Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of nicergoline in the treatment of pruritus in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.
Pruritus is a common symptom among patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. The effect of nicergoline, an ergoline, on pruritus was studied in products released during dialysis. In a first experiment series, 20 age-matched normal individuals, 25 patients receiving hemodialysis without pruritus, and 15 patients receiving hemodialysis with pruritus had intradermal tests with 500 micrograms of papaverine. All patients with pruritus had a small papaverine skin test response, and mean values were significantly (p less than 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test) smaller in patients with pruritus. All patients with pruritus entered in a crossover, double-blind trial with nicergoline. In a first period of six dialyses, they received either nicergoline (daily oral dose, 30 mg, and intravenous dose during dialyses, 5 mg) or placebo. In the second period of six dialyses, patients received the crossover treatment. Nicergoline was effective in 13/15 patients, eight of these patients having a complete remission of pruritus. When nicergoline was stopped, patients relapsed within 24 to 48 hours. All patients who improved during the trial were then treated with a daily dose of 30 mg of nicergoline for 6 months. Seven patients had a complete remission, five had moderate symptoms, and one patient relapsed. This study demonstrated that some hemodialyzed patients with pruritus of unknown etiology had improvement with nicergoline.
Bousquet
J
J
Clinique des Maladies Respiratoires, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Montpellier, France.
Rivory
J P
JP
Maheut
M
M
Michel
F B
FB
Mion
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004873:Ergolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009530:Nicergoline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*
D004873:Ergolines; D009530:Nicergoline