[Reduced diclofenac administration by B vitamins: results of a randomized double-blind study with reduced daily doses of diclofenac (75 mg diclofenac versus 75 mg diclofenac plus B vitamins) in acute lumbar vertebral syndromes]. / Einsparung von Diclofenac durch B-Vitamine: Ergebnisse einer randomisierten Doppelblindprüfung mit reduzierten Tagesdosierungen von Diclofenac (75 mg Diclofenac versus 75 mg Diclofenac plus B-Vitamine) bei akuten Lendenwirbelsäulensyndromen.

Pain syndromes of the lumbar spine are one of the main problems in orthopedic practice. The therapeutic effect of NSAIDs is not subject to doubt in this connection. But considering that the application of NSAIDs is frequently associated with side effects, a reduction of dosage would be to the patient's benefit. Clinical studies have shown that concomitant treatment with vitamins B1, B6, B12 and diclofenac leads to a more efficient pain relief than treatment using diclofenac alone and thus provides the possibility of saving NSAIDs. This clinical trial was carried out in order to determine whether these results can also be achieved when a reduced dosage of diclofenac (75 mg daily) is used. 123 patients with acute pain syndromes of the lumbar spine were treated with either B-vitamins and diclofenac or diclofenac alone for a maximum of 7 days. There was the option to terminate therapy in the trial after 3-4 days in the case of total pain relief. 45 patients could stop the treatment due to remission of symptoms. 30 patients belonged to the combination therapy group, the other 15 took diclofenac alone; this difference is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). All parameters concerning pain relief and movement of the vertebral column showed statistically significant differences in favour of the B-vitamin-diclofenac-combination, too. The results document the positive influence of B-vitamins on painful vertebral syndromes and indicate that B-vitamins contribute to saving of NSAIDs by shortening the treatment time and reducing daily NSAID-dosage.

[Results of a double-blind study of diclofenac + vitamin B1, B6, B12 versus diclofenac in patients with acute pain of the lumbar vertebrae. A multicenter study]. / Ergebnisse einer Doppelblindprüfung Diclofenac + Vitamin B1, B6, B12 versus Diclofenac bei Patienten mit akuten Beschwerden im Lendenwirbelsäulenbereich. Eine Multicenterstudie.

Several clinical trials have shown that the duration of treatment of painful vertebral syndromes can be shortened by using a combination of vitamins B1, B6, B12 and diclofenac instead of diclofenac. In addition, a more efficient pain relief could be achieved by the combination therapy. In order to confirm these results, we compared the clinical efficacy of diclofenac (25 mg) and a combination preparation with diclofenac (25 mg) plus vitamins B1 (thiamine nitrate 50 mg), B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride 50 mg) and B12 (cyanocobalamin 0.25 mg) in a multicentric randomized double-blind study including 418 patients. All patients received 3 x 2 capsules daily for a maximum of 2 weeks. In case of total pain relief, therapy should be discontinued after one week. Data of 376 patients could be evaluated. 53 out of 184 patients receiving the combination and 48 out of 192 patients treated with diclofenac alone could stop therapy due to sufficient pain relief after one week. The evaluation of the "Hoppe Pain Questionnaire" and the data concerning pain intensity also revealed better results for the combination preparation. The differences in favour of the B-vitamin-diclofenac-combination were statistically significant in patients with severe pain at the beginning of therapy. Considering undesirable side-effects (symptoms in 70 out of 418 patients) there were no significant differences between the two medications. This clinical trial provides further evidence that the combination therapy with diclofenac plus B-vitamins is more effective than diclofenac alone for the treatment of painful vertebral syndromes.

[Age-dependent differences in the pharmacodynamic effect of topically applied Corticosteroids]. / Altersbedingte Unterschiede der pharmakologischen Wirkungen von Kortikosteroid-Externa.

The results of comparative studies with corticosteroid topicals on age-associated differences are presented. In each of the test series 10 to 14 subjects were included, either young adults aged 18-24 years or older adults aged 65-76 years. Tests on vasoconstriction were carried out with alcoholic solutions of amcinonide (the active principle of the dermatic Amciderm), betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide. Comparative studies with ointments included clobetasol 17-propionate instead of triamcinolone acetonide. Additionally, the kerosene test was performed to evaluate the age-dependency of this non-allergic inflammatory response and also to compare the antiinflammatory activity of the corticosteroids due to the age differences. In the vasoconstriction tests higher potencies were determined in the younger than in the older test subjects. In the kerosene test significant differences could be shown between the age classes with a view to the reaction to the irritant as well as the suppressive activity of the corticosteroids. Since the individual variations in the older groups were greater than those in the younger groups, the differences between the steroids were less distinct in the former ones. In testing and in therapeutic administration of corticosteroid topicals age differences should be regarded in view of skin reaction.