Introduction: While diagnostic criteria for vestibular migraine have been developed, no treatment has been established for dizziness with headache. In attempting to establish an effective treatment for dizziness with headache, we reviewed the data of patients with dizziness and headache who had been prescribed the Kampo medicines gosyuyuto and ryokeijyutsukanto at our hospital.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with headache and dizziness who had visited our department between April 2018 to March 2022 and were treated with gosyuyuto and ryokeijyutsukanto.
Results: A total of 22 patients were included in the study, including 6 (27%) patients with vestibular migraine, 6 (27%) patients with Meniere’s disease, 5 (23%) patients with vertigo, 2 (9%) patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, 1 (5%) patients with dizziness after sudden hearing loss, 1 (5%) patient with psychogenic dizziness, and 1 (5%) patient with unilateral semicircular canal paralysis. The efficacies of gosyuyuto and ryokeijyutsukanto were classified as follows: dizziness; improved, slightly improved, and unchanged dizziness in 13 (59%), 2 (9%), and 7 (32%) patients, respectively, headache; improved, slightly improved, and unchanged in 15 (68%), 1 (5%), and 6 (27%) patients, respectively. Both dizziness and headache improved in 13 (59%) patients, both dizziness and headache slightly improved in 1 (5%) patient, headache improved in 2 (9%) patients, and neither dizziness nor headache improved in 5 (22%) patients. Both dizziness and headache improved in all 6 patients with vestibular migraine.
Conclusion: The combination of gosyuyuto and ryokeijyutsukanto was effective in all cases of vestibular migraine and some cases of dizziness with headache associated with other conditions. Given the lack of a well-established treatment for this type of dizziness, Kampo medicine can also be used to treat dizziness with headache associated with conditions other than vestibular migraine.
