title: Up-dosing of non-sedating antihistamines in chronic urticaria: Need for well-designed clinical trials in India.
abstract: Urticaria is a heterogeneous group of diseases. Chronic urticaria significantly impacts quality-of-life of patients. Second generation, non-sedating antihistamines are recommended as first line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria. In patients with inadequate control of symptoms, increase in dosage of non-sedating antihistamines up to four fold has been recommended. This recommendation is based on low cost, good safety and good evidence of efficacy of non-sedating, second generation antihistamines. This article reviewed Indian data on up-dosing of antihistamines in chronic urticaria. There is a need for well-designed clinical trials with -up-dosing of individual antihistamines in Indian patients.
authors.affiliation: Freelance Consultant: Medical Communication and Training, Navi Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Anant D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Patil
keywords: Antihistamines; up-dosing; urticaria
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1995 Jun 29;332(26):1767-72
references.pmid: 7760895
references.citation: Allergy. 2009 Oct;64(10):1427-43
references.pmid: 19772513
references.citation: Am Fam Physician. 2011 May 1;83(9):1078-84
references.pmid: 21534521
references.citation: Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2011 Dec;12(17):2683-93
references.pmid: 22035356
references.citation: Indian J Dermatol. 2011 Sep-Oct;56(5):485-9
references.pmid: 22121259
references.citation: Indian Dermatol Online J. 2010 Jul;1(1):45-6
references.pmid: 23130196
references.citation: Indian J Dermatol. 2011 Sep-Oct;56(5):597-8
references.pmid: 22121291
references.citation: Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2010 Jan-Feb;76(1):61-2
references.pmid: 20061736