ABSTRACT
Thirty-three subjects with chronic rhinitis used nicotine nasal spray in an open study as an aid in smoking cessation. Thirty-eight percent of them were completely abstinent at 12 weeks, whereas 35% were completely abstinent at 20 weeks. The nasal spray was associated with irritant nasal side effects, which occurred most often in the early stages of treatment. Clinical nasal examinations could not observe any significant impairment in nasal conditions following spray use. In conclusion, this study confirms the short-term safety of the nicotine nasal spray as an aid in smoking cessation.
Subject(s)
Nicotine/adverse effects , Nicotinic Agonists/adverse effects , Rhinitis/physiopathology , Smoking Cessation/methods , Administration, Intranasal , Adult , Aerosols , Aged , Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure , Chronic Disease , Cilia/ultrastructure , Cytoplasm/ultrastructure , Epithelial Cells/pathology , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Goblet Cells/pathology , Humans , Irritants/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Nasal Mucosa/drug effects , Nasal Mucosa/pathology , Nicotine/administration & dosage , Nicotinic Agonists/administration & dosage , Nose/pathology , Nose/physiopathology , Peak Expiratory Flow Rate/physiology , Safety , Smell/physiology , Smoking/pathology , Smoking/physiopathology , Smoking PreventionABSTRACT
This study investigated whether the course of infectious mononucleosis was influenced by medication with ranitidine (Zantac). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 117 patients and either ranitidine 300 mg or placebo were given twice daily for 2 wk. Patients were examined on day 5, 10, 15 and 30. Efficacy variables included severity and duration of fever, scores of cervical lymph node size and tonsil size, eating problems, fatigue, influence on general condition, the use of analgesics and blood analyses. Results were analysed in 91/117 patients. Small differences were found between treatment groups in favour of the active drug. However, they were not statistically significant. After 2 wks of treatment abnormal 'liver enzymes' (ALAT/ASAT) were found in 13/48 (0.27) of the ranitidine group in contrast with 18/36 (0.50) of the placebo group (P = 0.03). The conclusion is that the course of infectious mononucleosis is little influenced by ranitidine treatment for 2 wks. The faster normalization of the 'liver enzymes' may reflect modulation of the immune system by ranitidine.
