[Results of a double-blind study of diclofenac + vitamin B1, B6, B12 versus diclofenac in patients with acute pain of the lumbar vertebrae. A multicenter study]

Klin Wochenschr. 1990 Jan 19;68(2):116-20. doi: 10.1007/BF01646858.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Several clinical trials have shown that the duration of treatment of painful vertebral syndromes can be shortened by using a combination of vitamins B1, B6, B12 and diclofenac instead of diclofenac. In addition, a more efficient pain relief could be achieved by the combination therapy. In order to confirm these results, we compared the clinical efficacy of diclofenac (25 mg) and a combination preparation with diclofenac (25 mg) plus vitamins B1 (thiamine nitrate 50 mg), B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride 50 mg) and B12 (cyanocobalamin 0.25 mg) in a multicentric randomized double-blind study including 418 patients. All patients received 3 x 2 capsules daily for a maximum of 2 weeks. In case of total pain relief, therapy should be discontinued after one week. Data of 376 patients could be evaluated. 53 out of 184 patients receiving the combination and 48 out of 192 patients treated with diclofenac alone could stop therapy due to sufficient pain relief after one week. The evaluation of the "Hoppe Pain Questionnaire" and the data concerning pain intensity also revealed better results for the combination preparation. The differences in favour of the B-vitamin-diclofenac-combination were statistically significant in patients with severe pain at the beginning of therapy. Considering undesirable side-effects (symptoms in 70 out of 418 patients) there were no significant differences between the two medications. This clinical trial provides further evidence that the combination therapy with diclofenac plus B-vitamins is more effective than diclofenac alone for the treatment of painful vertebral syndromes.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • English Abstract
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Back Pain / drug therapy*
  • Diclofenac / administration & dosage*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic
  • Pain Measurement
  • Vitamin B Complex / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Diclofenac