Mast Cell Disorders Forum

Mast Cell Disorders Forum
http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> