[Effectiveness of combination treatment with H1-(Tavegyl) and H2-antagonists (Altramet) in chronic/chronically-recurrent urticaria].

Histamine H1 receptor antagonists are a mainstay in the management of chronic/chronic recurrent urticaria (c./c.r.U.). Since experimental studies have confirmed the presence of cutaneous H2 receptors partially conflicting results have been reported on the use of H2 antagonists in c./c.r.U. 20 patients with c./c.r.U. of idiopathic type were treated with cimetidine plus clemastine or placebo plus clemastine in a double-blind crossover study. Before this treatment traditional H1 antagonists alone failed to show any satisfying therapeutic effect. The results reveal that combined therapy is statistically more effective than corresponding H1 antagonists alone (P = 0.001). The addition of cimetidine is proposed in patients with c./c.r.U. if conventional therapy has been tried and proven ineffective.