TY  - JOUR
T1  - DIltiazem for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis
AU  - MILNER MR, GOLDMAN ME
Y1  - 1989/05/01
N1  - 10.1001/archinte.1989.00390050163038
JO  - Archives of Internal Medicine
SP  - 1217
EP  - 1217
VL  - 149
IS  - 5
N2  - To the Editor.—We read with interest the article by Roti et al1 regarding the use of a calcium-channel blocker, diltiazem, for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias in hyperthyroid patients. The authors suggest that calcium channel antagonists may be useful when β-blockers are contraindicated, as in asthmatics, or as a possible adjunct to β-blockers in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis. Unfortunately, as the authors suggest, they did not compare the effect of diltiazem with β-blockers nor take into consideration the possibility of a placebo effect.We completed a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, pilot study2 comparing the clinical effects of diltiazem (60 mg, orally, four times a day for 1 week) with propranolol (40 mg, orally, four times a day for 1 week) therapy in six newly diagnosed thyrotoxic patients. We found both drugs to be strongly effective in controlling symptoms (18 symptoms were graded) and in improving clinical signs of thyrotoxicosis.
SN  - 0003-9926
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archinte.1989.00390050163038
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1989.00390050163038
ER  -