An Evaluation of the Effects of Betahistine and Dimenhydrinate on Posterior Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Objective: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common peripheral vestibular system disease causing dizziness. It occurs more in the 5th decade of life and affects the posterior canal in 90% of the patients. The most effective treatment method is canalith repositioning (CRP) maneuver. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of betahistine and dimenhydrinate therapies in addition to CRP maneuver on BPPV patients. Methods: The study included 64 patients who had complaints of dizziness and were diagnosed with BPPV by their history and provocation maneuvers. The patients were divided into two groups. In Group 1, only repositioning maneuver was performed. Group 2 was divided into two subgroups. In Group 2a, repositioning maneuver was performed and betahistine 24 mg twice daily was given for 10 days. In Group 2b, repositioning maneuver was performed and dimenhydrinate 50 mg once daily was given for five days. On the 10th day, all patients were reexamined, and provocation maneuver was performed. Dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was completed and outcomes were reviewed for therapeutic efficacy. Results: Mean DHI scores in all patient groups statistically significantly decreased from a pre-treatment level of 52.16 (range, 20-100) to a post-treatment level of 17.84 (range, 0-78) (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of DHI scores between Group 1 (repositioning maneuver only) and Group 2 (repositioning maneuver plus betahistine or dimenhydrinate). Conclusion: The most effective treatment method of BPPV is repositioning maneuver. Addition of betahistine or dimenhydrinate pharmacotherapy to repositioning maneuver did not show superiority to treatment with repositioning maneuvers alone.