Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0012833 (dizziness)
 9,689 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In this multi-clinic double-blind study, patients suffering from insomnia were treated with triazolam 0.5 mg (Halcion) or placebo for 14 days. Four investigators treated 239 patients, 122 on triazolam and 117 on placebo. Thirty-nine patients, 10 on triazolam and 29 on placebo, dropped out for ineffectiveness of the medication and 32 patients, 16 in each group, dropped out for side effects. Analysis of pooled efficacy data showed that triazolam was significantly better than placebo on all efficacy parameters measured, including how much the medication helped the patients sleep, onset of sleep, duration of sleep, duration compared to usual, number of nocturnal awakenings, and feeling of restfulness in the morning. Triazolam did not produce evidence of tolerance development after 2 weeks of treatment. The same variety of side effects occurred on each treatment and primarily included drowsiness, grogginess, headaches, impaired coordination nausea, and dizziness.
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PMID:Multi-clinic double-blind comparison of triazolam (Halcion) and placebo administered for 14 consecutive nights in outpatients with insomnia. 2 13

Triazolam is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. To determine how it was being prescribed and used, we examined triazolam use in patients who had received the drug for greater than six weeks. We reviewed medical charts of 72 adult male patients from an ambulatory Veterans Administration population who had received a 30-day triazolam prescription with at least one refill. Results showed that although prescribed daily doses of triazolam were generally appropriate for the age of the patient being treated, the average length of therapy was 6.2 months. Seventy-five percent of the prescriptions had been written for a one-month supply with five refills. Neither prescriber specialty nor level of training was significantly related to length of therapy. Thirty-nine of the patients (54 percent) were available for a telephone interview to determine how the drug was actually being used and the adverse effects profile. Over 60 percent claimed to be taking the drug every night, 95 percent at the dose prescribed. Sixty-seven percent of the patients taking triazolam nightly reportedly did not sleep as well if they tried a night without the drug. Apart from effects on sleep, dizziness and confusion were the most commonly reported adverse effects. As a result of this study, automatic stop orders on discharge were implemented to limit triazolam therapy to inpatient stays. Physicians must evaluate the need for continued hypnotic therapy so that a longer-acting agent like flurazepam may be used if chronic medication is necessary.
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PMID:Evaluation of long-term triazolam use in an ambulatory Veterans Administration Medical Center population. 281 61

A 49-year-old woman treated with cimetidine 300 mg tid for more than 18 months for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome experienced lethargy, dizziness, ataxia, and auditory and visual hallucinations after receiving triazolam 0.375 mg hs for sleep. Triazolam plasma concentrations were measured, and a triazolam elimination half-life was calculated to be approximately 8 hours (reported range 1.7-3 h). Cimetidine has been reported to decrease the apparent oral clearance of triazolam, resulting in increased triazolam plasma concentrations with the potential for exaggerated triazolam pharmacologic effects. Cimetidine may have been responsible for the unusually large elimination half-life in this patient. Until the mechanisms and clinical significance of this potential drug interaction are determined, clinicians should use the combination of triazolam and cimetidine with caution.
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PMID:Central nervous system toxicity associated with concurrent use of triazolam and cimetidine. 404 60

Triazolam is a sedative/hypnotic triazolobenzodiazepine, structurally related to alprazolam. Recently, it has been approved for the short-term management of insomnia characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and/or early morning awakenings. Triazolam is metabolized with a half-life of 1.5-5.0 hours. Its one active metabolite, which appears in low concentrations and is inactivated rapidly, is not thought to contribute to its pharmacologic activity. Triazolam has been shown to decrease sleep latency and the number of nocturnal awakenings while increasing total sleep time in patients with insomnia. Sleep electroencephalogram studies show that triazolam has no effect on delta-sleep (Stages 3 and 4) and has variable effects on rapid-eye-movement sleep. Nighttime administration of triazolam increases daytime alertness in insomniacs and improves or has no effect on performance. The reported side effects are similar to those of other benzodiazepines and include drowsiness, dizziness, and dry mouth. The recommended dosage of triazolam is 0.25-0.5 mg hs. A reduced initial dose of 0.125 mg should be used in geriatric patients.
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PMID:New drug evaluations. Triazolam. 613 90