Introduction: We are reporting on our experience with a case involving chronic diarrhea that had been continuing for 14 years following anticancer treatment, in which diarrhea and the nutritional status of the patient were unintentionally improved by administered antihistamine. Subject: A 48-year-old female. Fourteen years ago, surgery, chemotherapy, and total pelvic radiotherapy were carried out for cervical cancer, immediately after which diarrhea continued. A laparotomy was performed 11 years ago for Ileus, and radiation enterocolitis was diagnosed upon pathological examination 8 years ago. One month ago, she experienced swelling of the lower limbs after acute cellulitis and visited our outpatient palliative care. Leaking edema due to low nutrition remained following the remission of lymphedema. Ten days prior to re-examination, a maximum dosage of 20 mg/day of olopatadine was prescribed by another department against urticaria, and at the same time, remission of her diarrhea was observed. Oral administration of folic acid and vitamin was completed by continuing small doses, leading to a rise in CK and disappearance of the edema. Discussion: It may be believed that chronic diarrhea was relieved by olopatadine administered for another purpose due to the inhibitory action of 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor, which is a subfamily of serotinin having histamine 1 inhibitory action and the action to increase the bowel movements.

We implemented a questionnaire survey targeting mothers who are in child care and had participated in consultations regarding drugs and diseases. We examined the future roles of community pharmacists by exploring the mothers’ concerns and, anxieties about child cares and their backgrounds, and their expectations for profession of community pharmacist. Mothers have listed anxiety and concerns of child care about “dermatitis such as rash and atopic eczema”; “food allergies”; “infectious diseases such as measles, chicken pox, and mumps”; and “side effects of vaccination”. In addition, most of them indicated their own concerns and anxiety about “solutions to children’s illnesses.” Despite their anxieties and concerns, however, approximately 60% of the mothers have never consulted with community pharmacists. Among them, approximately a half of them indicated the following three reasons why they have never consulted with pharmacists: “I have nothing to talk about,”, “I do not know what I should talk about,”, and “I was not sure if it was alright to talk about my concerns.”. From these results, we concluded that community pharmacists in the future should improve their communication skills and inform their availability to consult about medicine and disease to local residents.