[Comparison of astemizole and terfenadine in maintenance therapy of hay fever]

Abstract

85 patients suffering from pollinosis wee studied randomly on single-blind basis during the hay fever season of 1983. Patients received either Astemizole, 10 mg on rising and Placebo in the evening, respectively Terfenadine 60 mg on rising and in the evening. The severity of the symptoms sneezing, running nose, blocked nose and itchy eyes was recorded daily by each patient on a 10 cm visual analog scale. There is fairly good correlation between daily grass pollen count and the mean daily symptom scores. The results show that the mean visual analog symptom scores in the Astemizole group were significantly lower than those in the Terfenadine group.