The Treatment of Hypertension with Hexamethonium

Abstract

Hexamethonium by subcutaneous injection in doses of 10 to 75 mg. of the ion every 8 or 12 hours produced significant reductions of arterial pressure and symptomatic improvement in a high percentage of patients with benign or malignant hypertension. Methods for preventing tolerance and undesirable side effects are presented, and the advantages as well as the limitations of hexamethonium therapy are discussed. IN 1948 Paton and Zaimis' introduced a series of polymethylene bistrimethylammonium compounds of which the decame- thonium (C10) member exhibited curariform properties while the penta-and hexamethonium (C5 and C6) compounds produced a blockade of all autonomic ganglions.