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Treating leg cramp
Naftidrofuryl is a safe and effective alternativeEDITOR,--As part of their meta-analysis of the efficacy of quinine in treating leg cramp Malcolm Man-Son-Hing and George Wells review the pharmacological alternatives to quinine for this painful condition.1 They fail to mention naftidrofuryl. In a double blind placebo controlled crossover study of cramp at rest we showed naftidrofuryl to produce both a significant reduction in the frequency of cramp and an increase in the number of days free of cramp.2 Man-Son-Hing and Wells point out the possible serious side effects of quinine, and we suggest that naftidrofuryl should be regarded as an alternative, potentially less hazardous treatment for cramp at rest.
We agree with Man-Son-Hing and Wells that the condition is extremely common; indeed, we have shown a prevalence of 37% in the elderly population overall.3 Such a high prevalence further emphasises the need to use treatment with a low profile of
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- Meta-analysis of efficacy of quinine for treatment of nocturnal leg cramps in elderly people
- Malcolm Man-Son-Hing and George Wells
BMJ 1995 310: 13-17.[Abstract] [Full Text]
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