Comparative Effects of Zinc Sulfate and Hydroxyzine in Decreasing Pruritus among Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-over Clinical Trial

Background and purpose: Uremic pruritus is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease, for which different treatments are applied. This study aimed to compare the effects of Zinc sulfate with Hydroxyzine in reducing pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Materials and methods: In this cross over randomized trial, 100 hemodialysis patients with uremic pruritus who met the study inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The first group was treated with Zinc sulfate and the second group received Hydroxyzine for three mounts. After two weeks washout period, the treatment regimens were swapped. The severity of pruritus in patients was evaluated before, one, two, and three months after the interventions using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: The study showed that the severity of itching caused by Zinc sulfate and Hydroxyzine were similar at the onset of treatment (8.2±2.1 vs. 7.9±2.3), but at month three, the severity of pruritus in the group that received Zinc sulfate (3.7±2.4) was significantly lower compared to the other group (5.6±2.9) (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Zinc sulfate compared was found to be more effective in reducing pruritus in hemodialysis patients and it can be used as an independent treatment in management of pruritus, however, for better results at least a three month treatment period is recommended.   (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT201411252954N5)