Index
It is an antihistamine derived from Histamine.
It is an inflammatory biochemical that causes reddening of the skin, swelling, pain, increased heart rate and drop in blood pressure when it binds to one of the many H1 receptors throughout the body.
Histamine is an important mediator of allergy in humans, therefore, a spectacular variety of different antihistamines has proliferated.
Before using Hydroxyzine
When deciding to use a medication, the risks of taking the medication must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision that you and your doctor will make.
For lithium, the following should be considered:
- Allergies: Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic or unusual reaction to antihistamines. Also inform your health professional if you are allergic to other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.
- Diet: Make sure your healthcare professional knows if you are low in sodium, low in sugar, or on any other special diet. Most medications contain more than their active ingredient, and many liquid medications contain alcohol.
- Pregnancy: There have not been enough studies in humans to determine the safety of Metoclopramide during pregnancy. However, Metoclopramide has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.
- Breastfeeding: Small amounts of antihistamines pass into breast milk. Its use is not recommended since babies are more susceptible to the side effects of antihistamines, such as unusual excitement or irritability.
- Children: Serious side effects, such as seizures (convulsions), are more likely to occur in younger patients and would be at higher risk for babies than for older children or adults.
- Older adults: Elderly patients are generally more sensitive to the effects of antihistamines. Confusion; difficult or painful urination; dizziness; drowsiness; fainting; or dry mouth, nose or throat may be more likely to occur in elderly patients.
How is this medication used?
Hydroxyzine since it is an antihistamine and is used in acute inflammatory and allergic conditions, such as:
- Vaccination reactions.
- Blood transfusion reactions.
- Bee stings and insect bites.
- Control the itching on the skin.
In the past, antihistamines have been widely used in the treatment of itching and allergy, but recent work has not been able to demonstrate a clear positive effect of antihistamines directly, either for outbreaks of acute allergy or in long-term management of the itch.
Antihistamines seem to be best used at the same time as corticosteroids (such as Prednisone) to allow a lower dose of it to be as effective as a higher dose.
Hydroxyzine has an anti-nausea side effect that helps to treat dizziness, it also causes drowsiness in animals, just like in people and can be used as a mild tranquilizer.
Hydroxyzine is a member of the Piperazine class of antihistamines.
When different antihistamines are tested and one seems ineffective, it is considered that the subsequent choice must be of a different kind to avoid the probability of another failure.
Side effects
With so many possible uses of this medication, it is difficult to separate a side effect from a primary one. Drowsiness is generally considered an undesirable side effect.
At doses above the recommended dose, patients complain of dry mouth and experience difficulty urinating.
It can be seen that animal patients who experience dry mouth drink more water.
Due to the difficulty with side effects of urination, this medication and others with similar side effects should be avoided in patients with tumors of the bladder neck (such as transitional cell carcinoma) or with enlarged prostate.
Fine tremors and even seizures have been reported in dogs taking this medication.
Interactions of Hydroxyzine with other drugs
In the treatment of allergic skin disease, it is believed that antihistamines are combined with supplements of omega 3 fatty acids and, as a general rule for this condition, it is better to use these medications together.
Hydroxyzine should not be used with additional tranquilizing medications.
A new antihistamine called Cetirizine is available. This medication represents an active form of Hydroxyzine that does not cross the Hematoencephalic barrier.
This means that cetirizine would be useful for a patient who responded well to Hydroxyzine but who had an unacceptable level of drowsiness.
Concerns and precautions
When an antihistamine is used to prevent an allergic reaction (such as a reaction to the vaccine), the antihistamine works best when it is administered before the allergen.
Other medications
Always tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, both prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Although certain medications should not be used together at all, in other cases different medications may be used even if an interaction occurs.
In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary.
When you are taking antihistamines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional knows if you are taking any of the following:
- Anticholinergics (medicines for spasms or abdominal or stomach cramps): Rarer effects such as dry mouth, antihistamines, or anticholinergics are more likely to occur.
- Claritromicina (p. Ej., Biaxin).
- Erythromycin (for example, E-Mycin).
- Itraconazol (p. Ej., Sporanox).
- Ketoconazol (p. Ej., Nizoral).
The intolerance of these medications with Astemizole or Terfenadine can cause heart problems, such as irregular heartbeats; These medications should not be used together:
- Bepridil (for example, Vascor).
- Disopyramide (for example, Norpace).
- Maprotiline (for example, Ludiomil).
- Phenothiazines (for example, Tindal)
- Chlorpromazine (for example, Thorazine).
- Flufenazine (for example, Prolixin).
- Mesoridazine (for example, Serentil).
- Perphenazine (for example, Trilafon).
- Prochlorperazine (for example, Compazine).
- Promazine (for example, Sparine).
- Promethazine (for example, Phenergan).
- Thioridazine (for example, Mellaril).
- Trifluoperazine (for example, stelazine).
- Triflupromazine (for example, Vesprin).
- Trimeprazine (for example, Temaril).
- Pimozide (for example, Orap)
- Procainamide (for example, Pronestyl)
- Quinidina (p. Ej., Quinaglute Dura-tabs)
Depressants of the central nervous system (CNS)
The effects, such as drowsiness, of CNS depressants or antihistamines may worsen.
In addition, taking Maprotiline or Tricyclic antidepressants may cause some side effects of any of these medications, such as dry mouth, to become more severe.
- Cisapride (for example, Propulsid).
- Inhibidores de proteasa de VIH (indinavir, Crixivan, nelfinavir, Viracept], ritonavir, Norvir, saquinavir, Fortovase, Invirase]).
- Mibefradil (for example, Posicor).
- Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, Prozac, fluvoxamine, Luvox, nefazodone, Serzone, paroxetine, Paxil, sertraline, for example, Zoloft).
