Vertigo/dizziness as a Drugs' adverse reaction

Abstract

Introduction:Vertigo, dizziness, and nausea encompass a spectrum of balance-related symptoms caused by a variety of etiologies. Balance is affected by many systems: Proprioceptive pathways and visual, cerebellar, vestibulocochlear, and vascular / vasovagal systems. Vertigo is a subtype of dizziness, in which a subject, as a result to a dysfunction of the vestibular system, improperly experiments the perception of motion. The most useful clinical subdivision is to categorize vertigo into true vertigo and pseudovertigo, whereas from a pathophysiological point of view, vertigo can be classified into central, peripheral, and psychogenic. It is not easy to identify the cause of vertigo since the patients often are not able to precisely describe their symptoms. An impressive list of drugs may cause vertigo or dizziness.Materials and Methods:The aim of the present study was to analyze the data extracted from the reporting cards of the ADRs (adverse drug reactions), received at our Pharmacovigilance Regional Center (Calabria, Italy) in 2012. In particular, the data concerning the occurrence of vertigo and dizziness, after taking certain classes of drugs, have been considered.Results:Our results show that, among the side-effects of different classes of drugs such as anti-convulsants, anti-hypertensives, antibiotics, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, and anti-inflammatory, also vertigo or dizziness are included.Conclusions:Spontaneous reports of vertigo or dizziness, as side-effect of certain drugs, received at our Pharmacovigilance Center, represented the 5% of all reports in 2012. Considering the high incidence of such an ADR for several drugs’ classes, it can be speculated that under-reporting also affect vertigo and dizziness. Despite the fact that these ADRs might not represent a direct threaten for life, indirectly they can cause secondary damage to patients such as falls, fractures etc. Balance should be accurately monitored during drug use and particularly in fragile patients.

Orthogeriatric treatment reduces potential inappropriate medication in older trauma patients: a retrospective, dual-center study comparing conventional trauma care and co-managed treatment

“…Negative side effects of the most frequently used PIMs according to the STOPP/START criteria are as follows. Antibiotics like gyrase inhibitors and diuretics increase the risk of dizziness [23–25], although a use was observed in less than 10% of the patients treated with CTC. Benzodiazepines and opioids are frequently used in the pre- and postoperative stage and of undisputed benefit for anxiety and pain relief, yet they should be stopped as soon as possible because of their large potential to induce falls and therefore their impact on mortality [26–28].…”

A phase 3 double-blind randomized (CONSORT-compliant) study of azilsartan medoxomil compared to valsartan in Chinese patients with essential hypertension

“…The most frequent TEAE (hyperlipidemia) is often comorbid with hypertension, [ 32 ] and the most frequent treatment-related TEAE (dizziness) is a common adverse reaction with ARBs. [ 33 ] There were no clinically meaningful trends in any treatment group with respect to laboratory parameters, including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. There were also no clinically meaningful changes in serum potassium levels, which is consistent with findings in Korean patients who were treated with AZL-M 40 and AZL-M 80 mg. [ 23 ]…”

Prospective Safety Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Health Dietary Supplement in Adults with Prehypertension and Stage I Hypertension

“…Many agents, particularly antihypertensives, can cause dizziness. 34 Nasal congestion is a well-known effects of R. serpentina . 11 A long-term study on the effect of R. serpentina extract in hypertensive individuals published in 1956 reported nasal congestion in 30% of participants.…”