[Treatment of Menière's disease with betahistine (author's transl)]

Betahistine was gien to 86 patients with Meniere's disease in a thric daily dose of 8 mg. All patients except for three had earlier been treated medically without success. Symptomatic improvement occurred overall in 82,5%, including in 66% ear pressure symptoms, in 59.5% headache in 57% tinnitus, and in 35% hearing, although this latter statistically was not confirmed. The duration of administration of betahistine is therapeutically important and benefit from 4 months' continued use was demonstrated. After stopping treatment, the therapeutic effects were maintained and more than 6 months later improvement in hearing and ear pressure symptoms was still recorded. There was though a deterioration in symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus and headache in 18% over the same period. The shorter the duration of the symptoms the better the therapeutic effect gained. Improvement estimations of 81% in patients affected for up to 1 month, of 65% in patients affected from 1 to 12 months, and of 50% in patients affected more than one year were obtained. These results compare averagedly with the widely varible results of others. The management of Meniere's disease with betahistine can be regarded as an improvement in the conservative therapy of this disorder.