Bronchial asthma as neurogenic paroxysmal inflammatory disease: a randomized trial with carbamazepine

Abstract

Purpose: Based on the assumption that bronchial asthma has not only inflammatory, but also certain neurogenic paroxysmal mechanism and pathophysiological links with other non-epileptic paroxysmal inflammatory diseases--migraine and trigeminal neuralgia, we decided to investigate efficacy of antiepileptic drug carbamazepine in patients with moderate persistent or severe asthma.

Methods: Sixty-three patients completed randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Results: Stable remission was achieved after carbamazepine treatment in 25 patients in active group (n=33). No significant improvement was registered in patients of placebo group (n=30). Following open-label treatment shows high and stable antiasthmatic efficacy of carbamazepine monotherapy.

Conclusions: Carbamazepine showed high efficacy in therapy of moderate persistent or severe bronchial asthma. Antiasthmatic activity of carbamazepine can be considered as influence on neurogenic mechanisms of asthma. We suppose that it is possible to use carbamazepine for therapy of bronchial asthma in clinical practice.