A double-blind study of benorylate and chlormezanone in musculoskeletal disease.

In a double-blind, cross-over study of 90 patients with degenerative disease of the hip, knee, cervical or lumbar spine, and capsulitis of the shoulder the analgesic drug benorylate (either alone or in combination with chlormezanone, a muscle relaxant anxiolytic drug) favourably modified pain, stiffness, quality of sleep and ability to work. Chlormezanone significantly reduced the number of breaks in sleep. There was no significant difference in the number of patients reporting side-effects on each of the four treatments, but drowsiness occurred significantly more in the chlormezanone weeks.

Azathioprine and penicillamine in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled trial.

Sixty-five patients, 33 receiving azathioprine and 32 receiving penicillamine, took part in a one-year, single-blind external-observer trial designed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of these two drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. By six months there was a significantly greater rise in haemoglobin and fall in erythrocyte sedimentation rate among those receiving penicillamine, and by one year this difference remained only in the increase in haemoglobin levels. Fifteen patients, 10 on azathioprine and 5 on penicillamine, had to stop treatment because of side effects; 90 single side effects occurred, 48 in those on penicillamine and 42 in those on azathioprine.