Background: Pruritus is the most distressing symptom in hemodialysis patients. Its etiology has not yet been delineated thus, there are no good therapeutic options. Serotonin has been reported to be a mediator of uremic pruritus while ondansetron is a potent and selective inhibitor of 5-HT3 receptors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ondansetron on uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients.

Materials and Methods: In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, 70 patients undergoing hemodialysis with moderate and severe itching were enrolled. They were randomly divided into two groups: one group received ondansetron 8 mg three times daily and the other group was given loratadine 10 mg two times a day for 2 weeks. Pruritus scores were recorded by the patients and the mean scores were compared before and after intervention.

Results: Changes in VAS scores after treatment with ondansetron and loratadin were both significant (p=0.001), but the difference between ondansetron and loratadin was not significant (p=0.8).

Conclusion: The results showed that ondansetron was as effective as loratadin in controlling renal itch.