ABSTRACT
Naturally occurring plant alkaloids such as theophylline, caffeine, and theobromine, a constituent of chocolate, have been used to treat airway obstruction since the middle of the nineteenth century. Caffeine in the form of strong coffee or tea was used as a remedy for asthma until the early 1900s, when theophylline was first used. Widespread use of theophylline did not occur until the mid-1930s, but it soon became and remained a cornerstone in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) until only recently.With the increasing use of inhaled steroids and long-acting h-agonists in asthma, and anticholinergics and long-acting h-agonists in COPD, the use of theophylline is decreasing in industrialized countries. However, this drug remains one of the most frequently prescribed asthma medications in the world [1,2].
