A novel effective treatment for menière’s disease - dextroamphetamine sulfate

Abstract

Purpose: To determine if treatment with dextroamphetamine sulfate could ameliorate the symptoms of long-standing Menière’s disease in a menopausal woman with a past history of dysmenorrhea. Methods: Dextroamphetamine sulfate was started at 9.4 mg extended release tablets and eventually increased to 18.8 mg (Adzenys®). Results: The symptoms of constant ear fullness and severe tinnitus abated and have not returned for 2 years. In addition, the edema of the fingers and ankles have abated along with an 11 pound weight loss. Conclusions: Menière’s disease can be added to the long list of chronic treatment resistant conditions lumped together under the name of the increased cellular permeability syndrome. This syndrome may or may not be associated with pelvic pain. The common denominator is that these seemingly unrelated conditions affecting many organ systems all respond markedly well to amphetamine therapy. The hypothesis of the efficacy of dextroamphetamine sulfate is that it releases dopamine from sympathetic nerve fibers, which, in turn, diminishes cellular permeability.

Keywords

• menière’s disease
• increased cellular permeability syndrome
• dextroamphetamine sulfate
• dopamine
• dysmenorrhea