Treatment of chronic subjective dizziness by SSRIs

It has been reported that the dizziness or vertigo in about 10 to 30 patients visiting an otolaryngologist is of psychiatric origin. Since otolaryngologists are not familiar with the treatment for these patients, such treatment is usually not adequate. The clinical entity of chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) is one of psychiatric dizziness proposed by Staab and Ruckenstein. Fourteen percent (40/285) of patients were diagnosed as having psychiatric dizziness in Hino Municipal Hospital last year. Among them we had 7 cases with CSI). We report herein on the result of the clinical examinations and pharmacological treatment. In most of the cases, subjective symptoms were significantly improved after the pharmacological treatment with SSRIs (Serotonin reuptake inhibitors). From these results, CSD is important clinical entity treatable by otolaryngologist with SSRIs. To prescribe SSRIs, it is important to know the common adverse reactions associated with SSRIs. These include gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea and activation syndromes especially in early stage of treatment. CSD is an important clinical entity, which should be diagnosed and is treatable by otolaryngologists.