Malick A, Grant J A
University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Medicine, Galveston 77555-0762, USA.
Allergy. 1997;52(34 Suppl):55-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1997.tb04812.x.
Antihistamines were investigated for use in asthma shortly after discovery over fifty years ago. Earlier compounds proved ineffective because of side effects: this class of drugs was not thought useful for asthma, and were actually considered contraindicated. More recent drugs have greater potency, fewer side-effects, and no evidence of adverse effects in asthma. There are some studies showing second generation antihistamines, especially cetirizine, improve certain parameters of asthma.