Antihistamine

Question: Antihistamine comes in gelatin capsules; What should I do? So my mom bought the caplets of antihistamine instead of the tablets. They were already open so I can't return them, and I don't like consuming gelatin but my allergies get really bad. I have taken to opening them and putting them on bread or something, but it is REALLY bitter and gross. I can't buy new pills until these are gone, and my mom would think buying vegan capsules is gross. Help? Any way to consume it without the gelatin? It's just plain GROSS it is dead animal, and I don't want it in my body!

Answer: I agree with Smedrik. In today's' society, one can not live 100% vegan, unless he completely cuts himself from society. When my now two-year-old daughter was fifteen or sixteen months old, I had a cold. I bought cold medicine with gelcaps without thinking. My concern was not of the gelcaps, but if the medication would get in to my breastmilk and effect my daughter. Because of my concern for my daughter's well-being, and not of the gelatin, I did not take the medication.

Question: What is the best antihistamine to take for spring allergies? I'm in need of a good antihistamine to take for my awful spring allergies. The dandelions outnumber all of the people in my town for goodness sake. What's the most effective antihistamine? Thanks =]

Answer: Claritin • non drowsy• it's an over the counter ask mom or dad to get it for you because you need a licence to get it. You can get it at any pharmacy.

Question: What is the best antihistamine for Golden Retrievers? Both of my Goldens have seasonal allergies. The oldest (almost 10 yrs old) and a male, has a "hot spot". chews on this till his hair is out there and it gets red & raw. He is now wearing a doggie collar to keep him from chewing on the scab. My other dog, a female (4yrs old) is scratching herself alot. Claritan worked for her, but my daughter wanted me to ask if any of you have a better OTC suggestions for an antihistamine. We do have an appointment at the vet next week for heartworm shots. But until then...we have to make them both comfortable.

Answer: My vet recommends Benadryl, but I'd check before you give your dog any. It does seem to work well for my dog. The vet can also give him an allergy shot.

Question: Tylenol has a sinus medicine with a decongestant and a antihistamine to dry up a runny nose? I don't understand how that works. If the decongestant unplugs, does the antihistamine just dry it up? If not where does it go?

Answer: yes, antihistamine dries up the mucous..

Question: An antihistamine counters the effects of a histamine. What are the effects of a histamine? An antihistamine counters the effects of a histamine. What are the effects of a histamine? A. Capillary dilation increases blood flow and causes surface redness. B. Increased blood flow and permeability increase the fluids in the tissues, causing them to swell. C. Increased blood flow brings more warmth to the area causing a local "fever" which helps white bloods cells and suppresses microbes. D. Increased blood flow brings more white blood cells to the site of injury or invasion. E. All of the above are correct

Answer: E. All of the above are correct That is urticaria (hives).

Question: What happens if you use an ophthalmic antihistamine and don't have allergic conjunctivitis at the moment? Using an antihistamine eye drop when you either aren't suffering from eye allergies or only minimal symptoms at the moment but have recently. Is it harmful to your eyes?

Answer: No, but it will help prevent allergy issues from starting for the duration of the medicine's efficacy. Ideally, you should actually take the drops before you are exposed to the allergens that will cause an issue, to be most effective.

Question: Can a pregnant woman take Benadryl/antihistamine to treat an allergic reaction or help allergy induced asthma? If she is already taking inhaled steroid inhalers, regular inhalers, etc., is there anything else a pregnant woman can take to help allergic asthma and allergic reactions in serious cases? Can she take a small dose of an antihistamine such as Benadryl to help her get relief from symptoms?

Answer: Yes, both my midwife and OB said it was okay. Well along with the paramedics when I had an allergic reaction. >.< I have horrible asthma and used my inhaler only when necessary, probably 10-15 times total my entire pregnancy, same with benedryl. I found vicks and a humidifier REALLY helped, especcially in the third trimester, and that way she doesn't have to take medicine. You can talk to your midwife/OB, but they will probably tell you to weigh the risks/benefits. I know for me, the baby needs oxygen, and when I start to go into anaphlaxes I need to take benedryl.

