Correction by centrophenoxine of abnormal catecholamine response to postural stimulus in patients with orthostatic hypotension due to brainstem ischemia

The effects of centrophenoxine on catecholamine (CA) response to orthostasis and on postural blood pressure fall of 25 patients with orthostatic hypotension due to brainstem ischemia were studied. Before therapy, the patients responded to posture by a depression in norepinephrine (NE) excretion and a rise in epinephrine (E) excretion. After a 10-day treatment with centrophenoxine, 800 mg daily, the patients responded to posture like normals, i.e. by a rise in NE excretion and a reduction in E excretion. Although the orthostatic blood pressure fall was less marked after treatment, the favourable clinical effect of the drug could not be correlated significantly with the restoration of CA response to posture after treatment.