Alternative treatments in the patient with intractable asthma.

Various medications have been suggested as alternative therapy for oral corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma, due to the known adverse effects of oral corticosteroids. Examples of such medications include methotrexate, gold, cyclosporin A, hydroxychloroquine, and dapsone, all of which have a significant side-effect profile. Intravenous gammaglobulin therapy used as an immuno-modulator has little if any side-effects, but it is very costly. The antileukotrienes represent a safe class of medications that may be of particular benefit to certain subgroups of asthmatic patients. Antileukotrienes have become commercially available in other countries.