Exercise-induced asthma. Pharmacological assessment of single drugs and drug combinations
C. W. Bierman, W. E. Pierson and G. G. Shapiro
The relative effectiveness of ephedrine, theophylline, and hydroxyzine
hydrochloride and their combinations was studied in a two-part
investigation of 16 youths who has asthma and exercise-induced asthma. The
beneficial and adverse effects of the drugs in the control of asthma were
studied in the first part of the investigation. Both theophylline and
ephedrine were judged superior to placebo when given alone. When combined
they were somewhat more effective than either agent alone, although adverse
effects precluded their use in almost half of the subjects. The addition of
hydroxyzine diminished the side effects sufficiently to make the
combination acceptable to four subjects who refused to take
ephedrine/theophylline. In the second part of the study, the relief of
exercise-induced asthma was evaluated. Ephedrine had no effect, hydroxyzine
had a weak effect on hastening recovery, but theophylline modified the
postexercise response significantly. The three drugs together produced an
additive effect superior to that of theophylline alone.
