Ménière's Disease: Subjective and Objective Evaluation of Medical Treatment with Betahistine HCl

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Abstract
Betahistine HCl was studied to evaluate its effect: 1) in normal subjects and 2) in patients presenting Ménière's syndrome. The subjective modification of the various symptoms of this syndrome as well as modification of audiometric and vestibular function were studied in 102 patients for periods of up to 4 1/2 years. A double-blind evaluation of ten normal patients with betahistine HCl and a placebo did not show any statistically significant modification of the vestibular response. The subjective evaluation in 102 patients seems to indicate that the drug is more effective in the early stage of the disease. Audio-metric tests frequently demonstrated improvement of hearing in the early stages, but as a rule, this improvement was of a transitory nature. Vestibular function tests, in patients who had no concomitant medication capable of modifying the vestibular response demonstrate a frequent increase of the vestibular response in the early stage of treatment followed by a secondary stage of vestibular response decrease. No untoward complications were noted in a period of 4 1/2 years in 102 patients, except for a skin rash which disappeared when the medication was stopped. Following the work of Martinez (1972) and of Suga & Snow (1969) in the guinea pig, it is hypothesized that modification of the symptomatology in audiometric and vestibular response are due to modifications of the circulation at the level of the stria vascularis.

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