Contemporary antihistamines are less likely to produce anticholinergic side effects than older allergy medications (like Benadryl), but it’s not impossible, says Shih - especially if you’re taking more than one anticholinergic medication at a time. Alcohol, too, can augment an antihistamine’s side effects.Īntihistamines also fall under a class of drugs known as anticholinergics (a substance that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous system), alongside a number of antidepressants as well as certain medications meant to treat Parkinson’s disease and bladder and urinary conditions. “If you mix with other medication, it can certainly have greater side effects,” says Shih. As a result, many people (me included) fail to list their antihistamine among medications on doctor’s forms, or to tell an urgent-care doctor they’re taking it, and that creates the risk of additive effects when other medications are prescribed. “When you’re on these medicines for such a long period of time, sometimes patients tend to forget they’re on it,” says Shih. If you’re someone for whom the benefits of regular antihistamine use far outweighs the occasional minor side effect, longterm use is safe for most adults and children, he adds.Īll that said: over-the-counter medication is still medication, and should be treated accordingly. “The most common side effects you tend to see are fatigue, headaches, and dry mouth,” says Shih. Many people do still experience some form of minor side effect with over the counter antihistamines. Newer allergy medications are also more effective at targeting the respiratory system, thus leaving the central nervous system and brain alone - for the most part. For one, unlike what Shih calls “first generation” allergy medications, like Benadryl, new generation products like Claritin have fewer of the more potentially severe side effects, like sedation. Because antihistamines like Claritin and Zyrtec are now available over the counter, we can trust that they’re generally safe for longterm use, says Shih. Is that … bad?Īccording to David Shih, EVP of strategy and former chief medical officer at CityMD, I am probably fine. The other morning, as I thoughtlessly swallowed a Walmart-brand antihistamine from one of several bottles I keep on hand, it occurred to me that I’ve been taking some form of allergy medication nearly every day for as long as I can remember. The only reprieve comes in the dead of winter, when I might have a cold instead. Sure, it’s worst in spring, but then there’s grass to contend with, and later, ragweed, and dust all throughout. When I look back on the last 20 years of my life, I am hard-pressed to think of any substantial period of time in which I was not suffering from one allergy or another. My eyes have been itchy for at least two months. Pollen season is in full swing, and I have been sneezing for three weeks straight.
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