Question: What kind of antihistamine should I use? I recently moved from Northern New Jersey to Northwestern Louisiana. Since moving, I have a really rough, violent cough when it doesn't rain enough. This leads to a lot of sinus pressure, headaches, bad congestion, and dizziness. I think this is allergy related, since when I take Benedryl I feel better, but I fall asleep soon after. What antihistamine would be the best kind to use in this part of the country? I don't have insurance at the moment, so getting to a doctor for a prescription is difficult.

Answer: probably you need to go the drug store with some paper and pencil - look on the back of all the anti-histamine bottles and write down the ingredients. you'll soon find that there's only 3 or 4 different ingredients in ALL of them - they just make them in different colors and amounts and brands and prices. These are all you can get OTC - so you can just get the cheapest type of each pill - they'll have store brands - and take each for a week or so. See which one helps the most. Sometimes with sever symptoms, you can try doubling the dosage on the package and see if that doesn't help. no insurance means that YOU'RE the doctor now. You have to use your head.

Question: Can a antihistamine medication cause dizziness or lightheaded? I struggle with seasonal allergies. I have tried multiple medications, like chlorotab which is an antihistamine and nose sprays prescribed by doctor. It seems as these medications have caused me to feel light headed during the day or a dizzy feeling preventing me from focusing at work. Has anyone ever heard of this before and can you suggest an alternative medication?

Answer: Try drinking mangosteen juice. It helps with my son's allergies, and being a fruit juice there are no side effects.

Question: Where can I buy antihistamine without lactose in it? I am severely allergic to lactose. Where (in the UK) can I buy antihistamine tablets that don't contain lactose?

Answer: ask your pharmacist(chemist).

Question: Antihistamine that works better or just as good as benadryl? I like how benadryl really works with allergies but I dont like how it makes my skin and mouth dry and it can be constipating. Is there another good antihistamine that works as well or even better then benadryl? Claritin and aerius dont work.

Answer: Hi, You could try: 1. ZYRTEC. (zyrtec is made out of HYDROXAZINE which is VERY close to benedryl......how ever, it is chemically altered to make it last longer, which makes it a little different.....with me, it DID make me feel VERY FATIGUED....like I got run over by a truck....FATIGUED, but yet, not ready to fall asleep......however, I could function WELL on 2 benedryl every few hours....). (I do totally understand the dry mouth effect you are referring to with the benedryl--I am on a few meds that cause that---and when my allergies are BAD---I take multiple meds....and get cotton mouth when stressed.....NOT FUN!!---lol). 2. Allegra---this is also a true antihistamine like benedryl---can not tell you how well it works personally--as I had an allergic reaction to it (pretty rare) right after taking it..... 3. Tavist--my sister recommends this one---it is over the counter now I believe....(again, I have never taken it....but she says it works well). 4. Chlorpheniramine---this is one I have given my husband who is sensitive to a few allergy meds. It MAY be sedating, and my husband found it worked well in a 1/2 dose for him.......when the allergies were not bad. The "LORATIDINE" that was mentioned....is the SAME THING as CLARITIN. Also known as ALAVERT. Since CLARITIN did not work for you, there is very little chance that CLARINEX will work well....but, it IS an option to try. Another option.....since you want an ANTIHISTAMINE, not an leukotriene inhibitor 2 totally different things (like SINGULAIR or ACCOLATE) .....would be a MAST CELL STABILIZER. A MAST CELL STABILIZER actually works to PREVENT the HISTAMINE from being RELEASED in the FIRST PLACE---which helps DECREASE the allergic reaction A LOT!! You can buy NASAL CROM over the counter---or order it from cvs.com if it is not in your area---cvs even has a generic version of it which works just as well----it is a nasal spray which you spray ONE time up EACH nostril a few times a day---up to 6 times a day during the WORST of the time or when you are first starting--but, do not do it for more than 2 weeks at the max dose---then, you decrease it to 4 times a day to as low as "just before you will be exposed to an allergen/right after exposure"......I even found this helped my "exercised induced asthma" and my asthma that was sensitive to Chlorinated pool water....... Singulair and Accolate MAY help....but, they will not stop the histamine---only the leukotrienes...(this is related to the white blood cells and what happens during an allergic reaction---you actually do more than JUST release histamine....). Well, I think this is mostly all I can recommend since I really do not know what your allergy symptoms are or what kind of allergies you have (trees/pets/food/ect). Another option would be to see your doctor---however, just to forwarn you---alot of the allergists/ENT's always seem to want to push the FANCIEST NEWEST medicine out that week---no matter what the cost or if you already TRIED it in a different version--or at least the ones I have been to it seems.......(my primary care doctor is NOT like that though---not at ALL!!) Good luck to you, and if you do go see an allergist, just let them know WHAT you have tried and what you are LOOKING for in an allergy medicine....so you don't just wind up with the same version of what you have already tried but in a different route---(ie--nasal spray vs oral tablet).

