Vestibular vertigo accompanied by nausea and vomiting is not a rare disease nowadays. In addition to conventional medications, doctors often prescribe Betaserc to treat this condition.
1. Characteristics of Betaserc
Betaserc contains the active ingredient Betahistine Dihydrochloride, prepared in the form of tablets, round, white, 2-sided convex, beveled and scored on one side. The scored side of the Betaserc tablet is engraved with the number 267 on one side. Because of the score, the Betaserc tablet can be broken in half to divide into 2 uses.
In addition to the main ingredient betahistine dihydrochloride, Betaserc also includes a number of excipients such as microcrystalline cellulose, Mannitol, citric acid monohydrate, colloidal anhydrous silica and talc powder.
2. What does Betaserc do?
Prescription drug Betaserc is a product against dizziness. Currently, scientists only partially understand the mechanism of action of the active ingredient Betahistine. Some hypotheses have been confirmed through the results of studies conducted on animals and data collected in humans, specifically as follows:
Betahistine has the ability to act on the Histamine system: This active ingredient has an antagonistic effect on both H1 and H3 histamine receptors in nerve tissues, while the H2 receptor has negligible activity. Therefore, Betahistine can stimulate increased metabolism and increased histamine secretion by blocking presynaptic H3 receptors, combined with a negative regulatory reaction at the H3 receptor;
Betahistine stimulates increased circulation to the cochlea and the entire brain: Some animal experiments show that betahistine has the ability to improve blood circulation in the stria vascularis of the inner ear. In addition, Betahistine has also shown the ability to increase cerebral blood circulation in humans;
Betahistine supports the regulation of vestibular function: The active ingredient in Betaserc has shown the effect of promoting vestibular recovery after unilateral neurosurgery in animals because of its ability to support central vestibular compensation. In humans, Betahistine has also shown the effect of reducing recovery time after nerve surgery;
Betahistine changes nerve impulse conduction in the vestibular nucleus: Specifically, it inhibits the conduction of nerve impulses on the dendrites of neurons in the lateral and medial vestibular nuclei.
The research results to date show the therapeutic benefits of Betahistine on the vestibular system. The effectiveness of Betaserc has also been demonstrated in studies in people with vertigo and Ménière's disease through its ability to improve the condition and reduce the frequency of vertigo attacks.
3. What does Betaserc treat?
Indications for Betaserc include:
- Ménière's syndrome through the relief of the following main symptoms:
- Dizziness: Including dizziness, vertigo accompanied by nausea, vomiting;
- Reduced hearing or hearing loss;
- Tinnitus: The ability to perceive sound inside the ear does not correspond to the sound from outside;
- Betaserc is indicated in the treatment of symptoms caused by vestibular vertigo, including a feeling of dizziness, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, appearing even when the patient is standing still.
4. Dosage of Betaserc
Patients need to use Betaserc according to the doctor's prescription. If you have any questions, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist. The specific dosage of Betaserc is as follows:
- Adults: The starting dose is 8 - 16mg, maximum 24 - 48 mg/day, divided into 3 doses per day. The doctor will adjust the dosage according to the patient's response. Usually, dizziness symptoms can improve after 2 weeks and sometimes the best treatment results are only achieved after a few months of using Betaserc. Some patients are prescribed Betaserc treatment from the early stages of the disease with the aim of limiting disease progression or preventing hearing loss in Ménière's syndrome;
- Children: Betaserc is not recommended for use in people under 18 years of age because there is not enough data on safety and effectiveness;
- Elderly: Limited clinical data on this population suggest that dose adjustment of Betaserc is not necessary;
- Renal and/or hepatic impairment: There are no specific clinical studies in this population, but experience suggests that dose adjustment may not be necessary.
Some cases should not use Betaserc, including:
- History of allergy (hypersensitivity) to Betahistine or any of the excipients of Betaserc;
- Adrenal gland tumors (such as pheochromocytoma).
5. Some notes when using Betaserc
Patients with a history of bronchial asthma or gastric ulcers (gastrointestinal ulcers) should inform their doctor before using Betaserc to have a careful monitoring plan.
Some unwanted side effects of Betaserc: The following effects were studied for frequency of occurrence when prescribing Betaserc to patients and controlled by placebo: common (occurring from 1 to 10 cases in 100 treated patients):
- Digestive disorders: Nausea, vomiting, indigestion or stomach pain;
- Nervous disorders: Common is headache;
- Immune system disorders: Allergic conditions, including severe and can cause difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and neck, dizziness;
- Skin and subcutaneous fat tissue abnormalities: Very rare cases of skin hypersensitivity reactions, sudden onset of swelling (neurogenic edema) of the neck or limbs, hives, rash and itching.
6. Some interactions of Betaserc
Currently, the drug interactions of Betaserc have not been studied in living organisms. The available data are based on the results of laboratory studies (in vitro) and have not been found to inhibit the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in living organisms.
If you are using Monoamine-oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and drugs to treat depression or Parkinson's disease, you should inform your doctor.
Betastine has a similar structure to Histamine, so the interaction between Betaserc and antihistamines can affect the effectiveness of both. Therefore, patients should talk to their doctor if they are being treated with antihistamines before taking Betaserc.
7. Some notes when using Betaserc
- Storage: Do not store Betaserc at temperatures above 30°C;
- Differences on driving ability: Betahistine is indicated for the treatment of Meniere's syndrome and vestibular vertigo. Both of these diseases have the potential to negatively affect driving and operating machinery. However, clinical studies investigating the effects of Betaserc on the ability to drive and operate machinery have shown that this drug has no or negligible effects;
- Pregnant women should consult a doctor or pharmacist before using Betaserc. Currently, data on the use of Betaserc in pregnant women are still insufficient. Animal studies have not shown all the effects of betahistine during pregnancy, effects on embryonic development, labor and development of the newborn. Therefore, it is not recommended to use Betaserc during pregnancy unless absolutely necessary;
- Breastfeeding women: It is not known whether Betaserc is excreted in breast milk, including from animal studies. It is recommended that Betaserc should not be used during breastfeeding. For more information, users should consult their doctor about the importance of the drug, the benefits and potential risks to the nursing infant;
- Overdose: Data show that there are very few cases of overdose of Betaserc. Some may experience mild to moderate symptoms such as nausea, drowsiness and abdominal pain when using up to 640 mg of betahistine. More serious risks (such as seizures, cardiopulmonary complications) can occur with intentional overdose of both Betaserc and many other drugs. Currently, there is no specific antidote for the active ingredient betahistine, so treatment of overdose cases is mainly symptomatic support measures.
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