Synergic effect of fludrocortisone and disopyramide in an elderly patient with orthostatic syncope

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a debilitating condition very common in the elderly that may leads to syncope. There is no single drug able to limit the fall in blood pressure in patients affected by OH when standing. In addition, the presence of hyperkinetic arrhythmias may worsen the fall in orthostatic blood pressure especially in elderly patients affected by OH. Unfortunately most of antiarrhythmic therapies lead to a decrease in blood pressure contrasting the effect of OH treatment. By contrast, disopyramide seems to have an anticholinergic effect that could play an important role in limiting the fall in blood pressure in participants with hyperkinetic arrhythmias and OH. We report a case of successful combination therapy of fludrocortisone, disopyramide and nonpharmacologic treatment in an elderly participant affected by neurogenic orthostatic OH and hyperkinetic arrhythmias with a poor quality of life and frequent syncope episodes. Copyright © 2013, Taiwan Society of Geriatric Emergency & Critical Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.