Kasama T et al. – This study suggests that nizatidine, an H2 receptor antagonist may represent a new option for the treatment of xerostomia in Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). Methods
Study to assess the ability of nizatidine to relieve xerostomia in pts with primary SS
27 pts with primary SS were randomly assigned to receive nizatidine (n=14, 300 mg a day) or another H2 blocker, famotidine (n=13, 40 mg a day; control), were followed for 8 wks
Pts were asked for both subjective and objective assessments of oral dryness using a visual analog scale (VAS; 1–100 mm) and the Saxon’s test, respectively
Results
Pts receiving oral nizatidine, but not famotidine, obtained objective relief from their xerostomia
Nizatidine also provided mild improvement of xerostomia-related clinical conditions, including mouth dryness and difficulty in chewing, tasting and swallowing food
Both drugs were generally well tolerated, without adverse effects
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