dihydroergotoxine and Vertigo

From the age of sixty, vertigo is mainly due to vertebro-basilar insufficiency. It has been described that the association of Dihydroergocristine-Piracetam (D-P) is a useful treatment for vertebro-basilar insufficiency. That is why we have designed a comparative study between D-P an a Placebo, so that to prove if this association can be usefull in the treatment of vertigo occasioned by cerebrovascular insufficiency. Fifty patients complaining of vertigo were included in the study after an untreated term. 19 received a daily capsule of Placebo, and the other 31, treated with D-P, were divided in two groups: 16 patients received a dose of 3 mg Dihydroergocristine + 1.6 g Piracetam every 12 hours per os; and 15 other were treated with 1.5 mg Dihydroergocristine + 0.8 g Piracetam every 8 hours during 90 days. The patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 90 days later, with anamnesis and vestibular tests. In the last consultation the patients autoevaluated themselves the effect and the tolerance to the drugs received. In the Placebo group it was observed an improvement or disappearance of vertiginous symptoms in the 68.5% of the cases, while with D-P was 93.7% at the dose of 3 mg Dihydroergocristine + 1.6 g Piracetam each 12 hours and 100% with the dose 1.5 mg Dihydroergocristine + 0.8 g Piracetam each 8 hours. None of the treated patients with D-P worsened their symptoms. We observe a considerable decrease in the number of patients with vegetative symptoms in the group treated with D-P related to the Placebo group, though the symptoms persisted more time in the group treated with D-P that in the Placebo group. The group treated with D-P get a higher percentage of improvements and disappearance of auditive and cervical symptoms that the groups treated with Placebo. In the vestibulo-spinal and cerebellous tests it was observed a better improvement with D-P at the dose of 1.5 mg of Dihydroergocristine + 0.8 g Piracetam each hours compared with the other two groups. It can be concluded that the association D-P is an effective treatment for vertigo, getting also a higher normalization of the vestibular tests than Placebo.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; Adult; Aged; Child; Dihydroergotoxine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuroprotective Agents; Piracetam; Treatment Outcome; Vertigo

The efficacy of Hydergin was compared against placebo in a 15 weeks cross-over trial in 51 patients with cerebral insufficiency. The daily dosage was 3 mg of Hydergin. Criteria of evaluation consisted of clinical rating and electroencephalographic registrations, which were evaluated visually and partly automatically. The clinical symptoms as well as the electroencephalographic criteria (base line activity, theta- and delta activity) were both positively influenced by Hydergin. The base-line activity was stabilised and the alpha activity of the power spectrum increased. The most impressive result was the carryover effect of Hydergin, which could still be demonstrated in the post trial period. In case of "dizziness" the good results were limited to the period of active treatment. The relations between symptomatic and more basic therapy of cerebral insufficiency will be discussed.

Topics: Aged; Brain Chemistry; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dihydroergotoxine; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Placebos; Vertigo

This is the first double-blind study in outpatients to evaluate the effectiveness of dihydrogenated ergot alkaloids (DEA) (Hydergine) versus papaverine in the treatment of selected symptoms associated with mental aging. In addition, this is the first study comparing these two pharmacologic agents in relatively young geriatric patients, with a mean age in the mid-sixties. After twelve weeks of treatment, ratings of overall clinical condition and global change showed that the 26 patients given DEA improved more than twice as much as the 27 patients given papaverine. Of the 14 individual symptoms rated, 13 improved significantly more in the DEA group than in the papaverine group. These symptoms included confusion, dizziness, unsociability, depressive mood, and mental alertness. Other data confirmed the generally superior results with DEA. In view of its demonstrated beneficial clinical actions and of its notable scarcity of contraindications or side effects, DEA appears to represent a significant pharmacologic contribution to the care of elderly persons showing selected symptoms of mental and functional decline.

Topics: Aged; Aging; Clinical Trials as Topic; Confusion; Dementia; Depression; Dihydroergotoxine; Ergoloid Mesylates; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Papaverine; Placebos; Social Behavior Disorders; Time Factors; Vertigo

A study was based on the survey of 419 neurologists and 1189 their patients with different forms of cerebrovascular diseases using a specially developed questionnaire. In most cases, vasobral was used as a monotherapy or in a complex treatment. Twenty-two percent of physicians reported that vasobral was the most effective compared to other drugs. The good tolerability of treatment (18%) and the broad spectrum of indications and clinical effects (17%) were reported as well. The large percentage (75%) of patients indicated the positive effect of vasobral on memory, reasoning, vertigo etc The maximal effect was identified in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment caused by chronic brain ischemia and vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Vasobral is recommended for a use in a complex therapy in patients with more severe brain lesions and cognitive deficit.

Topics: Caffeine; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Memory; Patients; Physicians; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vertigo

There have been treated a total of 20 patients with troubles on the cochlear compartment and/or vestibular level which have been clinically expressed by a perceptive hypoacusia, tinnitus and rotatory vertigo. The final evaluation is referred to 17 patients, since three patients do not appear for control. All patients were treated only with Hydergine, on doses of 30 drops thrice daily, which is the equivalent to 4.5 mg/day of active substance. This treatment remained unaltered till the end of the last control. Controls have been effected after 30, 60 and 90 days of starting the treatment. In each control there was evaluated the subjective improvement of vertigo, tinnitus and hypoacusia when effecting to all patients by means of liminar- supraliminar- and automaticaudiometry, impedancimetry, T one-decay-test and electrooculonistagmography. The most meliorated symptomatology was vertigo, with a global improvement of 93.7 per cent on the treated patients. Tinnitus improve by 57.1 per cent and hypoacusia by 20 per cent. There is a total correspondence between the subjective data furnished by the patients and the objective tests carried out in the successive controls.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Audiometry; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Evaluation; Electronystagmography; Electrooculography; Female; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Tinnitus; Vertigo

We report on the therapeutic effect of a combination of piracetam and dihydroergocristine in 55 vertiginous patients, of both sexes, between 20 and 67 years of age, from different causes (not scheduled for surgery). The trial lasted 3 months, and the drugs were taken twice daily. Aside from one case who stopped the drug therapy because of intolerance, the conclusions drawn by the AA. are seemingly good, both subjectively and objectively (audiometric and electronystagmographic tracings).

Topics: Adult; Aged; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piracetam; Pyrrolidinones; Vertigo

A total of 800 physicians practising general medicine, internal medicine and neurology tested the dihydroergotoxin preparation Orphol Drops for a period of six weeks at a daily dose of 30 drops 3 times daily in 8940 patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency. The "cerebral symptom" complex showed the best results with improved findings in 94.5% of cases. The overall assessment of therapy by the doctors in the "psychological findings" complex showed improved findings in 85.7% of the patients affected after 6 weeks' treatment. The third complex, "harmonization of environmental relations" still showed improved findings in 71.6% of the affected patients. The sustained improvements in all three "complexes" were striking, also in the second period of the trial, which emphasizes the importance of longterm therapy of deficiency symptoms in cerebrovascular insufficiency.

Topics: Aged; Anxiety Disorders; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Depression; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Tolerance; Headache; Humans; Hypoxia; Memory; Vertigo

Topics: Aged; Aphasia; Brain; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Dihydroergotoxine; Ergoloid Mesylates; Female; Hemiplegia; Humans; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis; Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis; Male; Middle Aged; Vertigo

Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Dihydroergotoxine; Ergoloid Mesylates; Ergot Alkaloids; Humans; Oxytocics; Pharmacology; Vertigo; Vestibular Function Tests