Verapamil vs. Sertraline for Vestibular Migraine & Chronic Subjective Dizziness

Vestibular migraine (VM) and chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) commonly cause vertigo, unsteadiness and dizziness. Clinical investigators are studying these illnesses to understand them better. VM and CSD occur together in about 1/3 of patients. That makes it hard to diagnose them accurately and decide what treatments to use. As a result, doctors and patients may be confused about these diagnoses. The goal of this study was use two different medications to tease apart the symptoms of VM and CSD. Patients who have VM and CSD together were given either verapamil or sertraline for 12 weeks. These medications are used to treat VM and CSD, though they are not approved for this purpose. Verapamil is believed to have stronger effects on symptoms of VM. Sertraline is believed to have stronger effects on symptoms of CSD. By comparing the responses of patients to these two medications, the researchers hoped to learn more about the key features of VM and CSD.