[Vertigo drug therapy--merely drug vertigo? Vertigo from the pharmacologic viewpoint]

Vertigo drug therapy is indicated only in few types of vertigo. A causal therapy is possible for infections of the inner ear by antibiotics or antiviral drugs. A symptomatic therapy of severe attacks of vertigo consists in the administration of sedative drugs like antihistaminics, benzodiazepines or neuroleptics. These drugs, however have to be used no longer than one week to avoid an inhibition of beneficial compensatory processes in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the use of non specifically acting blood flow increasing drugs like pentoxifylline in combination with prednisolone can be recommended. For the prophylaxis of Menière's disease, betahistine is the drug of choice because of its two modes of action (beneficial effect on the blood flow in the inner ear, inhibitory effect in vestibular nuclei). For prevention of vomiting as a consequence of vertigo, scopolamine is unsurpassed. In cases of psycogenicly caused vertigo, antivertiginosa from plant origin and homoeopathic drugs can be recommended, especially in the elderly patient, despite the fact that the effect of these drugs can not be fully explained as jet. Beside vertigo drug therapy, vertigo as a side effect of many drugs has to be taken into consideration in clinical routine. The variety of drugs responsible for vertigo consists in relatively harmless substances like aspirin up to substances used in vertigo drug therapy!