Can antihistamines cause depression? One study of 92 people with chronic itchiness saw that patients who took the antihistamines cetirizine and hydroxyzine reported an increase in depression and anxiety.
Certain allergy and asthma medications. The over-the-counter allergy medication cetirizine (Zyrtec and generic) has been linked to depression, as has another type of drug, montelukast (Singulair), which is often used to treat people with allergic asthma.
Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: difficulty urinating, fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes (such as anxiety, confusion, nervousness, restlessness), weakness.
The most commonly reported side effects include somnolence, dizziness, and headache. Use these dosage charts for infants and children under 12 years old: Zyrtec Dosage Charts (Infants & Children)
However it's best to take cetirizine only for as long as you need to. If you take it regularly over a long period there's a very small chance of severe itching if you stop treatment suddenly. If you've been taking cetirizine every day for a long time, talk to your doctor before stopping it.
Rarely, they can cause acute self-limited liver injury. One study has reported a more serious long-term effect, a 3.5-fold increase in the risk of gliomas, a common type of brain tumor in patients with long-term antihistamine use for allergic conditions.
Can antihistamines cause depression? One study of 92 people with chronic itchiness saw that patients who took the antihistamines cetirizine and hydroxyzine reported an increase in depression and anxiety.
Sandoz issued a voluntary recall of 1,023,430 units of Zyrtec (10 mg) capsules as a result of failed impurities and a specification being reported for impurity at the 21-month stability time point, according to an FDA Enforcement Report.
Drowsiness, tiredness, and dry mouth may occur. Stomach pain may also occur, especially in children. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
What is this? Antihistamines are also one of the groups of drugs known for causing brain fog and memory loss. Disturbingly, even over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl can greatly increase the risk of dementia. The sedative effects of these drugs can leave you feeling drowsy.
Over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl and other antihistamine allergy medications also can lead to temporary brain fog and forgetfulness.
by Drugs.com
The elimination half-life of Zyrtec is between 8 to 9 hours. It takes approximately 5.5 x elimination half-life for a medicine to be cleared from your system. For Zyrtec this is 5.5 x 9 hours which is about 2 days.
If you suspect that your allergy medication is causing feelings of depression, it's time to call your healthcare provider. Left unaddressed, your symptoms may worsen. Your provider can help you explore alternative treatment options that may decrease your allergy symptoms without making you feel depressed.
Medications with depression as a side effect
allergy medications like montelukast and cetirizine. anxiety medications like alprazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam (and the sleep medication zolpidem) birth control and hormone therapy, which includes anything containing estrogen.
While there's no set timeline for when someone should stop taking an antihistamine, one should speak to a doctor or drug rehabilitation specialist if they feel like they have become addicted to your antihistamine. The severity and length of an antihistamine withdrawal will depend on the specific drug.
Dr Grant confirms that many people can suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking antihistamines suddenly. Dr Grant recommends the patient resume taking the antihistamines and then slowly reduce the dose to wean off slowly.
Mechanism of Injury. The cause of acute liver injury from cetirizine is not known. It is metabolized by the liver and a toxic metabolite may account for idiosyncratic injury.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are known to cause extreme drowsiness; however, in certain people, they can cause insomnia, excitability, anxiety, restlessness, and a rapid heart rate.
Many people who use Benadryl experience no noticeable side effects at all. Some effects are potentially serious, however. Call your doctor for advice immediately if you experience mood or mental changes, difficulty passing urine, or a fast/irregular heartbeat.
On the other hand, allergy medications can also affect mood in some people. Medications like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) cause some people to feel anxious and jittery, and others to feel lethargic. Many antihistamines cause drowsiness.
In general, wean gradually by 25-50% of the daily dose every 1-4 weeks. If reason for deprescribing is serious adverse effects, wean faster or cease immediately. Provide advice to patient/carer on self-monitoring and what to do if symptoms re-occur.
Histamine plays a role in our appetite. When antihistamines block histamine, our appetite can increase. This, plus side effects like drowsiness, could lead to weight gain.
Some medications for treating allergies, like Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Allegra (fexofenadine) last 24 hours and don't need to be taken at night. But if you're combating allergy symptoms with a different antihistamine first thing in the morning, keep in mind that its effects will only last six to eight hours.