The bronchodilatory effects of loratadine, terbutaline, and both together versus placebo in childhood asthma
Orhan, F.; Baki, A.
Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology 13(3): 189-192
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1018-9068 PMID: 14635469 Document Number: 553920
To assess the bronchodilatory effect of loratadine in children with mild-to-moderate asthma and to determine whether loratadine interacts with terbutaline. The effect on pulmonary functions of a 10 mg oral dose of loratadine, with and without inhaled terbutaline powder (0.5 mg), was determined in 13 patients with a mean (SE) age of 10.63 (0.77) years (range from eight to 17 years) at 11 time points during 8 h in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover study. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was the primary measure of efficacy. Although loratadine alone produced an increase in FEV1 relative to baseline, this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Terbutaline with, and without loratadine, significantly increased FEV1 from 1 to 5 h according to baseline (p < 0.004). When compared with the placebo, loratadine significantly increased FEV1 from 150 min to 8 h (p < 0.05). Also, terbutaline alone, or in combination with loratadine, significantly increased FEV1 from 30 min to 7 h (p < 0.004, from 30 min to 5 h; p < 0.05, between 6-7 h). Although the mean increase in FEV1, with terbutaline + loratadine in combination, was greater than with terbutaline alone, the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). Loratadine has a mild bronchodilatory effect in the study period and does not interfere with the bronchodilatory effect of terbutaline in childhood asthma.