Cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate in the treatment of vertigo in medical practice

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26659910
Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2015 Dec 11. [Epub ahead of print]

Cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate in the treatment of vertigo in medical practice.

Scholtz AW1, Ilgner J2, Loader B3, Pritschow BW4, Weisshaar G4.



Author information

1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Division of Neurotology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. [email protected].
2Department of Oto-Laryngology and Plastic Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Rudolfstiftung Tertiary Teaching Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
4Medical Department, Hennig Arzneimittel, Floersheim am Main, Germany.

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of the fixed combination of cinnarizine 20 mg and dimenhydrinate 40 mg in the treatment of vertigo of various origins have been investigated in a prospective, noninterventional study involving private practices throughout Germany. A total of 1275 patients with an average age of 61.2 years participated in the study. The vertigo symptoms, measured by a validated mean vertigo score (primary efficacy endpoint) improved by 61 % in the course of the observational period (median: 6 weeks). Concomitant symptoms frequently associated with vertigo such as nausea, vomiting and tinnitus were also markedly reduced by 84, 85 and 51 %, respectively. Overall efficacy has been rated by the physicians as 'very much improved' or 'much improved' in 95 % of the patients. A total of 47 patients (3.7 %) reported 51 adverse drug reactions (all nonserious). The results indicate a good tolerability and efficacy of the fixed combination of cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate in the treatment of vertigo in daily medical practice, which is in line with previous findings of numerous interventional, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trials.