Benutzer:Friedrich K./Verapamil

Cardiac and extra cardiac tolerability of verapamil slow-release (SR) 240 mg was good in an open multicenter trial in 4,247 patients with hypertension. Fuenmayor et al. reported that the pharmacokinetic characteristics of SR verapamil account for its more favourable side-effect profile observed with this formulation. SR was considered advantageous to instant release verapamil (IR) for the chronic treatment of hypertensive patients. Other comparative studies with hypertensive patients did not find a difference in efficacy nor in the side effects between the SR and the IR formulation.

The "sustained release caplets of verapamil (Calan or Isoptin)" were successfully used for the treatment of cluster headache by Gabai and Spierings and by Göbel et al. Both, the regular and the extended release preparations of Verapamil have been shown to be useful, but no direct comparative trials are available.

Cohen et al. reported electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with cluster headache on verapamil therapy. These patients were using the ordinary release formulation of the medicine. From a pharmacokinetic point of view it makes sense to consider using SR verapamil in order to minimize fluctuations in plasma levels. After my CCH diagnosis in July 2005 the disease was treated successfully with 240 mg/d ordinary release verapamil. In May 2006 the medication did not seem to work any more and was changed to 240 mg/d sustained release formulation. This change improved my condition almost immediately and the treatment has been successful with acceptable side effects since then. Sustained release formulation verapamil should be tried to treat cluster headache patients who do not respond to ordinary release verapamil or if the side effects of ordinary release verapamil are not acceptable.

Literature

Verapamil

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Cluster headache

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