Hi, I’m new to the forum. I was diagnosed with MAV two weeks ago. My consultant gave me a sheet of VRT to do , a diet sheet and we discussed me going on Amitriptyline. The VRT have made me feel very ill and dizzy all the time. I started on the drugs 4 nights ago and my symptoms have worsened. I’ve give upthe VRT for a day and a half becuase I felt so ill but I wonder if the drug itself is actually increasing my dzzyness?
I think it’s doing so in my case. It didn’t start that early, though… I felt a bit better for a few weeks before it turned to the worse.
It’s definitely possible, though, especially if you’re already high in serotonin to begin with, for example. (No way of knowing except trial and error of meds.)
BTW, welcome to the forums. 
If someone is high in serotonin it might be worth trying Feverfew (isn’t that the supplement which, or is it Butterbur) decreases brain serotonin levels?
What I found on the Feverfew product page is that it stops spasms and reduces inflammation, and that it can take up to 3 to 4 months and has properties that work much like aspirin.
Butterbur acts by keeping blood vessels open, it’s also used during allergy seasons.
But now I can’t document the part about decreasing serotonin. I’m guessing it was Feverfew because I have a bottle of it in my house and I never took it because I was an AD and didn’t see the sense of taking Feverfew along with an AD, if they might be working again each other.
I should probably just delete this mess of a post.
Julie
I’m already on another antidepressant for depression , would that elevate my seratonin levels?
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I’m already on another antidepressant for depression , would that elevate my seratonin levels?
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It depends on which, but in most cases, yes. Wellbutrin is a common exception.
It all depends on you, though: some needs loads of more serotonin (multiple ADs), while I personally believe I need less.
shouldn’t you people try a higher dosage than 50mg before you know whether it works. I know many with MddS people who pushed it up to 150mg before the rocking stopped. Then it can be a tricky question of reducing; often having to go 2 steps back for every 3 steps forward (i.e not reducing too fast or the rocking is there again).
Just a thought, and obviously not something I would do if I felt worse from 20mg.
— Begin quote from “fiona123”
Hi, I’m new to the forum. I was diagnosed with MAV two weeks ago. My consultant gave me a sheet of VRT to do , a diet sheet and we discussed me going on Amitriptyline. The VRT have made me feel very ill and dizzy all the time. I started on the drugs 4 nights ago and my symptoms have worsened. I’ve give upthe VRT for a day and a half becuase I felt so ill but I wonder if the drug itself is actually increasing my dzzyness?
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First of all welcome to the forum!
When you say you were diagnosed with MAV two weeks ago, what type of doctor are you seeing? And what kind of diet did they give you to follow?
When I was given the restricted diet to follow and foods to alleviate it helped my symptoms a lot but I had to follow it exactly making sure that I did not eat any of the foods on the list. I was also sent to to a therapist for the VRT which at times did make it worse but it did work a bit after a while, but I had someone monitoring the exercises to make sure I did not do them too much to make the condition worse.
Is the medication supposed to be for your MAV or for depression? Some of the aD are easier tolerated than others and it may be that it needs to be changed if your side effects are that bad. I am not sure about the medication because I am just at the point of trying to find a medication to take to control the symptoms.
Since you are already on an AD I would talk to my doctor about the fact that you are having some side effects from the new medication and /or ask your pharmacist.
My understanding is that all of the medications have some side effects that may go away with time but if you are feeling that much worse I would certainly discuss that with the doctor. Everyone is different and some drugs work for some and not others.
How did your condition start and what are your daily symptoms? How does your condition effect your everyday life.
I have learned by reading that some people have mild symptoms while others are extremely debilitating , which is where mine have been for about six months.
Also as far as feverfew is concerned here is an article about it…I have tried it when my smptmoms get really bad and it seems to calm them down to being bareable.
Many thanks for you replies. My dizzyness began 3 years ago after a botched ear siringe. Thereafter it recurred yearly about twice a year for 4/5 weeks usually at the end of term so I had to cancel a holiday. The world seemed out of kilter and my balance was shot but I could still get about. It seemed to change / get worse last year. I had no attck this year until it started 7 weeks ago . It is constant day or night. I happened to be on the underground then had a train journey which pushed the dizzyness to a new level. For 7 weeks It’s like I’ve been permenantly sea sick. I cant read or watch TV til later in the day. As it’s worsened I felt nauseous. My GP dismissed it as nerves. So I resreached on line and found there was a balance unit at a local hospital, a centre of excellence , only 3 in the country. 3 weeks ago I went to see the neurotoligst privately…I couldnt bare fighting my GP for a referral. He examined me an diagnosed MAV. He gace me a diet sheet and set of VRT to complete. WE discussed my using Armritrpyline. The VRT have made me a lot worse as they said they would. I’m only doing 2 rotations and I’m constanly sea sick and in bed unable to do anything. Sleeping is also difficult. I rang him about the worsening symptons but he said ‘it is to be expected.’ I got so deperate I went on the amri drugs for 7 days then tried to up the dose yesterday but because I feel so sick they seriously upset my tum so i cant even take the lower dose . I wont see the dr agin in his NHS clinic for 9 weeks and I really feel isolated since he hasnt yt written to my GP. I am very close to giving up the VRT because I feel so awful. The days are so long. I havent been out for two months and this is really bringing me to my knees after a bad year anyway.
Sorry to hear how things are working out 
Just a thought, though… if your dizziness started after an ear syringing, it could well be physical damage (most notably a perilympf fistula) causing your symptoms - unless you have clear-cut migraine symptoms as well, that is.
Do you get dizzy (literally) from loud sounds/wind blowing in your ear? And/or do you have any one-sided ear symptoms? If so, those are pretty clear signs pointing in that direction.
Of course, it could very well be MAV as well, just sayin’. If the symptoms match then this might be worth discussing, especially if symptoms started after trauma.