See if it helps you reduce the tablets at all.

I did notice somewhere that the body supposedly produces interferon, a protein, to fight viral infections. Who knows, maybe this just gives it that extra boost it needs!

The Doctor said the tablets should have no long-term side effects, but I'd rather be safe than sorry and take as little of these things as possible.

J

Hi new to this site but read the thread and although a year old I can identify so much and feel so isolated ATM.

my story started 5 weeks ago as I rang in sick after struggling in for a week with a ear infection and infected sinuses. Saw GP on day one who prescribed oral antibiotics for sinus and spray antibiotics for right ear, started to see improvement and was aiming to return to work that Monday when bang Sunday morning room spinning and severe nausea so back to bed hoping for an improvement. Lost the last 2/3 weeks being bed bound, sofa bound or GP waiting room. I couldnt stand the noise in my right ear every step thundered, every bite of food echoed, a feeling of pressure and fullness with the nausea just left me feeling exhausted. Would dare attempt driving at this point and my job involves driving aprox 5 hours out of the 8 and In the meantime my Nhs boss hounded me to know when I would return as other staff of sick (obviously more deserving than I) and staff shortages combined with high work loads. Until my husband had a word and then they've left me alone verbally but now have been sent to icc health and a further meeting arrange with personnel and manager (very worried/stressed about that) anyways GP diagnosed labrynthistis but I decided to use the self referral to physio to look into VRT therapy and although I can't start treatment until August the physio there (specially trained in VRT) thought I may be suffering from menieres! And advised I hound for an ENT referral. 

Week 5 and slowly improving not sofa or bed bound anymore just occasional nana naps to relieve the spinning but sooo worried about my job and driving! Will I ever get back to normal (for me)? 

TIA for nay response

Hi! I know this thread is a little old but you all seem to have answers! My boyfriend has been to the ER 3 times and they finally said labyrinthitis. I have been searching for information on this for him and this thread has been by far the best information I've read. He has been immobile for 6 day, which is how long he has been sick. He keeps asking me how long will it be before he can walk around, and I have no idea what to tell him! He just started a new job 3 weeks ago and now has this. The ER Dr's have given him Meclizine and Zofran. He'll get a GP appointment this week but what can I tell him about the dizziness, nausea and headaches? How long before he gets any relief? What is the average amount of time before he'll be able to go back to work? Are there things he could be doing now, and I will look up the YouTube stuff, is there anything I can do for him? Any information is much appreciated as the Dr's have been very general about this and he is very unsatisfied with what we know about this. Please help! We are definitely curious about the days and weeks to come. Thank you!

I have also been diagnosed with Labrynthitis.. Not sure if it's actually what's goin on because it was a pretty quick check up at ER. Extremely lightheaded and unbalanced is the major symptoms. Have goin it gets a lot worse when I'm out in the cold for a period of time. Been goin on for about 5 months now.. Back in September I had a really bad sinus cold. After those syomtoms passed, a few days late I got an extreme wave of lightheaded dizziness and was surprised I was still standing when I realized what was goin on. The only time it went away was when they gave me amox-clav pills and about 7 days in I felt 100 percent and the last few days of medication zero lightheadeness. After done with those everything came back a couple days later and never left. Was the amox clav pills just coincedent or maybe that tells me something?

Hi Rachel I had a severe attack of vertigo in the middle of the night about 6 and a half weeks ago now, it was so bad that I could not get up without shouting for my husband to help me to go to the bathroom, my legs had gone weak and I could not turn round and had to have help all the way to the bathroom and holding onto the rails, I was sent for tests and they all proved negative, I have had the same tablets as you took them for 5 weeks then stopped and it came back, not as bad but still it did, I started on the tablets again after leaving them for a week 2 a day and not too bad at the moment but still have difficulty moving my head in bed and also when washing my hair when I stand and look up my legs are weak in the morning and I also have palpitations in my nect when I look up, it has stopped me going out on my own as I used to go for a walk on my own, now I only go a short distance as I still have weak legs and don't feel 100% safe.  I was told by a pharmacist that is was o.k to take the tablets again on and off, but I am going to see my doctor when I can get in to have another talk, I've had vertigo before but this is the worst I have ever had, I am 62 and fortunately work part-time from home on the computer, but in the first weeks could not do this and its still a bit of a struggle evern though I only work a few hours, all the best Stella

This has been a very useful thread to me, so I thought I would add my story.

I came home early from work three weeks ago as I became very dizzy and light headed. I went straight to be and then got up again about 8pm the same evening. Had a light meal and then went back to bed. About 1am, I woke up to find the room spinning and feelings of nausea. My wife grabbed me a bucket and what followed as over an hour of vomiting. After it had finally subsided, I found that I was only comfortable lying on one side. Turning over brought back the nausea and sickness. This continued for the next couple of days where I was completely bed bound and stuck lying on my right side. Eventually, by third day I was able to get out of bed and go to an Energency Surgery. After a wick exam, I was prescribed 3 x 5mg of Prochlorperazine. These had no effect for the first three days and I was becoming increasingly anxious about my condition. By the fourth morning, however, I felt well enough to spend a day downstairs on the couch. As long as I didn't move too much I was OK. Finally got to see my GP after a week and he upped the dose to 3 x 10mg, where I took two tablets at once. It made a huge difference and three or four days later, I was back on my feet. I have been signed off for nearly three weeks and I'm hoping to go back to work on Monday. However, I work as a teacher and I am concerned and anxious about the lack of control over my work environment. I am phasing the tablets down to 2 a day. I've had no side effects at all from taking them, just positive results.

It's amazing how many people I have spoken to over the last few weeks that have also suffered from this. It seems that it's a curse for many in their mid-40s.

Hopefully, my recovery is just around the corner. I am a keen runner and desperately miss my three runs each week. I want to get straight back into it, but I worried that my balance will fail me. Had anyone got any suggestions regarding post-labyrinthitis exercise?

I honestly cannot believe what I'm reading, this thread may be 4yrs old but I felt compelled to create an account and comment. I had a bizarre episode at a bbq about 3 weeks ago and felt awful, dizzy, shakes, chest pains, uncontrollable shaking the works, was convinced I was checking out with a heart attack, which at 33 and relatively healthy seemed unlikely. I battled through and saw the OoO docs and they diagnosed Labyrinthitis and prescribed Prochlorperazine. After a day or two felt much better, 2 uneventful weeks went by and the tablets ran out, immediately I was back to the most uncontrollable anxiety I have ever experienced in my life, like waves of pure fear. Went back to the docs who were more concerned about the heart palpatations and prescribed beta blockers, which did nothing to help (also had ECG and bloods done which came back clear) so now back on the prochlorperazine and the difference has been night and day, back to my functioning self again. I'm 2 days in and feeling much better. I'm so relieved to see some of the posts here of people experiencing the exact same symptoms and knowing I'm not the only one who was/is experiencing this.

I don't really have any advice to leave and probably have a good bit of recovery to go, but just wanted to say thank you all for sharing. I'm going to read through all of these post thoroughly and digest what has worked for you all. (excuse any formatting/spelling - on mobile!)

Hi rachel188 iv been given these tablets recently and today is my second full day and I feel really strange... Iv got what you have and I was experiencing bad dizzy spells for a whole month and now I'm on these tablets... Did you experience funny feeling and tired I feel I have zero energy do I stop taking them or do the side effects subside