Tag Archives: Histamine antagonist

lynnawiensmd 4:09 pm on December 14, 2011
Tags: , , , , , Histamine antagonist, , The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology   

Allergic to Antihistamines—really!

 

This is from Gary Stadtmauer, MD’s blog. 

How many times have we heard patients say they are “allergic” to drugs like antihistamines and corticosteroids?  Hypersenstivities to medications used to treat allergic diseases are fortunately uncommon. 

This is Dr. Stadtmauer’s experience with “allergy” to Benadryl….check the references below–it’s legit! 

“I have seen a couple of cases of drug exanthem from antihistamines but never immediate hypersensitivity…until now.  I recently saw a young woman who has had recurrent urticaria/angioedema of immediate onset due to Benadryl.  She had no associated symptoms.  Scratch testing to Benadryl 5mg/ml was negative but ID was positive at 0.5 mg/ml (W/F of 4/10) and 5 mg/ml (W/F o 5/10).  See image below.

One could question whether this is an IgE-mediated event.  Perhaps it is or perhaps in the occasional patient the antihistamine acts as an agonist, binding to the receptor instead of blocking it thereby triggering histamine release.  Anaphylactic shock caused by a challenge with 12.5 mg oral diphenhydramine has been reported and the authors of this case suggest the mechanism was IgE-mediated.

. Benadryl Skin TestSo what?  Never say never when a patient comes in with a bizarre drug allergy or states that are allergic to Benadryl….you might be surprised!

Citations re:  Antihistamine Allergy
1. Barranco P, López-Serrano MC, Moreno-Ancillo A. Anaphylactic
reaction due to diphenhydramine. Allergy. 1998; 53: 814.
2. Weidinger S, Mempel M, Ollert M, Elser I, Rakoski J, Köhn FM,
Ring J. Anaphylaxis to mizolastine. J Allergy Clin Immunol.
2004; 114:979-81.
3. Rodríguez del Río P, González-Gutierrez ML, Sánchez-López J,
Núñez-Acevedo B, Bartolomé Álvarez JM, Martínez-Cócera C.
Urticaria caused by antihistamines: report of 5 cases. J Investig
Allergol Clin Immunol. 2009; 19 (4): 317-20.
4. Gonzalo-Garijo MA, Jiménez-Ferrera G, Bobadilla-González P,
Cordobés-Durán C. Hypersensitivity reaction to mizolastine:
study of cross reactions. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2006;
16 (6): 391-3.
5. Demoly P, Messaad D, Benahmed S, Sahla H, Bousquet J.
Hypersensitivity to H1-antihistamines. Allergy. 2000; 55: 679-80.
6. Aberer W, Bircher A, Romano A, Blanca M, Campi P, Fernandez
J, Brockow K, Pichler WJ, Demoly P for EDNA and the EAACI
interest group on drug hypersentitivity. Drug provocation
testing in the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity reactions:
general considerations. Allergy. 2003; 58: 854-63.

#allergies, #allergy, #anaphylaxis, #benadryl, #drug-allergy-2, #histamine-antagonist, #immunoglobulin-e, #the-journal-of-allergy-and-clinical-immunology

lynnawiensmd 9:12 am on November 9, 2011
Tags: , , , , Boston, Histamine antagonist, ,   

What do docs really do?

Most patients never know what doctors do when they’re NOT in the office.  One of those activities is attending national meetings in our chosen specialty.  For me, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology is a yearly highlight.  You ask why?  Who wouldn’t want to see a distinguished doctor dress up and discuss hives?  Seriously, the ACAAI in Boston was a great opportunity to network and stay up to date on changing treatments for allergy & asthma!  It’s posted here.

Attendees of the ACAAI Annual Meeting voted Dr. David Khan winner of “The Great Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Raft

What we do at Allergy meetings!

Debate: After Antihistamines, What’s Best for Next In-Line Treatment” based on his discussion of Hydroxychloroquine/dapsone.

#allergy, #american-college-of-allergy, #american-college-of-allergy-asthma-immunology, #asthma, #boston, #histamine-antagonist, #immunology, #united-states