Circulatory effects of dihydroergotamine in patients with disturbed sympathetic vasomotor control with special reference to postural hypotension.

In five patients with postural hypotension (disturbed sympathetic vasomotor control) the effect of intravenous and oral administration of dihydroergotamin (DHE) has been studied. The therapeutic effect of oral administration of DHE has also been compared to the effect of treatment with an antigravity suit. Following intravenous administration of DHE, systemic and central venous pressure increased in all cases. The effect on cardiac output was negligible and consequently the calculated total peripheral vascular resistance increased. Orthostatic tolerance increased in all cases. During long-term oral administration the effect was comparable to that obtained with an antigravity suit. The increased orthostatic tolerance is explained by a constrictive effect on both capacitance and resistance vessels. In order to analyze the influence of a functional denervation on the effect of DHE on peripheral circulation, a study has also been performed during epidural anaesthesia of the lower body in 11 patients. In the legs which were deprived of sympathetic tone intravenous administration of DHE caused constriction of resistance vessels. In the intact forearm there was a decrease of tone in the resistance vessels. The results indicate that DHE - apart from its well-known venoconstrictive effect - also may constrict resistance vessels when they are subjected to a low sympathetic nervous outflow.