Use of betahistine in the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

Abstract

CONCLUSION:

Clinical studies and meta-analyses demonstrated that betahistine is effective and safe in the treatment of Ménière's disease, BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), vestibular neuronitis, and other types of peripheral vertigo.

OBJECTIVES:

The goal of this paper is to review the pharmacological profile of betahistine and the evidence for its effectiveness and safety in the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

METHODS:

Selection criteria for the publications on betahistine included randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of betahistine vs placebo or active control in the treatment of peripheral vertigo. Recent meta-analyses were also included. Databases searched included PubMed, the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register, and ICTRP. The review also presents an update on the mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of betahistine.

RESULTS:

Efficacy and safety of betahistine has been demonstrated in numerous clinical trials. The precise mechanism of action of betahistine is still not completely understood, but the clinical experience demonstrated the benefit of betahistine in different types of peripheral vertigo. In more than 40 years of clinical use, betahistine has shown an excellent safety profile with the usual dose range from 8-48 mg daily. According to clinical studies, betahistine 48 mg daily during 3 months is an effective and safe option for the treatment of peripheral vertigo.

• Authors: Rubén Ramos Alcocer, José Gregorio Ledezma Rodríguez, Antonio Navas Romero, José Luis Cardenas Nuñez, Vicente Rodríguez Montoya, Jose Junior Deschamps, Jorge Anibal Liviac Ticse
• Journal: Acta oto-laryngologica (Acta Otolaryngol) Vol. 135 Issue 12 Pg. 1205-11 ( 2015) ISSN: 1651-2251 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26245698 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review)

Chemical References

• Histamine Agonists
• Betahistine

Topics

• Betahistine (therapeutic use)
• Histamine Agonists (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Postural Balance (drug effects)
• Quality of Life
• Vertigo (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Vestibule, Labyrinth (drug effects, physiopathology)