Betahistine for Menière's Disease or Syndrome

Overview

Journal Cochrane Database Syst Rev

Publisher Wiley

Specialties General Medicine
Health Services

Date 2001 May 2

PMID 11279734

Citations 44

Authors

A L James

M J Burton

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Menière's disease is characterised by attacks of hearing loss, tinnitus and disabling vertigo. Betahistine is used by many people to reduce the frequency and severity of these attacks but there is conflicting evidence relating to its effects.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of betahistine in people with Menière's disease.

Search Strategy: We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library issue 4,1999), MEDLINE (January 1966 to December 1999), EMBASE (January 1985 to December 1999) and Index Medicus (1962 to 1966). We checked reference lists of articles and contacted pharmaceutical companies for further studies.

Selection Criteria: Randomised controlled studies of betahistine versus placebo in Menière's disease.

Data Collection And Analysis: Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for further information.

Main Results: Six trials involving 162 patients were included. No trial met the highest quality standard set by the review because of inadequate diagnostic criteria or methods, and none assessed the effect of betahistine on vertigo adequately. Most trials suggested a reduction of vertigo with betahistine and some suggested a reduction in tinnitus but all these effects may have been caused by bias in the methods. One trial with good methods showed no effect of betahistine on tinnitus compared with placebo in 35 patients. None of the trials showed any effect of betahistine on hearing loss. No adverse effects were found with betahistine.

Reviewer's Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to say whether betahistine has any effect on Menière's disease.

Citing Articles

Systemic pharmacological interventions for Ménière's disease.

Webster K, Galbraith K, Harrington-Benton N, Judd O, Kaski D, Maarsingh O Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023; 2:CD015171.

PMID: 36827524 PMC: 9948543. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015171.pub2.

Worldwide Meniere's disease research: A bibliometric analysis of the published literature between 2002 and 2021.

Zou W, Li Q, Peng F, Huang D Front Neurol. 2022; 13:1030006.

PMID: 36313500 PMC: 9597620. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1030006.

Effect of Fluoxetine and Acacetin on Central Vestibular Compensation in an Animal Model of Unilateral Peripheral Vestibulopathy.

Hatat B, Boularand R, Bringuier C, Chanut N, Chabbert C, Tighilet B Biomedicines. 2022; 10(9).

PMID: 36140199 PMC: 9495702. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092097.

Quality of life after intratympanic steroid injection for Ménière's disease.

Schenck A, Bommelje C, van Benthem P, Blom H Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2022; 7(3):825-831.

PMID: 35734074 PMC: 9194969. DOI: 10.1002/lio2.798.

Low Dose Betahistine in Combination With Selegiline Increases Cochlear Blood Flow in Guinea Pigs.

Kloos B, Bertlich M, Spiegel J, Freytag S, Lauer S, Canis M Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2022; 132(5):519-526.

PMID: 35656811 PMC: 10108341. DOI: 10.1177/00034894221098803.

References

ELIA J . Double-blind evaluation of a new treatment for Ménière's syndrome. JAMA. 1966; 196(2):187-9. View

Hicks J, HICKS J, COOLEY H . Ménière's disease. Arch Otolaryngol. 1967; 86(6):610-3. View

Timmerman H . Pharmacotherapy of vertigo: any news to be expected?. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1994; 513:28-32. DOI: 10.3109/00016489409127323. View

Meyer E . [Treatment of Meniere disease with betahistine dimesilate (Aequamen)--double-blind study versus placebo (crossover)]. Laryngol Rhinol Otol (Stuttg). 1985; 64(5):269-72. View

Watanabe K, Fukami J, Yoshimoto H, Ueda M, Suzuki J . [Evaluation of the effect of betahistine in Meniere's disease by double-blind test and multivariate analysis]. Jibiinkoka. 1967; 39(11):1237-50. View

Friberg U, STAHLE J, SVEDBERG A . The natural course of Meniere's disease. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1984; 406:72-7. DOI: 10.3109/00016488309123007. View

Pearson B, Brackmann D . Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium guidelines for reporting treatment results in Meniere's disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1985; 93(5):579-81. DOI: 10.1177/019459988509300501. View

Silverstein H, Smouha E, Jones R . Natural history vs. surgery for Menière's disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1989; 100(1):6-16. DOI: 10.1177/019459988910000102. View

Wilmot T, Menon G . Betahistine in Ménière's disease. J Laryngol Otol. 1976; 90(9):833-40. DOI: 10.1017/s0022215100082785. View

10.

. Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium guidelines for the diagnosis and evaluation of therapy in Menière's disease. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Foundation, Inc. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995; 113(3):181-5. DOI: 10.1016/S0194-5998(95)70102-8. View

11.

FREW I, Menon G . Betahistine hydrochloride in Méniére's disease. Postgrad Med J. 1976; 52(610):501-3. PMC: 2496440. DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.52.610.501. View

12.

Mira E, Guidetti G, Ghilardi L, Fattori B, Malannino N, Maiolino L . Betahistine dihydrochloride in the treatment of peripheral vestibular vertigo. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2003; 260(2):73-7. DOI: 10.1007/s00405-002-0524-4. View

13.

Williams H . COMMENTS ON MENIERE'S DISEASE. Postgrad Med. 1964; 36:274-7. DOI: 10.1080/00325481.1964.11695258. View

14.

OOSTERVELD W . Betahistine dihydrochloride in the treatment of vertigo of peripheral vestibular origin. A double-blind placebo-controlled study. J Laryngol Otol. 1984; 98(1):37-41. DOI: 10.1017/s0022215100146158. View

15.

Redon C, Lopez C, Bernard-Demanze L, Dumitrescu M, Magnan J, Lacour M . Betahistine treatment improves the recovery of static symptoms in patients with unilateral vestibular loss. J Clin Pharmacol. 2010; 51(4):538-48. DOI: 10.1177/0091270010369241. View

16.

Schmidt J, Huizing E . The clinical drug trial in Menière's disease with emphasis on the effect of betahistine SR. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1992; 497:1-189. View

17.

Pedersen C, Kampmann J . [Drug information. Therapy in Ménière's disease, with special reference to the use of betahistine, Betaserc]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1978; 140(48):3004-6. View

18.

Schulz K, Chalmers I, Hayes R, Altman D . Empirical evidence of bias. Dimensions of methodological quality associated with estimates of treatment effects in controlled trials. JAMA. 1995; 273(5):408-12. DOI: 10.1001/jama.273.5.408. View

19.

Canty P, Valentine J . Betahistine in peripheral vertigo: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of Serc versus placebo. J Laryngol Otol. 1981; 95(7):687-92. View

20.

Okamoto K, HAZEYAMA F, Taira T, Yoshida A, Onoda T . [Therapeutic results of betahistine on Meniere's disease. Multi-variable analysis of the results of the double blind test and Fisher's evaluation method]. Iryo. 1968; 22(5):650-66. View