Prevention of signs and symptoms of dermographic urticaria by single-dose ebastine 20 mg.

In dermographic urticaria (DU), shearing forces on the skin result in weals and itching. Second-generation antihistamines are recommended as the first-line treatment, but to date only a few have ever been tested for this condition. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ebastine in preventing symptoms of DU. Seven adult patients with DU participated in a double-blind cross-over trial of ebastine 20 mg. Safety was assessed using a sensitive psychometric battery, testing cognitive performance and mood. Efficacy was assessed by rating weals, erythema, pruritus and burning after challenge. Ebastine had no negative effective on cognitive performance or mood. Weals, pruritus and burning were greatly reduced for most subjects. This pilot study suggests that ebastine is safe and effective in preventing the symptoms of DU and should be tested on a larger scale.