flunarizine and Meniere-Disease

The aim of this double-blind, randomized, multicenter study was to compare the efficacy of betahistine dihydrochloride (BH) and flunarizine (FL) using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), a validated self-assessment questionnaire that has not previously been used in a clinical trial to evaluate antivertigo drugs.. Patients with recurrent vertigo of peripheral vestibular origin and who were severely handicapped by vertigo were randomized to an 8-week course of treatment with oral BH 48 mg daily or oral FL 10 mg daily. The efficacy endpoints were the total DHI score and the physical, functional and emotional subscores.. Fifty-two patients completed the study. After 8 weeks of treatment the mean total DHI score and the physical subscore were significantly lower in the BH group compared to the FL group (7.5 and 3.6 points, respectively). The mean total DHI score as well as the three subscores decreased significantly after 4 and 8 weeks in both treatment groups.. This study showed that at 8 weeks BH is significantly more effective than FL in terms of improving the total DHI score and the physical subscore. It was also established that the DHI is a useful and reliable method for evaluating the efficacy of antivertigo drugs.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Betahistine; Double-Blind Method; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Flunarizine; Histamine Agonists; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Vasodilator Agents; Vertigo

This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of betahistine dihydrochloride and flunarizine. All patients included in this multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial showed a specific pattern of vertigo, i.e. recurrent paroxysmal vertigo with or without the cochlear symptoms typical of Meniere's disease. Fifty-five patients were treated for 2 months (28 in the betahistine group and 27 in the flunarizine group). Analysis of intra-group symptom changes demonstrated a greater efficacy for betahistine. Statistically significant decreases in duration and severity of attacks, and in the presence of vegetative symptoms were seen in the betahistine group after the first and second months of treatment, whereas in the flunarizine group this was the case only at the end of the first month of treatment. Furthermore in the betahistine group, statistically significant decreases occurred for the other major criteria, including number of attacks, evidence of vestibular dysfunction, and presence of cochlear symptoms. Adverse effects were similar to those reported in previous studies of both products: stomach pains only with betahistine, and drowsiness, asthenia, and depression with flunarizine.

Topics: Betahistine; Double-Blind Method; Female; Flunarizine; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Time Factors

In an open multicentre pilot study, 32 patients affected with Menière's disease were treated with the cerebrally effective calcium antagonist flunarizine for 12 weeks. By means of the so-called vestibular index, the therapeutic results could be documented in a rapid and clear manner; the vestibular index takes into account both the subjective statements of the patients and objective pathological vestibular findings in terms of figures. The mean value of this vestibular index of 32 patients with Menière's disease was 9.5 before treatment and only 4.0 at the end of the therapy, which is indicative of a positive therapeutic effect. In the final evaluation, the action of flunarizine was generally considered very beneficial both by the attending physicians and the patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Clinical Trials as Topic; Female; Flunarizine; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Pilot Projects; Vestibular Function Tests

Two rheologically active and 8 vasoactive and metabolically active substances were compared in eight independent studies, some of which were randomised and double blind, on 400 patients who had suffered acute acoustic trauma. The control group was given saline. Spontaneous recovery was excluded as far as possible. The following substances were tested: Dextran 40, hydroxyethyl starch 40/0.5, naftidrofurylhydrogenoxalate, Vinpocetin, betahistine, pentoxifylline, flunaricine, Regeneresen AU 4 and 0.9% saline. All groups showed superior results to the control group in both long-term and short-term tests with respect to hearing gain and tinnitis improvement. The rheologically effective substances showed no statistically significant variations. None of the vasoactive or metabolically active substances used as adjunctive therapy improved the results achieved with rheologically effective substances alone. These results demonstrate that acute acoustic trauma can be most effectively treated by rheologically active substances; vasoactive and metabolically active substances are unnecessary. Hyperbaric oxygenation is advantageous as an adjunctive therapy.

Topics: Adult; Betahistine; Dextrans; Drug Therapy, Combination; First Aid; Flunarizine; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives; Male; Meniere Disease; Military Personnel; Nafronyl; Pentoxifylline; Rheology; Sodium Chloride; Tinnitus; Vasodilator Agents; Vinca Alkaloids

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cinnarizine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Electroencephalography; Electronystagmography; Evoked Potentials; Female; Flunarizine; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Sulpiride; Vasodilator Agents; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency; Vestibular Function Tests; Vestibule, Labyrinth

To determine whether vestibular autorotation tests (VAT) would show significant differences in vestibular oculomotor reflex (VOR) parameters in vertiginous patients before and after treatment with flunarizine.. Prospective study in a tertiary referral academic center.. Twenty-three patients (10 men, 13 women, mean age 45.57 years, mean length of disease 99.48 days, mean treatment 38.61 days), with vertigo due to vestibular neuritis, underwent VAT testing before and after treatment with 5 mg of flunarizine daily.. The parameter improvement value (IV) resulted from subtracting posttreatment from pretreatment VAT numerical values. Regarding subjective improvement, 3 patients (13%) said they had none, 5 (21.7%) expressed moderate progress, 9 (39.1) considered the results satisfactory, and 6 (26%) became asymptomatic. The VAT results gave high positive IV for horizontal restriction, low positive for horizontal and vertical gains and horizontal asymmetry, and negative IV for horizontal phase and vertical restriction. Regarding the individual frequencies, horizontal and vertical gains improved in all the frequencies tested except one. The horizontal phase improved at low frequencies (2.0 and 2.3 Hz) and deteriorated from 2.7 to 3.9 Hz. Vertical and horizontal restriction showed both improvement and deterioration. Horizontal asymmetry displayed improvement from -0.01 at 2.0 Hz to 0.50 at 5.9 Hz, deteriorating from -0.41 at 9.0 Hz.. Flunarizine is useful in the treatment of vertigo caused by vestibular neuritis. VAT is a valid instrument for the objective and quantitative evaluation of the vestibular-oculomotor reflexes.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Drug Administration Schedule; Electronystagmography; Female; Flunarizine; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular; Treatment Outcome; Vestibular Function Tests; Vestibular Neuronitis

Topics: Blood Viscosity; Cinnarizine; Double-Blind Method; Flunarizine; Humans; Ischemia; Meniere Disease; Physical Exertion; Piperazines; Vasodilator Agents

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cinnarizine; Diffuse Cerebral Sclerosis of Schilder; Female; Flunarizine; Hearing Loss, Central; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; Middle Aged; Piperazines