Archives of Disease in Childhood 2008-07-01

Weight gain with pizotifen therapy.

G L Briars, S E Travis, B Anand, A M Kelly

Index: Arch. Dis. Child. 93(7) , 590-3, (2008)

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Abstract

To describe the characteristics of weight gain occurring in children treated for migranous conditions with pizotifenRetrospective case note reviewWest Suffolk Hospital between 1999 and 2003 PATIENTS: 405 clinic attendances of 121 children receiving pizotifen treatmentRates of change in weight for age z score between successive outpatient appointments were used to detect excessive weight gain.The mean rate of weight z score increase for 105 patients receiving a constant dosage in 181 intervals between appointments was 0.79 standard deviations per year compared with 0.11 standard deviations per year for height z score increases. The rate of weight z score increase was not correlated with pizotifen dose per kg (r = -0.08), per m(2) (r = -0.05) or initial body mass index (r = -0.04). Mean rates of z score increase were similar in patients with a satisfactory and unsatisfactory therapeutic responses.Excess weight gain in pizotifen therapy is not predicted by drug dosage or therapeutic response within the range of doses used in clinical practice.