Antihistamines - How the Other Half Live

[clovehitched]

Inspired by a post I saw elsewhere today where someone asked advice for itchy insect bites and people were suggesting all sorts of things to rub on them, but it was ages before the first person suggested antihistamines.

It reminded me of an incident a few years ago when I was at Boots, picking up a prescription. A lady came in and asked the pharmacist about some rash she had, and said that her GP had suggested antihistamines. "What do antihistamines do? I've never taken them before and I don't know anything about them".

I am boggled by both of these. Antihistamines are a fact of my life. I take an H2 receptor antagonist antihistamine daily, an H1 receptor antagonist antihistamine most days, inhaled steroids and nasal steroids daily, a nasal neurotransmitter receptor antagonist (it blocks mucus production) daily, and carry a Ventolin inhaler.

Thus when I get an insect bite, or insect bites, they are never more than the most temporary of irritations - the antihistamines take care of them as a side effect of the reason I take them - to try and control my ever present rhinitis and post nasal drip due to being allergic to dust mites, grass pollen, most mammals and $DEITY knows what else.

Sylvia has allergies too and not routinely having antihistamines in the house (in addition to the ones I get on prescription) would be akin to not having painkillers in. I sometimes forget that there are large numbers of people who don't experience routine allergic reactions to things, who seldom or even never take antihistamines, who don't keep a box in their car, or carry them in their handbag (don't even mention the spare nasal spray and inhaler that live in there).

The rest of us ... we just get to rattle when running up stairs!

Also posted at http://auntysarah.dreamwidth.org/244339.html - you can comment here or there.

Comments

[theapink.livejournal.com]

I think it was me who first suggested antihistamines in that thread. Although I don't need to take them routinely I ALWAYS have them available as I get very nasty reactions to insect bites.

[auntysarah.livejournal.com]

They're really useful drugs, aren't they? Even for people without allergies, I reckon they're handy to have around.

[alicephilippa.livejournal.com]

Immensely useful. I always have a strip on me¹ and take them everyday to help with the mild allergic reactions I get to some foodstuffs. As a result the only insect bites that bother me seem to be horsefly ones.

The only time I'm not taking them is when I have to take betahistine when I have a dose of labyrinthitis.

¹except when they are in a bag I've left in Left Luggage at KGX.

[naath.livejournal.com]

I don't tend to have them around (or indeed to ever take them) I think this is because I am ludicrously lucky where such things are concerned (I have very little reaction to such things as insect bites and nettle stings).

I wouldn't be without a supply of pain killers though (even if I don't take them often).