Question: Can I give my baby an antihistamine and ibuprofen? My daughter 11 months old and not sleeping. I thought it was teething pain and gave her ibuprofen, but it is now clear that it is because her nose is stuffed up. I tried nose drops and other things, but she just can't breath. Can I give her an antihistamine even though I already gave her ibuprofen?

Answer: Have you tried a small amount of Olbas oil? That unstuffs your nose at night...though not sure how old you should be to have it you'd have to read a bottle before buying.

Question: Is taking antihistamine everyday bad for you in the long term? My son already has hayfever aged 18 months and I have been given an antihistamine to give him. I worried about hi taking this potentially for years and whether this could have any negative effect on his body/allergic responses/immune system longer term.

Answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT. I have taken antihistamines all my life (40+ years), and I know many other people with the same medical problems I have who are also on them long-term. Most of us are prescribed off-label dosing, which is higher than is used for allergies (often double or more), and in combination with other antihistamines as well as leukotriene blockers, mast cell stabilizers, and other 'allergy' meds. And there are no known long term effects from this. None of the thousands of other chronic hive sufferers I've dealt with have ever had problems because of their meds. Antihistamines are not addicting. In a few people, for some reason some antihistamines can lose their effectiveness over time, but that is fixed simply by switching to a different antihistamine. Since there have been problems in the past with non-drowsy formulations of antihistamine (namely Seldane and Hismanal), I personally prefer to use the older antihistamines such as Atarax and Benadryl. Of the newer ones, Zyrtec has a great track record. Plus antihistamines are a much better alternative in the long run to controlling symptoms than corticosteroids, which some people need to control symptoms. Steroids have a lot of bad long term side effects, ranging from osteoporosis to glaucoma. Not a drug to be taken lightly, but very helpful when a patient really needs it. More of a concern, really, is the long term effect of the chemicals produced during the allergic response by the body. Allergy symptoms are generally caused by a chemical called histamine, which is just one of several chemicals released by mast cells. When something - an allergen in this case - triggers a mast cell to "degranulate" (release its load of chemicals), it releases not only histamine, but leukotrienes, heparin, and proteases, to name a few. When one mast cell fires off, it signals the other mast cells to fire off, so you have bunches of them releasing all these chemicals at once... And some of those chemicals attract other cells of the immune system, such as basophils, to join the party. Here's what those mast cell chemicals are and what they do: Histamine: vasodilatation, erythema, edema, pruritus, urticaria, bronchoconstriction, increased gastric acid, intestinal cramping, further degranulation of mast cells, leukocyte activation Heparin: osteoporosis, inhibition of localized clotting; rarely, prolonged partial thromboplastin time Tryptase: Inhibition of coagulation locally, bronchoconstriction, osteoporosis Chymase: Inhibition of coagulation locally, activation of mast cells, blistering (possibly) Cathepsin G and carboxypeptidase: Kinin generation, hepatic fibrosis (possibly) Acid hydrolases: bone lesions, osteoporosis Leukotrienes: Bronchoconstriction, increased vascular permeability and contractility Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2): Pruritus, pain, rhinorrhea, hypotension, flushing, osteoporosis Platelet-activating factor: Wheal and flare, pain, pruritus Tumor necrosis factor: Recruitment of inflammatory cells Interleukins: Chemoattractant for neutrophils (from http://www.aafp.org/afp/990600ap/3047.ht…

