allergy medication Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Expiring Medications Could Pose Challenge on Long Space Missions

The AHA! Team — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:11:11 +0000

Duke Health – Medications used by astronauts on the International Space Station might not be good enough for a three-year journey to Mars. A new study led by Duke Health shows that over half of the medicines stocked in space — staples such as pain relievers, antibiotics, allergy medicines, and sleep aids — would expire before astronauts could return to Earth. Astronauts could end up relying on ineffective or even harmful drugs, according to the study appearing July 3 in npj Microgravity, a Nature journal. “It doesn’t necessarily mean the medicines won’t work, but in the same way you shouldn’t take expired medications you have lying around at home, space exploration agencies will need to plan on expired medications being less effective,” said senior study author Daniel Buckland, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and an aerospace medicine researcher. Expired medications can lose their strength by a little – or a lot. The actual stability and potency of medications in space compared to Earth remain largely unknown. The harsh space environment, including radiation, could reduce the effectiveness of medications. Buckland and co-author Thomas E. Diaz, a pharmacy resident at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, noted that expired medications could pose a challenge as space agencies plan for long-duration missions to Mars and beyond. Diaz used a Freedom of Information Act Request to obtain information about the space station formulary, assuming NASA would use similar medications for a Mars mission. Using a database of international drug expiration dates, the researchers determined that 54 of the 91 medications had a shelf-life of 36 months or less. Using the most optimistic estimates, about 60% of these medications would expire before a Mars mission concludes. Under more conservative assumptions, the figure jumps to 98%. The study did not assume accelerated degradation but focused on the inability to resupply a Mars mission with newer medicines. This lack of resupply affects not only medications but also other critical supplies, such as food. Increasing the number of medications brought on board could also help compensate for lowered efficacy of expired meds, authors said. “Those responsible for the health of space flight crews will have to find ways to extend the expiration of medications to complete a Mars mission duration of three years, select medications with longer shelf-lives, or accept the elevated risk associated with administering expired medication,” Diaz said. “Prior experience and research show astronauts do get ill on the International Space Station, but there is real-time communication with the ground and a well-stocked pharmacy that is regularly resupplied, which prevents small injuries or minor illnesses from turning into issues that affect the mission,” Buckland said. Additional authors include Emma Ives and Diana I. Lazare. The study received no external funding. To read the original article click here.

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Do Allergy Medications Increase Your Alzheimer’s Risk?

