Urinary electrolyte excretion and orthostatic response of blood pressure and plasma renin activity in children with postural hypotension before and after treatment with Dihydergot.

Na and K metabolism, and orthostatic response of blood pressure and plasma renin activity (PRA) were studied in six children, aged 10 to 15 years, with postural hypotension before and after treatment with Dihydergot (DHE). All abnormal findings which we had already observed in children with postural hypotension (i.e. low fractional excretion of filtered Na in spite of low PRA, extremely high PRA on fainting, great postural fall in blood pressure, and so on) improved on treatment with DHE. This suggests that these abnormal physiological findings found in children with postural hypotension may result from increased venous pooling which can be reduced by DHE. Consequently, DHE seems an excellent drug to treat postural hypotension from the physiological point of view.