Effect of Cyproheptadine on Asthmatic Children

Cyproheptadine, an antagonist of histamine and serotonin, was compared with chlorpheniramine in a double blind study of 28 asthmatic children. Patients receiving cyproheptadine showed a marked increase in appetite, an associated weight gain, and an accelerated linear growth rate. The weight gain was apparently a reflection of simple exogenous obesity; there was no evidence of fluid retention. These effects of cyproheptadine could not be ascribed to a superior antihistaminic or antiasthmatic activity of the compound, since cyproheptadine and chlorpheniramine appeared equal in these respects.