LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH TERFENADINE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC URTICARIA

In three centers an open study has been conducted to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of the long-term treatment (1 year) with terfenadine. For the evaluation data of 29 patients (age 20-76 years) were available. Data of 17 patients who had been treated for more than 24 weeks with terfenadine were entered for analysis of efficacy. For analysis of tolerability, the data of all 29 patients were entered. The patients took 60 mg terfenadine twice daily. Four patients increased, 8 patients decreased the daily dosage during the study. All symptoms decreased under the treatment. At the end only 5 patients showed typical symptoms of urticaria. Before entry in the study 16/17 patients suffered from pruritus, which was so intense in 4 patients that it disturbed sleep. One patient stated no itch. At the end of observation only 4 patients had light or moderate pruritus. At the end of the observation 14 patients (= 82.3%) judged the efficacy with "very good" or "good". In 27 patients (= 93.1%) tolerability of the medication in the long-term treatment was "very good" or "good". Adverse events (e.g. headache, gastrointestinale disorders) were reported by 7 patients. Remarkable is that adverse events only occured in the first half of the study and disappeared during continuing medication without any treatment.