Allergy news.

People with allergies appear to be more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than do those without allergies, suggesting that the conditions may be linked in some instance, Chicago-based researchers report. Lead investigator Dr. Mary C. Tobin told Reuters Health that "the real hope of this study is that patients and physicians recognize the association between allergies and IBS." People with IBS suffer chronic discomfort with cramping, diarrhea or constipation. The causes of IBS are unclear and there has been debate whether it is mostly due to psychological factors or biological triggers, or perhaps a combination. To investigate a possible connection with allergies, Tobin and her colleagues at Rush University Medical Center surveyed 125 patients: 39 were attending an allergy clinic, 36 were attending a gastroenterology clinic, and the remaining 50 were being seen at a general medicine clinic. IBS was present in 44 percent of the patients attending the allergy clinic, similar to the rate among patients at the gastroenterology clinic (39 percent) and significantly greater than the 20 percent rate seen among general clinic attendees. Overall, patients reporting allergic conditions such as hay fever, eczema, and asthma were three times more likely than other patients to have IBS, the investigators report in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Given these findings, the researchers suggest that patients who have typical IBS symptoms plus signs of allergies should be considered as a separate subgroup of IBS patients. Tobin added that "identifying the allergic triggers, both inhaled and ingested, as well as appropriate treatment of the allergies, can markedly improve the patient's quality of life by controlling the symptoms."

Fexofenadine hydrochloride, the active ingredient of ALLEGRA tablets and ALLEGRA Oral Suspension, is a histamine H1-receptor antagonist with the chemical name (±)-4-[1 hydroxy-4-[4-(hydroxydiph enylmethyl)- 1-piperidinyl]-butyl]-, -dimethyl benzeneacetic acid hydrochloride. It has the following chemical structure

The molecular weight is 538.13 and the empirical formula is C32H39NO4•HCl.

Fexofenadine hydrochloride is a white to off-white crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in methanol and ethanol, slightly soluble in chloroform and water, and insoluble in hexane. Fexofenadine hydrochloride is a racemate and exists as a zwitterion in aqueous media at physiological pH.

ALLEGRA is formulated as a tablet for oral administration. Each tablet contains 30, 60, or 180 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride (depending on the dosage strength) and the following excipients: croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and pregelatinized starch. The aqueous tablet film coating is made from hypromellose, iron oxide blends, polyethylene glycol, povidone, silicone dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

ALLEGRA Oral Suspension, a white uniform suspension, contains 6 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride per mL and the following excipients: propylene glycol, edetate disodium, propylparaben, butylparaben, xanthan gum, poloxamer 407, titanium dioxide, sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate, artificial raspberry cream flavor, sucrose, xylitol and purified water.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, putting off solid foods for the first few months of an infant's life may not lower the risk of childhood allergies and asthma, a new study suggests.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other groups recommend that parents delay introducing solid foods for 4 to 6 months to curb children's allergy risk.

However, the new findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, question the effectiveness of this strategy.

German researchers found that among the 2,073 children with complete records and 6-year follow-up, those who received no solid foods before 4 to 6 months of age did not have a lower risk of nasal allergies, asthma or sensitization to common food allergens.

"We found no evidence to recommend a delayed introduction of solids beyond 4 or 6 months for the prevention of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food or inhalant sensitization at the age of 6 years," write the researchers, led by Dr. Anne Zutavern of the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health in Neuherberg.

While the WHO, AAP and other groups recommend delaying the introduction of solid foods to prevent allergies, there has been "scarce" scientific evidence to back this up, according to Zutavern's team.

The one possible exception was the skin condition eczema. When the researchers looked only at children who'd had no skin or allergy symptoms in the first 6 months of life, those who'd had solid foods before 4 months of age were more likely to develop eczema later in life.

The researchers suggest that could be because parents who noticed skin or allergy symptoms early in their baby's life may have been more careful to delay solid foods.

The possibility that delaying solid foods helps lower a child's eczema risk "cannot be excluded," the researchers write.

The findings do not mean, however, that parents should ignore advice on delaying solid foods.

Parents can still follow the recommendations of the WHO, AAP and others, but without expecting "any strong benefit" on allergy risk, Dr. Joachim Heinrich, the senior researcher on the study, told Reuters Health. Heinrich is located at the Ludwig-Maximillians Universitat in Munich.

There are other reasons to avoid solid foods in a baby's early months. Infants need to be developed enough to chew and properly swallow solid foods, for example, and many experts recommend that, for overall health and development, babies should ideally be breast-fed exclusively for the first 6 months.