title: Defecation-related asthma.
abstract: We herein report the case of a 39-year-old man with recurrent asthma exacerbations preceded by abdominal cramps with the urge to defecate. The patient had a history of near-fatal asthma associated with these gastrointestinal symptoms starting five years before his admission. He stated that, even when his daily asthma symptoms were under control, he suffered from attacks, especially when he had a strong urge to defecate. Although the contribution of increased parasympathetic tone to the onset of bronchospasms was likely, anticholinergics were not effective. Instead, the patient's symptoms successfully improved following the prophylactic use of laxatives, which might therefore be an appropriate therapeutic option for this type of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ano
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hizawa
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001986:Bronchial Spasm / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004630:Emergencies; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013275:Stomach Rupture / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D054368:Laxatives; D003907:Dexamethasone