cinnarizine and Fatigue-Syndrome--Chronic

We studied efficacy and tolerability of the combined drug omaron (25 mg of cinnarizine and 400 mg of piracetam in one tablet) in patients with multiple sclerosis. The dosage of the drug was 1 tablet 3 times a day during 12 weeks in 33 patients (mean age 35.3±4.2 years) of the index group. A comparison group consisted of 27 patients matched for demographic and clinical characteristics who did not receive nootropics during the study. None of patients included in the study received disease modifying drugs. The significant (p<0.05) decrease in the severity of chronic fatigue syndrome (by 28.6% compared to baseline), improvement (p<0.05) of cognitive functions (increase of MMSE scores by 9.4%) were found in the index group compared to the comparison one. The statistically significant changes in the severity of disability assessed by EDSS were not observed. Omaron was well-tolerated with no serious adverse-effects.

Topics: Adult; Cinnarizine; Drug Combinations; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Piracetam; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

Chronic fatigue is among the manifestations of focal brain lesions. It is most often encountered in multiple sclerosis (MS) and patients with the sequelae of traumatic, inflammatory, and vascular brain damage (encephalopathies). The aim of the present work was to study the mechanisms of formation of this syndrome in 50 patients with focal brain lesions of different origins (in the inactive stage) and to assess the possibility of correcting it using the combined agent Fezam (2 capsules t.i.d. for one month), which contains piracetam and cinarrizine. In patients with encephalopathies, chronic fatigue syndrome was directly associated with the severity of depression. Patients with MS showed changes in the value-sense sphere. Neuropsychological testing showed that the psychological and personality components played a greater role in the origins of chronic fatigue in patients with encephalopathies than in those with MS. Fezam significantly decreased the severity of chronic fatigue, particularly in patients with MS; in the second group (non-MS patients) this was accompanied by a decrease in the severity of depression. Mild side effects (in six patients--12%) consisted generally of sleep disturbances. These results indicate that Fezam should be used in the treatment of chronic fatigue in patients with focal brain lesions; in encephalopathies it should be combined with psychoactive agents.

Topics: Adult; Brain Injuries; Calcium Channel Blockers; Cinnarizine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuroprotective Agents; Neuropsychological Tests; Piracetam; Severity of Illness Index