While any of the above options could work for you, studies indicate that Xyzal (levocetirizine) is the most effective over the counter antihistamine for itching and uticaria (hives). The other OTC options are Claritin (loratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), Xyzal (levocetirizine), Chlor-Trimeton (Chlorpheniramine) and Tavist (clemastine). The good news is Diphenhydramine comes in a topical cream which a person can use to help relieve their itchiness without the drowsiness but it may not be as effective as taking it by mouth.Īlthough diphenhydramine is considered the first line agent with proven effectiveness, there are some other OTC options that shouldn't sedate you as much. So although we typically see the best results with diphenhydramine, many people can't tolerate it during the day. Therefore, it is difficult for some people to take this medication orally throughout the day In fact, many people use diphenhydramine to help them sleep at night and it is marketed under different names as a sleep aid. While diphenhydramine is generally a safe medication for those under the age of 65, it does cause drowsiness because it crosses the blood brain barrier and affects the central nervous system. Diphenhydramine is a first generation antihistamine and works by stopping and reversing the action of histamine on a person’s blood vessels, and can therefore help the symptoms of an allergic reaction, like a persistent itch. To start, let's look at the OTC histamines we recommend.ĭiphenhydramine, which is the active ingredient in Benadryl, is sold over the counter and helps to provide fast-acting itch relief. Most antihistamine medications can be purchased over the counter (OTC), although one that we are going to recommend is by prescription only. As such, we will look at a few different anti-histamine-1 (H1 antagonist) medications. There are many different histamine receptors in the body but Histamine-1 (H1) receptors typically cause allergy symptoms including body itchiness. As such, it is important to try and discern the cause of the allergy and eliminate the allergen if possible.įor your symptoms, looking towards an antihistamine medication is a good idea. In may not be what we consider "typical allergy symptoms" such as watery eyes and a runny nose, but it would nonetheless still be considered an allergy. To answer this question, we must first note that if histamine is being released, it would be considered some sort of immune reaction to a foreign pathogen. I need something to calm those nerves down. I don't believe I have allergies but I believe histamine is released in areas on my body that I itch. What is the best anti-histamine to take for bodily itchiness.
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