Sympathomimetic amines in the treatment of chronic urticaria: two case reports.

Two patients are presented whose chronic urticaria had previously failed to improve with antihistamine therapy or glucocorticoids. Both demonstrated marked improvement with dextroamphetamine sulfate. Both patients also had idiopathic orthostatic edema for which the treatment of choice is amphetamines. When treatment was discontinued the urticarial lesions returned, only to decrease significantly again when therapy was resumed. Whether the response to amphetamines in chronic urticaria is unique to patients with idiopathic orthostatic edema or will also prove to be effective in treating typical idiopathic urticaria will be determined by future research.