Common Side Effects Of Antihistamines

As we're in the middle of the spring season and hay fever is running rampant, many allergy sufferers are running to their allergists and filling prescriptions for the most powerful antihistamines they can find. Well, it might surprise you to know that not only do these antihistamines have side effects but they also come with another fact of life that very few people are aware of; something that the drug companies don't want us to know. Well, this article is going to give you the straight facts on antihistamine side effects and that small little detail that your allergist failed to tell you about your favorite hay fever remedy.

For those who aren't quite sure how antihistamines work, it's actually a very simple process. Basically, when your body is affected by an outside substance, like pollen, it reacts to this substance by producing histamines. These histamines are the body's defense against these outside invaders. Unfortunately, in creating this defense, it also creates the symptoms that go with them, such as the watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and in extreme cases, shortness of breath and even asthma. What antihistamines do is reduce the effects of our body's defense mechanism.

Unfortunately, these antihistamines come with a price tag that goes way beyond the cost of the pills themselves. Common side effects of antihistamines are drowsiness, which is why you should never drive or operate heavy machinery when taking them, dizziness, restlessness, nervousness and upset stomach. Other side effects, which aren't as common are dry mouth, dry nose, irritability, difficulty urinating and blurred vision. In most cases, the side effects from antihistamines are barely noticeable. However, the real problem with taking these drugs is not so much from what they do to you, but from what they don't do.

Over time, as you continue to take a particular antihistamine, you may notice that the drug doesn't seem to be working as well as it used to. The reason is simple. Your body's immune system begins to build up tolerance to these drugs. Usually, within a period of about three months, the drug stops working completely. At the very least, its effectiveness is greatly reduced. That is why a knowledgeable allergist, who doesn't have his pockets filled by the drug companies, will tell you to rotate your antihistamines every three months. So for example, he might have you take Claritin, which contains loratadine, for three months and then have you switch to Benadryl, which contains diphenhydramine hydrochloride, for the next three months. Otherwise, you will find your allergy symptoms getting worse and worse.

This never ending battle against allergies, which is really a no win war with drugs, keeps the drug companies in business and makes them richer and richer. There are cures for allergies and they don't involve taking drugs. You can check out the details in my signature.

You don't have to put up with antihistamine side effects and ultimately lose the war against allergies.

To YOUR Health,

Steve Wagner