The AHA! Team — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:04:04 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – I love this time of year. But many of my patients dread springtime… They come to my clinic sneezing and sniffling. They have runny noses, and watery, itchy eyes. They can’t sleep or work. You may have the same problems. You need relief fast to get back to your life. So you might be tempted to pop some OTC remedies or ask your doctor for a prescription. But you may be getting more than you bargained for with those allergy drugs. They may make you lose your mind. Let me explain… Many doctors treat allergies with a class of drugs called anticholinergics (ACs). You know them by names like Benadryl and Dimetapp. In a new study, scientists linked ACs to an increased risk of dementia.1 Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine looked at 451 people, with an average age of 73. Sixty of the patients were taking at least one AC drug. They gave the whole group memory and cognitive tests. They did PET scans to measure brain activity. They did MRI scans to measure changes in brain structure. The results were worrying… The people taking AC drugs did worse on short-term memory tests. They had worse verbal reasoning, planning skills, and problem-solving. They also had lower levels of brain activity, especially in the hippocampus — the region of the brain linked with memory. And they had reduced brain volume and larger cavities or holes inside their brains. In other words, people taking the drugs had more brain atrophy. And AC drugs cause damage quickly. In fact, using these drugs for as few as 60 or 90 days can cause cognitive problems.2 Allergies are your immune system overreacting to normal dust, pollen, and animal fur. Special cells in the blood vessel linings of the inner eyelids, nasal membranes, and lungs release substances called histamine and inflammatory prostaglandins. These are the real culprits behind all the misery. They release fluids to flush out what your body thinks is a viral or bacterial infection. I don’t prescribe those dangerous AC drugs for allergies. Instead, I help my patients relieve the symptoms naturally. 5 Safe, Natural Allergy Busters You Can Use Today Nasal irrigation. This therapy is a safe and easy way to rinse your sinuses. It flushes allergens and irritants out your nasal passages. You can find nasal rinse applicators, including neti pots and sinus-rinse kits, in most drug stores. Just follow the directions on the box. But one caution… Make sure the water is distilled and as sterile as possible. Tap water isn’t safe because it’s not adequately filtered or treated. And it can increase your risk of infection. Pineapple. This tropical fruit contains an enzyme called bromelain. It counteracts the effects of inflammatory prostaglandins. To help lessen inflammation, you’ll need to eat about a cup of fresh pineapple every day. You can also take a supplement. Look for a capsule that is at or near 2,400 GDU (gelatin dissolving units), the highest standardized potency you can get. I recommend you take 500 mg twice a day. Quercetin. This bioflavonoid targets the special cells that make histamine. Studies show it prevents allergies before they start. It can even stop allergic reactions in progress. And it works instantly.3 Quercetin is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Try eating more apples, broccoli, cherries, citrus fruit, cranberries, green tea, leafy greens, raspberries, red grapes, onions, shallots, and tomatoes. If you’re prone to allergies, start eating more of these foods a few weeks before spring arrives. Or you can supplement. I recommend taking 500 mg twice a day. Stinging nettle (urtica dioica). This prickly herb is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can prevent hay fever symptoms if taken as soon as they appear.4 It works by balancing histamine levels and preventing the production of prostaglandins. I recommend drinking nettle tea. You can find dried leaves or tea bags in your local health food store or online. Drink one or two cups a day with a meal. Vitamin C. You already know vitamin C boosts the immune system. But it also halts the production of histamine. And it speeds up the breakdown of histamine already in the blood. One study showed that taking 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day lowered histamine levels by 38% in healthy adults — after just one week.5 To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Risacher S, et al. “Association between anticholinergic medication use and cognition, brain metabolism, and brain atrophy in cognitively normal older adults.” JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(6):721-32. 2. Xueya C, et al. “Long-term anticholinergic use and the aging brain.” Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9: 377–385. 3. Middleton, E. et al ” Quercetin: an inhibitor of antigen-induced human basophil histamine release.” J Immunol. 1991;127:546-50. 4. Roschek B Jr, et al. “Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis.” Phytother Res. 2009;23(7):920-6. 5. Johnston, C. et al ” Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis.” J Am Coll Nutr. 1992. II(2):172-76 To read the original article click here.

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Antihistamine Side Effects: When to Stop Taking Allergy Medication

