Histaminergic drugs have long been used to treat balance disorders in man, but their mechanisms of action in the vestibular system are poorly understood. In this article we review the current literature on histaminergic neurotransmission in the brain focussing particularly in the brainstem vestibular nuclei, and the role of histamine in brain plasticity during "vestibular compensation", the behavioural recovery that takes place after unilateral peripheral vestibular damage. Evidence that histaminergic compounds may facilitate vestibular compensation is reviewed, and we discuss the potential of histaminergic drugs for clinical use.