Antihistamine Overdose

If you thought the friendly, over the counter, drug you take to keep allergies and cold at bay is absolutely safe, think again. It may not be the case. Of course, if taken with discretion and after consulting a doctor, it wouldn't cause you any harm. But, if it is taken in wrong quantities and without prescription, it may be risky. All such medicines are basically antihistamines, which combat the histamine released in an allergic reaction by curbing the action of histamines on that particular tissue. Even though these are used to fight cold, sneezing or cough and different types of allergies, there is a flip side. Here is more on that...

Symptoms of Antihistamine Overdose

Fluctuations in Blood Pressure
High levels of anti histamines in blood may lead to hypotension or low blood pressure. If the blood pressure dips, related symptoms and consequences like drowsiness, disorientation and dizziness may be experienced.

Tiredness and Fatigue
In case you are high on a specific class of antihistamines, like benadryl maybe, it can result in a feeling of excessive fatigue, drowsiness and sleepiness. I think this might have been experienced by quite a few amongst us even after taking just a couple of doses of Benadryl. This fatigue can also culminate in overall weakness and hindrance to your daily routine.

Seizures
A considerable overdose of antihistamine can lead to involuntary shaking of the body. As a consequence of this shaking the individual may experience seizures, tremors or even convulsions. However, this is not uniform to all those who may undergo this condition.

Vision Problems
Vision problems may occur if a person consumes wrong quantity of antihistamines. Blurred vision may be experienced if the level of antihistamines in the blood is more than permissible or safe level. Enlarged pupils or a double vision too can be experienced by an individual.

Digestion Problems
An upset stomach is a very common result of antihistamine overdose. The allied symptoms include nausea and vomiting.

Mental Aberrations
Delusions, hallucinations and lack of comprehension and cognition can happen in case of a specific antihistamine called phenindamine. Further, delirium, nervousness, disorientation and depression can occur which in turn would lead to incoherent behavior, poor muscle coordination and confusion in a few cases.

Other Symptoms
Fainting, headache or lightheadedness are the most common symptoms of antihistamine overdose. In addition to these, loss of consciousness may occur in very rare or extreme cases. Skeletal muscle breakdown causing kidney damage and failure couple with problems associated with pancreas is one of the uncommon side effects of antihistamine.

Antihistamine overdose is something akin to poisoning, but not fatal or life-threatening in most cases. There are ways to reverse these reactions of the body to an overdose of antihistamines.

Treatment for Antihistamine Overdose

Administering activated charcoal in a hospital set up is the first thing which is done. Although, it can be administered only to those patients who can retain a good gag reflex and adjust and cooperate and most importantly can take in liquids orally. In a few cases gastric emptying is also done. If the person's having delusion and anxiety and the likes, sometimes benzodiazepines is also prescribed. If the toxicity has reached till the heart, according to experts, placement of an intra-aortic balloon pump for a period of several hours can bridge the patient through a cardiovascular collapse period.

All these things indicate, in short, that although antihistamines are beneficial, overuse or misuse of these medicines can lead to an antihistamine overdose, which is not a very inviting idea considering the symptoms and effects of these medicines.

This is where I sign off! Take Care!