TY - JOUR
T1 - Therapy of chronic idiopathic urticaria with nifedipine
T2 - Demonstration of beneficial effect in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
AU - Bressler, Robert B.
AU - Sowell, Kay
AU - Huston, David P.
N1 - Funding Information:
From Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas. Sapported in part by funding from Pfizer Laboratories and National Institutes of Health Grants AI-00519 and RR-00350. Received for publication June 22, 1988. Accepted for publication Sept. 14, 1988. Reprint requests: Robert B. Bressler, MD, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, 6565 Fan-nin, MS. F-501, Houston, TX 77030.
Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1989/4
Y1 - 1989/4
N2 - The efficacy of nifedipine, a calcium channel antagonist, in the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria, was evaluated in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Ten patients with chronic urticaria refractory to maximally tolerated doses of H1 and H2 antihistamines and in whom extensive evaluation failed to identify a cause for their urticaria were entered into the study. Patients continued with their prestudy antihistamine regimens. A study drug dosage was titrated in each patient and maintained throughout the trial. Patients were treated with placebo or nifedipine for 4 weeks and then crossed over to the other medication for 4 weeks. One patient withdrew because of unrelated medical illness, two patients withdrew after crossover to placebo because of intolerable urticaria, and seven patients completed the study. A beneficial effect of nifedipine was clearly demonstrated. Hive count, hive index, and itch index were all significantly improved at the end of 4 weeks of nifedipine treatment (p = 0.023, 0.003, and 0.003, respectively) but not placebo treatment (p = 0.194, 0.664, and 0.944, respectively). Additionally, end point hive index and itch index scores with nifedipine compared to corresponding placebo scores were significantly improved (p = 0.010 and 0.008, respectively). Nifedipine was well tolerated. Thus, when nifedipine is used as an adjunct to antihistamines, it appears to be a safe, efficacious drug for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria.
AB - The efficacy of nifedipine, a calcium channel antagonist, in the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria, was evaluated in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Ten patients with chronic urticaria refractory to maximally tolerated doses of H1 and H2 antihistamines and in whom extensive evaluation failed to identify a cause for their urticaria were entered into the study. Patients continued with their prestudy antihistamine regimens. A study drug dosage was titrated in each patient and maintained throughout the trial. Patients were treated with placebo or nifedipine for 4 weeks and then crossed over to the other medication for 4 weeks. One patient withdrew because of unrelated medical illness, two patients withdrew after crossover to placebo because of intolerable urticaria, and seven patients completed the study. A beneficial effect of nifedipine was clearly demonstrated. Hive count, hive index, and itch index were all significantly improved at the end of 4 weeks of nifedipine treatment (p = 0.023, 0.003, and 0.003, respectively) but not placebo treatment (p = 0.194, 0.664, and 0.944, respectively). Additionally, end point hive index and itch index scores with nifedipine compared to corresponding placebo scores were significantly improved (p = 0.010 and 0.008, respectively). Nifedipine was well tolerated. Thus, when nifedipine is used as an adjunct to antihistamines, it appears to be a safe, efficacious drug for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria.
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U2 - 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90011-0
DO - 10.1016/0091-6749(89)90011-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 2651508
AN - SCOPUS:0024564444
VL - 83
SP - 756
EP - 763
JO - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
SN - 0091-6749
IS - 4
ER -