Treatment of atopic bronchial asthma with medium doses of theophylline

Drug therapy of bronchial asthma currently remains the most effective and affordable method of treatment. The main medications are sympathomimetics and adrenolin-like substances, intal, steroids and methylxanthines. Methylxanthine derivatives, particularly theophylline, as bronchodilators have been known since 1924. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the clinical pharmacology of the drug. The effectiveness of theophylline is largely due to the use of very high doses of the drug, bordering on toxic. A pronounced therapeutic effect occurs when the concentration of theophylline in the patient's blood reaches 10-12 µg/ml. Severe complications in the form of arrhythmia, respiratory arrest, gastric bleeding occur at a concentration of 15-20 µg/ml.