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Common allergy medication’s risks outweigh its usefulness, experts say
UNITED STATES, AUG 4 – Experts say diphenhydramine poses risks like sedation and dementia and recommend safer alternatives with over 1.5 million prescriptions annually in the US, per a Johns Hopkins review.
- Experts from Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Diego, stated that diphenhydramine is outdated and dangerous in a review published this year.
- The review highlights that diphenhydramine poses disproportionate risks for children and older adults compared to newer antihistamines.
- Accidental overdose, paradoxical reactions, and even death are cited as risks associated with diphenhydramine, particularly in pediatric cases.
- Experts emphasized that better drugs exist that are more effective with fewer side effects.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Dr. Anna Wolfson says that she sees every day in her clinic an improper and dangerous use of allergy medication, diphenhydramine. “If someone has an allergic reaction to food, people will say, ‘Don’t worry, I have diphenhydramine in my purse’, and I would say, ‘Actually, epinephrine is the first-line treatment for food allergies’,” said Wolfson, an allergist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Diphenhydramine can be harmful if people take it afte…
By Asuka Koda, CNN Dr. Anna Wolfson says she sees dangerous misuse of the allergy drug diphenhydramine every day in her clinic. “If someone is having an allergic reaction to a food, people will say, ‘Don’t worry, I have diphenhydramine in my purse,’ and I’ll say, ‘Actually, epinephrine is the most widely used treatment for food allergies,’” said Wolfson, an allergist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Diphenhydramine can be harmful if people tak…
Common allergy medication’s risks outweigh its usefulness, experts say
In a new review, experts call for the removal of diphenhydramine from over-the-counter and prescription markets in the United States, saying it’s outdated, dangerous and eclipsed by safer alternatives.
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