Assessment of efficacy of pyridoxine in control of radiation induced sickness.

ABSTRACT

A randomised prospective study to evaluate the role of adjuvant administration of pyridoxine hydrochloride was carried out in 104 patients undergoing radiation therapy. In study group 52 patients received tablet pyridoxine (controlled release) 100 mg daily one hour before the radiation therapy, for a period of 7 days, while the control group was treated by irradiation alone. Reduced radiation induced sickness was observed in study group (32.6% versus 48.1%). Loss of appetite (0% versus 1.9%), nausea (11.5% versus 21.1%) and vomiting (21.1% versus 28.8%) were lower for pyridoxine treated patients than for control patients. The above observed reduction in radiation induced sickness was found to be statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The present data also did not reveal a statistical correlation between integral dose and radiation sickness.