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Betahistine

Medication histamine analogue other
Aka: Serc, Betaserc
Brands seen in Singapore: Betaserc, Merislon, GP-Betahistine
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss in ménière's disease
When to take
HealthHub: with or after food · SG label: divided doses
Take with
Water — the SG label says the tablet is swallowed with it
Pros & cons
Pros
  • SG label: covers vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus
  • HealthHub: nausea eases if taken with or after food
  • SG label: the dose is adapted to the response
Cons
  • HSA: prescription-only in Singapore
  • HealthHub: nausea, headache and indigestion
  • SG label: improvement can take weeks or months
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084), Forensicclassification column; 5,511 rows cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally, never re-fetched — 4 betahistine rows · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “All 4 registered betahistine products read "Prescription Only", ATC N07CA01 — SIN12235P BETASERC 24 TABLET 24 mg, SIN11365P BETASERC TABLETS 16 mg, SIN03047P MERISLON TABLET 6 mg, SIN16812P GP-BETAHISTINE TABLETS 24MG.”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — BETASERC 24 TABLET 24 MG [SIN12235P], Therapeutic Indications (SG package insert) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Ménière's Syndrome as defined by the following core symptoms: Vertigo (with nausea/vomiting); Hearing loss (hardness of hearing); Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Symptomatic treatment of vestibular vertigo.”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — BETASERC 24 TABLET 24 MG [SIN12235P], Posology and method of administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The dosage for adults is 24–48 mg divided over the day. Should be swallowed with water. The dosage should be individually adapted according to the response. Improvement can sometimes only be observed after a couple of weeks of treatment.”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — BETASERC 24 TABLET 24 MG [SIN12235P], Contraindications and paediatric wording · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients. Phaeochromocytoma … Betaserc is not recommended for use in children under the age of 18 years due to insufficient data on safety and efficacy.”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — BETASERC 24 TABLET 24 MG [SIN12235P], product information block · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensic Classification: PRESCRIPTION ONLY MEDICINES · Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code N07CA01 · Prescription-only Medicines with Exemptions for Supply without Prescription: NA”
  6. HealthHub (National Medication Information workgroup / Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore) — Betahistine: what is this medication for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Betahistine is used to treat vertigo (dizzy spells), tinnitus (ringing in the ear), hearing loss, nausea or vomiting associated with Meniere disease or vertigo due to inner ear problem. There are two types of salt … mesilate and dihydrochloride.”
  7. HealthHub — Betahistine: how should I take or use this medication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You may take this medication with or after food. Follow the instructions on the medication label and take this medication as prescribed by your doctor.”
  8. HealthHub — Betahistine: what precautions should I take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding … Medical conditions such as heart or liver disease, peptic ulcer, pheochromocytoma (tumour on the adrenal gland) or asthma”
  9. HealthHub — Betahistine: common side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nausea — Take with or after food to reduce the symptom. Headache. Stomach discomfort such as indigestion.”
  10. NHS — Betahistine: a medicine to treat Ménière's disease (brand name Serc) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Betahistine - Brand name: Serc. Find out how betahistine treats symptoms of Ménière's disease and how to take it.”
  11. NHS — Taking betahistine with other medicines and herbal supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're taking: medicines called MAO inhibitors, used to treat depression or Parkinson's disease; antihistamines for allergies such as hay fever … There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines … are safe”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.