Treatment of chronic urticaria with an inhibitor of complement activation (cinnarizine).

Twenty-three patients with chronic urticaria were treated with cinnarizine, dexchlorpheniramine and placebo in a double-blind, crossover trial. Compared to placebo treatment both cinnarizine and dexchlorpheniramine caused a statistically significant improvement in the clinical symptoms (p less than 0.01). The two active drugs were found to be equally effective; however, cinnarizine was better tolerated. Both drugs appear to be useful in the treatment of chronic urticaria.