TREATMENT OF TINNITUS AND DIZZINESS ASSOCIATED VERTEBROBASILAR INSUFFICIENCY WITH A FIXED COMBINATION OF CINNARIZINE AND DIMENHYDRINATE

Seventy-eight consecutive subjects, 43 males and 35 females, ranging from 43 to 87 years of age suffering from dizziness and/or tinnitus due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency without other central nervous system diseases were treated with fixed combination of cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate two times a day and for two months. Data were collected considering the following parameters: age, sex, vestibular symptoms (unsteadiness, staggering, tendency to fall, swaying, vertigo due to change of position, bowing, walking, eye movements), headache, tinnitus, impaired hearing and aural fullness. Patients evaluated their vertigo symptoms and/or tinnitus intensities using a graded 3- point visual analog scale ranging from I (no symptoms) to 3 (strong symptoms) and their impact of life with classical tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) at first appointment, during the treatment and after therapy. The results of THI and DHI evidenced a statistical significant improvement either for tinnitus (t = 3.57; p<0.001) and for vestibular symptoms (t = 4.12; p<0.001); in particular at the final examination, of the 62 patients suffered from tinnitus, the 38.71% (24 cases) did not present the disorder while of the vestibular symptoms; unsteadiness and staggering both evidenced in 65/78 subjects (83.33%) at the beginning of the therapy, disappeared in the 43.08%. In conclusion dual action of the treatment showed improvement of tinnitus and dizziness symptoms, which was confirmed either by symptoms' reduction and by THI and DHI score.