The Efficacy of Lasix®-Vitamin Therapy (L-V Therapy) for Sudden Deafness and Other Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

The efficacy of Lasix®-vitamin therapy (L-V therapy) for sudden deafness (SD) was compared with that of conventional therapeutic regimens. There was no significant difference in efficacy between the two therapies. However, in fresh cases (within 7 days from onset of SD), L-V therapy gave a cure rate of 42.3% and an effectiveness rate of 88.4%, these rates being higher than those obtained with conventional therapy; and in cases treated within 4 weeks, L-V therapy was significantly more effective than conventional therapy. Besides, in cases with severe hearing loss (more than 70 dB hearing level) or vestibular symptoms, which were important factors of prognosis, L-V therapy proved more efficient. The efficacy of L-V therapy for other sensorineural hearing loss was also evaluated. In Meniere's disease, L-V therapy proved effective in 45.9% of cases, but with only a 20-30% effectiveness rate in other cases, e.g. idiopathic hearing loss, head and neck injury, noise-induced hearing loss and chronic otitis media.

Key Words:

• sudden deafness
• sensorineural hearing loss
• loop diuretics
• L-V therapy prognostic factors