title: [The application of guanidine hydrochloride to the treatment of degenerative nervous and muscular diseases. I. Clinical results (author's transl)].
abstract: This paper reports the results obtained on using guanidine hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, degenerative diseases of the spinocerebellar system or the peripheral nervous system and dystrophic muscle diseases. A long-term effect of the substance was a diminution in the rate of progression of the diseases, with the exception of the group with dystrophic muscle diseases. Initial clinical improvement occurred in certain patients of both groups. The substance seems to be more effective in less-advanced cases than on administration in the later stages of the disease. The therapeutic dosage was 20 to 40 mg/kg/day. The most frequent side-effect was paraesthesia and sometimes gastric disturbance was reported. Therapy had to be discontinued in 3 patients due to leucopenia. In these patients the symptoms rapidly increased in severity after discontinuation of treatment. This supports the assumption that guanidine hydrochloride treatment slows down the progress of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006146:Guanidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000188:drug therapy; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines
vernacular_title: Uber die Anwendung von Guanidinhydrochlorid in der Behandlung degenerativer Nerven- und Muskelerkrankungen.