A double-blind comparison of oxatomide (R 35 443) and diphenhydramine in the treatment of hay fever.

Ninety-one hay fever patients received either 0.5 mg/kg oxatomide b.i.d. or 0.4 mg/kg diphenhydramine b.i.d. in a two-month double-blind study. If necessary this dose could be doubled. The results showed that fewer oxatomide patients needed to double this starting dose and to use a nasal spray. Oxatomide proved to be more effective than diphenhydramine in limiting the severity of the hay fever attacks, as evidenced by the findings that oxatomide patients had fewer complaint-days, and that more of these patients were rated by the investigators to have excellent or good results. Apart from daytime fatigue, transient in several patients, no oxatomide-induced side-effects were found.