AHA Publisher — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:00:11 +0000

Dr. Liji Thomas, MD via News Medical-Net – Allergies have gone up by 40% in recent years, and allergy medications are being used more often than ever before. There are various types of allergy drugs. Some are used to control acute attacks whereas others help prevent or alleviate the severity of allergic reactions. Some of them, especially sedating antihistamines and corticosteroids, are known to produce unwanted effects that limit their use in certain conditions. Antihistamines Antihistamines act to prevent the action of histamine, a bioactive amine, at one of the histamine receptor, to block itching, swelling, redness, nasal congestion, teary eyes, cough, nausea and dizziness. Histamine affects smooth muscle and blood vessels, causing smooth muscle spasm and vasodilation. The administration of antihistamines blocks most of these effects, making them the most commonly used drugs in the world. These medications come in handy for a variety of allergic conditions as well as those associated with wakefulness and anxiety. Thus, in addition to treating allergies, they have been used variously to treat cold symptoms, motion sickness, nausea due to other causes, skin allergies, and to induce sleepiness in tense or anxious patients. Antihistamines may be classified as sedating (first-generation antihistamines), and non-sedating (second-generation antihistamines). Both act on the H1 receptor, but the first-generation drugs act less selectively on other receptors as well. The difference lies in their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Sedating Antihistamines These drugs have a common chemical structure with drugs which antagonize muscarinic receptors and cholinergic receptors; some antihypertensive drugs; and some tranquilizers. They are not selective to histamine receptors, as a result. They have anti-muscarinic effects, anti-alpha-adrenergic effects, and anti-serotonin effects. Sedating antihistamines easily cross the blood-brain barrier, to act on central histamine receptors as well as those located peripherally. There are about 64,000 neurons in the human brain which secrete histamine. These regulate a host of actions, namely: • Wakefulness • Learning and memory • Anti-appetite • Regulation of body temperature • Regulation of heart rate and blood pressure • Involvement in stress hormone and endorphin release Central Side effects Since these actions are disrupted by sedating antihistamines, these drugs produce sedation, drowsiness, tiredness, lack of concentration, difficulty in learning and memory tasks, poor examination performance, and difficulty with work or driving due to cognitive and coordination problems. Moreover, users continue to feel tired, inattentive, forgetful, and experience poor motor and sensory performance the morning after a night dose – mostly because histamine reduces the duration of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Anticholinergic and Alpha-Adrenergic Side Effects Moreover, sedating antihistamines also produce effects via their blockade of the cholinergic and alpha-adrenergic receptors, such as urinary retention, constipation, sinus tachycardia, inhibition of bowel motility, agitation, and worsening of narrow-angle glaucoma. They also produce or worsen dryness of the mouth, increase the appetite, and induce tolerance when used beyond 5 days or so. Blurred vision, pupillary dilation, dryness of the mouth and skin, flushing, delirium and confusion, and hyperthermia comprise the well-known and life-endangering anticholinergic syndrome caused by high doses of these drugs. Many over-the-counter antihistamines contain a decongestant as well, and therefore if the user experiences palpitations, the medication should be stopped. Cardiac Side Effects Astemizole and terfenadine are two H1-antihistamines which prolong the cardiac QT interval, and can produce dangerous irregularities of the heart rhythm such as the characteristic ‘torsades des pointes’ in the ventricular myocardium. These are not approved for use in most countries currently, as a result. This issue is also seen with large doses or overdoses of certain sedating antihistamines like brompheniramine, promethazine, or diphenhydramine. Side Effects with Geriatric Use These drugs should be used cautiously in older patients because they typically have lower numbers of cholinergic neurons in the brain, have fewer cholinergic receptors, have compromised renal and liver function, and a less stable blood-brain barrier, with increasing age. Even at lower doses, they can produce dizziness, lowering of blood pressure, and sedation carrying over to the next day. This can cause older adults to fall with related injury risks. About 25% of older people (over 65 years) have some cognitive decline, even if this is subtle or unnoticed. These individuals may respond badly to antihistamines with pronounced anticholinergic effects, and may show signs of dementia as a result. Delirium or impaired cognition are other associated side effects with the use of sedating antihistamines in older people. This may further result in inappropriate treatment with antipsychotics, and committal to long-term care facilities with hallucinations and other signs of agitation or aggression, caused by the anticholinergic drugs. Doctors and other healthcare professionals, as well as older patients, should avoid these drugs now that non-sedating antihistamines are available. Contraindications to sedating antihistamines These drugs should be avoided in very young children and in conditions like: urinary retention due to benign prostatic hyperplasia closed-angle glaucoma cardiac disease They should be used with caution and only if essential, in patients with: • pregnancy • constipation • xerostomia or dryness of the mouth • hyperthyroidism • asthma • chronic obstructive lung disease • renal disease • liver disease • benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is associated with chronic urinary retention • patients on antidepressants or seizure medication should also consult their doctors before taking antihistamines • In patients who drink alcohol With the availability of second-generation antihistamines, the older sedating antihistamines should be avoided if possible. In any case, individuals who are about to write examinations, who are learning exacting materials or tasks, and adults who must fly, drive or work at any task requiring focused concentration should avoid using these drugs. Non-Sedating Antihistamines These are also called second-generation H1-antihistamines, and include loratadine, fexofenadine, mizolastine, ebastine, azelastine, cetirizine, desloratadine, and levocetirizine. These have no currently known cardiac side effects. Sedation Fexofenadine and desloratidine, which, along with levocetirizine, are the most commonly used non-sedating antihistamines, cause very little sedation, as they do not cross the blood-brain barrier to any significant extent and thus have little effect on histamine receptors in the brain. Their failure to cause central sedation is due to their interaction with a pump protein, P-glycoprotein, which inhibits their translocation across the blood-brain barrier. Levocetirizine may produce sedation in a percentage of patients, though it needs to be taken at higher than recommended doses for this. With their freedom from off-target effects, the non-sedating antihistamines are much more suitable for patients who need long-term therapy. Not only are they safer, but they have a more potent anti-allergic effect. Liver Injury Non-sedating antihistamines can rarely cause acute liver injury. Although the liver damage is typically mild, if it occurs, antihistamines should be stopped. The liver function is usually only slightly deranged, and returns to normal with substitution of another antihistamine or cessation of the therapy. Thankfully, stopping these drugs produces prompt reversal of most of these side effects, which are typically mild. Conclusion The newer antihistamines are generally safe, but should be avoided in children and in pregnancy unless essential. To read the original article click here.

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