AARP - Segunda Juventud - Snooping Into Your Allergy Meds

Snoop Into Your Allergy Meds
Over-the-counter allergy drugs can save you money, but read the labels carefully.

By Camille Mojica Rey
Spring 2008

The benefits of mini-clinics
(agosto/
septiembre 2007)

When his mango tree begins to bloom, Roberto Lutein, 70, knows a runny nose and sleepless nights lag not far behind. The retired Floridian says that medications now available over the counter (OTC) relieve his symptoms and save him money.

Some 40 to 50 million American allergy sufferers, like Lutein, spend a total of over $2 billion a year on OTC remedies. But Pedro Avila, an allergist at Chicago’s Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, warns that these drugs can cause serious side effects—to which older people are more prone. “People need to read medication instructions carefully,” he advises.

Drowsiness caused by antihistamines, says allergist Carlos Camargo of the Harvard School of Public Health, “can make activities like driving unsafe.” He points to a study in which people who took diphenhydramine, the main ingredient of OTC antihistamines, performed worse than alcohol drinkers on driving simulators. OTC antihistamines may also worsen high blood pressure and cause dry mouth and urinary retention problems. OTC decongestants can lead to sleeplessness, heart palpitations, and a rise in blood pressure.

If you decide to use over-the-counter medications, use them wisely. If you don’t find relief after a week, Avila recommends seeing a doctor. After all, he says, allergy sufferers can find effective remedies behind the pharmacy counter, too.

For more information, contact the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 800-7-ASTHMA.

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