A Questionnaire-based Survey on the Clinical Efficacy of Bepotastine Besilate in the Treatment of Patients with Pruritic Skin Diseases

Abstract

A total of 107 patients with pruritic skin diseases (mean age 52.1±19.0 years, male : female=45 : 62) who visited Kyushu University Hospital and other related institutions from May to December 2008 were enrolled and treated with bepotastine besilate twice daily for at least a week. A questionnaire survey was then conducted and analyzed for the clinical efficacy of the antihistamine in improving pruritus, daytime sleepiness, nocturnal sleeping time, and time to sleep onset. Improvement of daytime and nocturnal pruritus were 88.6% and 89.5% overall, respectively. The urticaria group showed significantly more improvement in daytime and nocturnal pruritus (94.3% and 97.1%, respectively), compared with the eczema/dermatitis group (87.2% and 89.4%, respectively ; p<0.05). Some patients (13.2%) complained of intolerable daytime sleepiness, but 64.3% of such “sleepy” patients wished to continue the use of the antihistamine, perhaps because of the high anti-pruritic efficacy in these patients (92.9%). Time to sleep onset was shortened in 27.2% of all subjects, but nocturnal sleeping time didn't change in 81.8% of patients. The antihistamine was effective for the control of pruritus in patients who had been treated with other antihistamines before examination as well as those who had not. High utility and patient satisfaction was demonstrated, as 79.4% of all subjects wished to continue use of this second generation, non-sedative antihistamine.