Antihistamines for Allergies
From Web MD
Treating allergies can involve different
medications, including steroids and allergy shots, but usually the first thing
to try is an antihistamine.
How Antihistamines Treat Allergies
When your body comes into contact with whatever
your allergic trigger is -- pollen, ragweed, pet dander, dust mites, for example
-- it makes chemicals called histamines. They cause the tissue in your
nose to swell (making it stuffy), your nose and eyes to run, and your eyes to
itch. Sometimes you may also get an itchy rash on your skin, called hives.
Antihistamines reduce or block histamines, so
they stop allergy symptoms.
Antihistamines work well to relieve symptoms of
different types of allergies, including seasonal (hay fever), indoor, and food
allergies, but they can't relieve every symptom. To treat nasal congestion,
your doctor may recommend taking a decongestant. Some drugs combine an
antihistamine and decongestant.
What Types of Antihistamines Are Available?
Antihistamines come in different forms,
including tablets, capsules, liquids, nasal sprays, and eyedrops. Some are only
available by prescription. Others you can buy over the counter (OTC) at your
local pharmacy.
Examples of prescription antihistamines include:
·
Astelin, Astepro
(azelastine) nasal sprays
·
Atarax, Vistaril
(hydroxyzine)
·
Clarinex (desloratadine)
·
Cyproheptadine (generic
only)
·
Emadine (emadastine)
eyedrops
·
Livostin (levocabastine)
eyedrops
·
Optivar (azelastine)
eyedrops
·
Palgic (carbinoxamine)
·
Xyzal (levocetirizine)
Examples of OTC antihistamines:
·
Allegra (fexofenadine)
·
Benadryl
(diphenhydramine)
·
Dimetane
(brompheniramine)
·
Claritin, Alavert
(loratadine)
·
Tavist (clemastine)
·
Chlor-Trimeton
(chlorpheniramine)
·
Zyrtec (certirizine)
Eyedrops likes Emadine and Livostin treat
symptoms of eye allergies, including itchy, watery eyes. Some medications, like
Allegra-D, Claritin-D, and Zyrtec-D, combine an antihistamine and a
decongestant to relieve congestion.
Side Effects of Antihistamines
Antihistamines can cause side effects, and some
cause more side effects than others. Drugs such as Benadryl, Chlor-Trimeton,
and Tavist and belong to an older group known as "first-generation"
antihistamines. They tend to cause more side effects, particularly drowsiness.
Newer-generation antihistamines such as Allegra,
Clarinex, and Zyrtec and have fewer side effects, so they may be a better
choice for some people.
Some of the main side effects of antihistamines
include:
·
Dry mouth
·
Drowsiness
·
Dizziness
·
Nausea and vomiting
·
Restlessness or
moodiness (in some children)
·
Trouble urinating or not
being able to urinate
·
Blurred vision
·
Confusion
If you're taking an antihistamine that causes
drowsiness, try to take it before bedtime. Don’t take it during the day before
driving or operating heavy machinery.
Read the label before you take an allergy drug.
Antihistamines may interact with other medications you are taking.
Talk to your doctor first if you have an
enlarged prostate, heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, kidney
or liver disease, a bladder obstruction, or glaucoma. Also check with your
doctor if you are pregnant or nursing.
The entire WebMD link on the subject can be found at:
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/antihistamines-for-allergies
Poster's comments:
Decades ago a pet
dog swelled up from a shot, and the vet recommended trying anti-histamine (Benadryl
OTC (over the counter, i.e., non-prescription))...and it worked. The dose was
weight based.
Benadryl does
reduce the insect bite itches, for me.
Benadryl will
make a lot of people "sleepy", including me.
Antihistamines
have also been used with great success in the treatment of Brown Recluse (genus Loxosceles) spider bites as well as other insect bites that cause necrosis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrosis). I have no experience
with this use.
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