A CLOFIBRATE FEVER CONFIRMED BY RECHAllENGE

A 59-year-old woman was given clofibrate for hyperlipidaemia, and presented a month later with malaise and elevated temperature, following 5 episodes of chest pain responsive to glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin). Her daily medication on presentation included propranolol80mg qid, isosorbide dinitrate 20mg qid, clofibrate 500mg qid, 'Colbenemid' (O.5mg colchicine plus 0.5g probenecid) each morning, and sublingual glyceryl trinitrate O.6mg as needed. Clofibrate and 'Colbenemid' were stopped and the woman became afebrile within 2 days. 'Colbenemid' was restarted without complication, but when clofibrate was added 2 weeks later in a controlled challenge the woman's temperature became elevated within 2 days. She became afebrile within 2 days of stopping clofibrate. Two previous cases are known to the manufacturer. Beckner, R.R. etal .: New England Journal of Medicine 301 : 1345 (\3 Dec 1979)

4 INPHARMA 12Jan 1980 0156-2703/ 80/ 0112-0004 $00.50/ 0 ©ADIS Press