Antihistamines can have long-term adverse effects

2008/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Farmakologia

Antihistamines help reduce allergy symptoms, but scientists believe they can aggravate the problem. Although they reduce symptoms at the moment, they can have long-term adverse effects on allergic reactions and immunotherapy.

The allergic reaction has been analyzed in the mouse by bee venom. Poison has been injected and half of these mice have been given antihistamines before and after poison injection. Six weeks later, all have reinjected bee venom and found that the reaction of mice treated with antihistamines is greater.

In addition, another mouse group has been immunotherapist. Also in this case some mice have received antihistamines and the rest have not. Then, they have been bitten several times small doses of bee venom and have discovered that the immune system of mice that have not taken antihistamines progressively becomes able to accept the poison. However, those treated with antihistamines have obtained negative results. Scientists believe that antihistamines do not allow the immune system to develop anti-allergenic defenses.