Many prescription and non-prescription drugs can cause dizziness or vertigo. In some susceptible people, cold and flu medicines, painkillers, as well as treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, depression and anxiety can produce lightheadedness and dizziness. The most reliable treatment for BPPV is a fairly simple, non-surgical procedure called canalith repositioning. This is done by changing the patient's head and body position in a series of steps that are thought to dislodge the calcium crystals within the vestibular labyrinth that caused the problem. Canalith repositioning is usually done under expert supervision, but it is easy enough that doctors often teach it to BPPV sufferers and their families.
Many doctors also prescribe drugs called vestibular suppressants.
Because of unwanted side effects, such as lethargy and impaired balance, they are given sparingly and only for more severe and long-lasting attacks. The elderly are particularly sensitive to these side effects. Another concern about these drugs is that they may slow or prevent the central nervous system from adjusting to a problem in the vestibular system. While vetibular suppressants often help lessen symptoms, especially in the short term, surgery is the ultimate answer for the unlucky few with severe BPPV-related vertigo that does not respond to the canalith repositioning procedure. For similar reasons, people with Meniere's should avoid alcohol, coffee, chocolate and other foods that are high in sugar or salt.