Question: Can taking the otc medication Chlorpheniramine maleate (Antihistamine) make you sweaty at times? I have been taking the Antihistamine Chlorpheniramine maleate for 4 days because of a sinus headache and all of a sudden I will start getting really hot and sometimes lightly perspire. Is this to be expected from Chlorpheniramine maleate? Thanks.

Answer: Hey, look on the packing it came in, or if you dont have that, look on the bottle, if its in one. It might tell you. i looked it up and got this in the info for side effects.... "Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Chlorpheniramine can decrease perspiration and you may be more prone to heat stroke." So uh, you should stop taking it, my friend. Take a different kind. Also, you may want to see your doctor and ask about it.

Question: Why is the antihistamine pyrilamine maleate an ingredient in Midol and Pamprin? Just wondering if anyone knows why they would put an antihistamine in drugs for period cramps???

Answer: Its a pain killer ingredient.

Question: Is it ok to take a sudafed tablet a few hours after an antihistamine? I have a blocked nose you see - will it affect the performance of the antihistamine? Sorry this is about the 5th question i have aasked today about antihistamines ?! But would it affect the performance of the antihistamine WWD?

Answer: These days, who knows? Once upon a time Sudafed tablets contained pseudoephedrine, exactly that, and nothing else. These days, Sudafed isn't a drug, it's a brand name. Read the ingredients and see what you really took. Pseudoephedrine is combined with one antihistamine or another in lots of different combination pills, so what you're proposing may very well be available in a combination pill already. The rational way to respond to drug companies' changing from brand name of a drug (Tylenol comes to mind) to branding (Tylenol this and Tylenol that are an assortment of different drugs with God-only-knows what ingredients) is never to buy brand names. Learn the generic name of drugs and buy the ingredient you want. It's lots safer that way.

Question: Is it possible to get an allergy to allergy / antihistamine pills? I've been taking antihistamine pills for sinus problems (which if you live in Tennessee, you get all the time), but I've been really itchy lately, and it seems like it may be antihistamine pills that are giving me an allergic reaction. Is it possible to be allergic to those? And, if so, what can you take instead?

Answer: Yes it's actually pretty common with some antihistamines...just ask your doctor if they can prescribe you a different kind. There is not just one kind, and you probably wont be sensitive/allergic to every kind. If you feel short of breath or you break out in hives Go To A Hospital...that can be a serious allergic reaction. I hope I helped..and I hope you feel better.

Question: How long does an Antihistamine stay in your system? how long does a Antihistamine stay in your system before they are COMPLETELY out of your system? IS there anyway to help it along? About nine months ago I started taking benadryl for allergies, taking about 6 to 8 a day.. as well as taking tylenol pm at night (usually 4 a night) I wasnt aware that the pm in tylenol is the same thing as benadryl.. now im aware that I was taking WAY too much diphenhydramine (benadryl). So since ive been taking too much and for so long.. how long do you think it would take to flush it out? Should i drink a lot of water? any other suggestions?

Answer: 1. a few hours, usually, but it depends on how much you take and what you take 2. lots of water or some exercise, but the water works best

Question: is antihistamine can affect the effectiveness of BCP? i currently taking a birth control pills but i got an allergy this morning from the food i ate and im planning to take antihistamine ,do you think it can affect to the effectiveness of my BCP? is there anyone who can tell me should i take or not?

Answer: Call your doctor or consider altrenate methods before taking antihistamines.. good idea to ask before taking them.. i cant take antihistamines with my seizure medicine..

Question: When skin eruptions occur, when does it NOT make sense to use an antihistamine? When skin eruptions occur, when does it NOT make sense to use an antihistamine?

Answer: when they don't itch and are not due to allergic effect...