A POSTMARKETING STUDY OF FLUNARIZINE IN MIGRAINE AND VERTIGO

This prospective, open multi-centre study on flunarizine focused on th e risk/benefit ratio of the use of flunarizine in the prophylaxis of m igraine and in the treatment of vertigo, due to disorder of the vestib ular system. The assessment of risks focused on the incidence of new e vents of depression and/or extrapyramidal syndrome during flunarizine treatment. For migraine, flunarizine was compared to propranolol in 68 6 patients; for vertigo, flunarizine was compared to betahistine in 19 8 patients. The incidence of depression during follow-up in this study was significantly higher in the flunarizine group than in the propran olol group in the condition of migraine. There were no observations of an extrapyramidal syndrome. There was no observations of an extrapyra midal syndrome. There was a suggestion that flunarizine has more benef its than propranolol in the condition of migraine, and that betahistin e has more benefit than flunarizine in the condition of vertigo. Diffe rences in dosages could possible explain these differences.