Midodrine, a new therapeutic agent: recent experience

Midodrine, marketed as Gutron by Hafslund Nycomed, was given at a dose of 2.5 mg three times daily always half an hour after the main meal for a period of 84 days to 8 women in the age of 25.42 years--average 34.5 yrs--and BMI of 19.8. These women with a blood pressure value below 100/60 mmHg most of the time displayed signs of neuroticism but had no organic and neurologic lesion. Clinical internal examination, Jarmatz-de Marée test, ECG-supine, standing, Holter dynamic ECG, ergometry, arterial and venous plethysmography, Doppler distal pressures-supine, standing, clinical neurological examination, EEG, perfusion brain tomography-supine, standing, urine examination--chemically and microscopically--, blood count, Na, K, Cl, glucose, urea, creatinine, uric acid, bilirubin, gamma-GT, alk. phosphatase, LDH, ALT, AST, thrombocyte index and the count of desquamated endothelia in blood before and after the end of 84-days Gutron therapy were carried out. It was ascertained that: (1) Gutron had no side effects; the marked subjective improvement reported by all patients persisted for months after the end of therapy. (2) No changes in biochemical parameters, ECG, Holter ECG monitoring, pulse rate, Doppler index and EEG were found. (3) Gutron did not raise the tendency to platelet aggregation and had no toxic effect on the vascular endothelium as demonstrated by unchanged thrombocyte index and endothelaemia. (4) Gutron administration was associated with a significant rise in upright diastolic pressure, especially when standing for prolonged periods--Jarmatz-de Marée test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)