A follow-up study comprising 51 patients with chronic intrinsic
asthma requiring regular daily peroral bronchodilating drugs and
isoprinaline aerosol is presented. Forty-three of the patients required long-term
steroid therapy as well. Patients were controlled regularly both before and during peroral treatment with
terbutaline. The study was concluded after continuous
terbutaline therapy for an average period of 32 months. A subjective improvement was seen in 46 patients. Out of 43 patients requiring long-term
steroid treatment, 24 were able to decrease their daily dose of
prednisolone and four patients could discontinue
steroid therapy. Thirty-five patients decreased their
isoprenaline aerosol use and four abandoned the
aerosol completely. The need for hospital care was reduced by two-thirds and the total sick leave from work was decreased by two-thirds. In order to test how the bronchi responded after continuous use of
terbutaline, spirometry was carried out before and after a
subcutaneous injection of
terbutaline at the end of the study. No indication of resistance to the
drug was found.
Tremor occurred occasionally in 16 patients. No toxic effects of the
drug have been found.