[Treatment of chronic postinfectious fatigue: randomized double-blind study of two doses of sulbutiamine (400-600 mg/day) versus placebo].

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Chronic fatigue remains a medical mystery and a therapeutic failure. The subgroup of chronic fatigue postinfectious fatigue (CPIF) is an interesting one since it is quite frequent in general practice.

METHODS:

We studied sulbutiamine (Su), isobutyryl-thiamine disulfide in this context. We included 326 general-practice patients suffering from CPIF: they received randomly either Su, 400 mg daily (n = 106), or Su, 600 mg daily (n = 111), or placebo (n = 109) for 28 days in a double-blind, parallel-group study. 315 patients completed the study.

RESULTS:

The evaluation of fatigue, by multiple means including mainly MFI, a validated multidimensional fatigue scale, showed overall no significant difference between the groups. On the 7th day, however, women receiving Su, 600 mg had less fatigue (P < 0.01), but the figures were quite diverse and no persistent effect was noted at the 28th day.

CONCLUSION:

Thus, we showed for the first time that a high level general-practice study of fatigue is feasible using specific tools. Whether the effect observed after 1 week in women represents a true finding needs additional research. Further studies are in progress in order to characterize better the potential usefulness of Su in chronic fatigue.

• Authors: K P Tiev, J Cabane, J C Imbert
• Journal: La Revue de medecine interne (Rev Med Interne) Vol. 20 Issue 10 Pg. 912-8 (Oct 1999) ISSN: 0248-8663 [Print] France
• Vernacular Title: Traitement de l'asthénie en période postinfectieuse: étude randomisée en double aveugle de deux doses de sulbutiamine (400-600 mg/j) versus placebo.
• PMID: 10573727 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, English Abstract, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Antidepressive Agents
• sulbutiamine
• Thiamine

Topics

• Adult
• Antidepressive Agents (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Bacterial Infections (complications)
• Chronic Disease
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Double-Blind Method
• Fatigue (drug therapy, etiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Thiamine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome