The efficacy of ipidacrine in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy

Peripheral nervous system involvement in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is a severe complication associated with a decrease in the quality of life, the development of disability and lethal outcomes. The most negative in terms of prognosis is autonomic diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). Objective: to study the effectiveness of the drug ipidacrine (Ipigrix) in patients with DPN. Patients and methods. 49 patients with DPN were observed, they were divided into three groups. Patients of the 1st group (n=16) received ipidacrine 20 mg orally 3 times a day for 60 days, patients of the 2 nd group (n=17) received ipidacrine 15 mg 1 time per day intramuscularly for 15 days, then – 20 mg 3 times a day orally up to 2 months; patients of the 3 rd group (n=16) received only basic therapy. The clinical condition, severity of pain syndrome according to the Neurological Symptoms Score (NSS), vegetative tests, and treatment tolerance were assessed. Results and discussion. The therapy was effective in terms of reducing the severity of neuropathic pain syndrome, as well as normalizing the results of vegetative tests. In patients of the 1 st group, the total scores on the NSS scale decreased by 37% (p<0.05) by the 60 th day of treatment. In patients of the 2 nd group, the total scores on the NSS scale decreased by 22% by the 30 th day (p<0.05) and by 35% (p<0.05) by the 60 th day of treatment. A pronounced positive effect in terms of vegetative tests was noted on the 60 th day of treatment in the 1 st and 2 nd groups of patients. No adverse events were observed during the treatment period in any of patients of the 1 st and the 2 nd groups. In the comparison group, there were no significant changes in scores on the NSS scale and indicators of vegetative samples. Conclusion. The effectiveness of the drug ipidacrine (Ipigrix) in patients with pain and vegetative manifestations of DPN was noted.