Dialysability of dimethindene maleate (Fenistil) from blood after intravenous injection

Dimethindene, an antihistaminic drug, is the treatment of choice in dialysis patients suffering from skin itching. During hemodialysis procedures not only toxic metabolites, but also drugs are extracted from plasma. To answer the question if dimethindene is dialyzable from plasma, three healthy male volunteers received 4 mg of dimethindene solution intravenously. Ten minutes later 100 ml cubital vein blood was taken and 25,000 I.E. Liquemine was added. Plasma was separated and pumped through a cuprophan hollow fiber dialyzing module with an effective surface of 35 cm2. In periods of ten minutes samples of plasma and dialysate were taken to analyze their dimetindene concentrations. A mean clearance of 38 ml/min*m2, SD 10.2 and coefficient of variation [%] 26.8 was found. This is comparable to the well known clearance of theophylline, so it can be considered that dimethindene is eliminated from plasma during hemodialysis procedures.