ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of cinnarizine/betahistine combination with the respective monotherapies in patients with acute peripheral vertigo (APV). METHOD: A randomized, triple-blind placebo-controlled phase III trial was performed on 162 patients with APV to compare the efficacy of cinnarizine/betahistine combination with the respective monotherapies. Patients were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 54 each) of Bet. (betahistine and placebo), Cin. (cinnarizine and placebo), and Bet. + Cin. (betahistine and cinnarizine). The first group received cinnarizine tablets (25 mg) plus placebo three times a day, the second group received betahistine tablets (8 mg) plus placebo three times a day, and the third group received betahistine (8 mg) plus cinnarizine (25 mg) combination three times a day. The treatments were continued for 1 week. Patients were followed up to 3 days and 1 week after initiation of the treatments for changes in vertigo severity measured by visual grading scale (VAS), mean vertigo score (MVS), and mean concomitant symptom score (MCSS). RESULTS: Results showed a significant difference between the groups in VAS (p = 0.001), MVS (p = 0.0001), and MCSS (p = 0.0001) at 1-week follow-up, where the respective values were significantly lower in the Cin. + Bet. group as compared with the respective monotherapies. Efficacy and tolerability of the treatment were found to be higher in the Cin. + Bet. group at 3-day and 1-week follow-up periods (p = 0.0001, for all comparisons). None of the patients reported any side effects during the study. CONCLUSION: This study indicated the superiority of the cinnarizine/betahistine combination over the respective monotherapies in the treatment of APV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT20130710013947N9.