Beta Dimethylaminoethyl Benzhydryl Ether Hydrochloride (Benadryl) in Treatment of Urticaria

Antihistamine Therapy. Experimental and Clinical Correlation

“…(4) Placebos and substitute drugs were sometimes given when the patient's report was open to doubt. (5) The drug was tried under various conditions, in varying doses, and by various schedules in the same patient. (6) Our final grading of the patient's results was based on the following considerations: if a patient was improved once or twice, and not improved the majority of times under more strenuous conditions, he was graded as unimproved; if the relief occurred most of the time, but was absent during special periods, such as the height of the pollen season or in the congestive post-season phase, this was set down as an improvement.…”

“…Urticaria and angioneurotic edema respond well to these drugs, producing improvement in 60 to 80 per cent of the cases. 2,5,6 The itching is the symptom most consistently helped, while the edema may be improved moderately or not at all. I n severe and dangerous angioneurotic edema, such as edema of the larynx, more prompt results can be expected from epinephrine hypodermically.…”

“…(4) Opportunity still exists for the synthesis of the ideal antihistaminic drug, which will be sufficiently potent and entirely nontoxic. (5) The clinical evaluation of these drugs presents a complex and difficult problem and requires, at the least, the painstaking and extended effort of unbiased and astute clinical observers.…”

Comparison of the potency of antihistamines

“…The first H 1 antihistamine was identified in 1937 (5), but safe drugs were not available until 1945 with the discovery of diphenhydramine (6). Almost immediately H 1 antagonists became the standard of treatment for allergic diseases and urticaria (6)(7)(8)(9). The classical H 1 antihistamines also became widely used for management of pruritic dermatoses, including atopic dermatitis (8).…”

Low Strength Anthralin in Psoriasis

“…There are several reasons for giving Benadryl'^: to minimize the ultraviolet lightinduced erythema and burning, to relieve itehing, to sedate, to reduce the activity of eeerine sweat glands because, as shown by Feibleman et al (1971), there is poral obstruction in the psoriatic plaques. Benadryl is not the most modern and strongest anithistamine, but sinee its efficacy in urticaria was first shown by Curtis & Owens (1945), its safety for dermatological use has been unsurpassed. Interestingly it eombines (Osol & Pratt 1973) antipruritie, sedative and antieholinergic actions desirable in patients with extensive psoriasis.…”