antihistamine question; long term use-aggrevating flushing?

[natalja]

Hi all,

I've noticed that claritin (loratidine) makes my face a bit more pale, but only tried it today, so will need to try it a lot longer I think before I can determine for sure if it works or not.

BUT: I read this statement from Dr. Nase, and wonder if anyone can tell me if this is true.

http://rosacea.ii.net/hl/2139.html


"When you go off these medications after having taken it for a while,
you may experience more flushing or dilation than pre-antihistamines. This is because: Antihistamines block the receptors for histamine such that histamine can't bind and therefore can't cause an effect. After 20 to 40 days of continual use, the body thinks that it needs more histamine receptors -- it makes them and places them with the pre-existing receptors. Now if you all of a sudden stop blocking these receptors, then histamine is able to bind to the normal histamine receptors and to the newly formed receptors. So either decrease the dose slowly or don't cycle on and off for extended periods of time."


Did anyone experience this themselves? Would occasional use perhaps be better then permanent use? Or are there rosaceans who didn't had any problems with taking antihistamines long term and then discontinuing them?

Natalja

[phlika29]

I take antihistamine on a fairly regular basis and find that they do seem to help my flushing and redness alittle. I can't comment as the accuracy of Dr Nase's statement but I haven't noticed such an effect. What I tend to do is- if I have a flair/ seem to be flushing alot then I take it for a couple of weeks, after a bit I stop taking it. Then when I remember/flair again I take some more. So I usually take it for a few weeks at a go then stop, repeat, etc.

Sarah

[TC]

I take antihistamine on a fairly regular basis and find that they do seem to help my flushing and redness alittle. I can't comment as the accuracy of Dr Nase's statement but I haven't noticed such an effect. What I tend to do is- if I have a flair/ seem to be flushing alot then I take it for a couple of weeks, after a bit I stop taking it. Then when I remember/flair again I take some more. So I usually take it for a few weeks at a go then stop, repeat, etc.

Sarah

What antihistamine do you take?

[phlika29]

Clarityn (but I tend to buy the unbranded one (loriditine? is the active bit)

[natalja]

Me too. It made me more pale after intake for a cpuple of hours, but later I had a bad flush for a couple of hours, but not sure if there's a link. We try it again soon.
Sarah, do you also find you can eat better tolerate histamine containing or triggering foods when you take loratidine?

Natalja

[phlika29]

Natalja

I tend to react to food a couple of days later (unless it is spicy and then its immediate) in the form of general redness and papules. I find that the antihistamine seems to help this response but I wouldn't like to say whether the antihistamine stops it coming or just helps the affects once the reaction has started.

[Twickle Purple]

Hi Natalja,

I've been on antihistamines almost my entire life. Starting with fistfulls of Dimetap and working through whatever new prescription breakthrough was available at the time.

We are all different and what works for one may not for another. Claritin does not work for me. A lot of the stuff out there doesn't. I use Doxepin when I really need to but it stops working after a while too. I've had really good long-term success with Reactine. I take it every morning with a Benadryl decongestant (which also contains antihistamine). The Reactine does not metabolize through the liver which was one of the reasons I tried it. The combination of these two, with Zantac in the evening, works very well for me. It does not clear things for me, but with them I can get through my day. Which is as good as I can expect.

Twickle Purple

[clsykes00]

Hi all,

I've noticed that claritin (loratidine) makes my face a bit more pale, but only tried it today, so will need to try it a lot longer I think before I can determine for sure if it works or not.

BUT: I read this statement from Dr. Nase, and wonder if anyone can tell me if this is true.

http://rosacea.ii.net/hl/2139.html


"When you go off these medications after having taken it for a while,
you may experience more flushing or dilation than pre-antihistamines. This is because: Antihistamines block the receptors for histamine such that histamine can't bind and therefore can't cause an effect. After 20 to 40 days of continual use, the body thinks that it needs more histamine receptors -- it makes them and places them with the pre-existing receptors. Now if you all of a sudden stop blocking these receptors, then histamine is able to bind to the normal histamine receptors and to the newly formed receptors. So either decrease the dose slowly or don't cycle on and off for extended periods of time."


Did anyone experience this themselves? Would occasional use perhaps be better then permanent use? Or are there rosaceans who didn't had any problems with taking antihistamines long term and then discontinuing them?

Natalja

Natalja,
I have been on anti-histimines for some time now. I have extremely bad allergies and sinus issues, which by themselves have caused bad rosacea reactions over the years. This year, I started getting allergy shots (11 months into the program) and have notice a dramatic change in my flushing to allergens. Shots create a more proper immune system response to allergens vs. Claritin for example, which just blocks histamines.

[Twickle Purple]

I tried allergy shots, 4 times over the years, between 1 to 2 years a go. They never made a difference for me.

[natalja]

Thanks for all the replies. I have vascualr rosacea and a pretty abd case, if I may say so: I react immediately to things, liek foods or other triggers. Never 3 days later, always very soon after intake.

Took loratidine (Claritine) three times in the last couple of weeks now, on 3 different times. First day it made me much more pale, but flushed badly in the evening, second time mixed results and the last time I flushed all day and was more red then usual. So now I wait till my skin has settled back to how it usually is and try the loratidine again.

If no improvement I will try the cetirizine (Reactine) for a couple of times. I have also hydroxyzine, but cetirizine is a derative from it and has the same actions but far less side-effects, so I will focus on that one.

I also have other antihistamine shere: telfast (fexofenadine hydrochloride) and H2 blocher Zantac (ranitidine). Will have to try them seperately and one at a time to find out for sure if it helps me or not.

Will keep you updated.
Would be nice to have something for Xmas, so I can eat some more then I do now, with my very restricted diet (very little histamine, salicylates, niacin, sugar etc)....

natalja