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From: sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: antihistamine without "side-effects"
Message-ID: <649@bbnccv.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Jun-85 23:52:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: bbnccv.649
Posted: Fri Jun  7 23:52:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Jun-85 06:38:37 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 22
Keywords: terfenadine, Seldane

After hearing that this antihistamine recently approved by the FDA
had been in use up in Canada for quite a while, I picked some up at a
drug store in Ottawa last week when I was visiting friends.  Its price
was the worst "side-effect": $12 Cdn for 24 tablets!  This is roughly
$8 for 12 days worth of treatment, given the recommended dose of a tablet
every 12 hours.  A bit high, eh?  It didn't seem to be sold in comsumer
nostrums--you had to ask the pharmacist to dispense some, so that may
have added to the price.

My experience seems to bear out the informal reports of the drug: 
my hay fever disappeared without any side-effects at all that I could
discern!  NO drowsiness, and interestingly, no dry mouth or eyes (most
antihistamines usually reduce the length of time I can wear my contact
lenses comfortably.)  I'm not sure if this lack of drying action is actually
reported as a feature of the drug.

I guess I would say that I'm pretty enthusiastic about it: it could make the
hay fever seasons much less of a bother.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
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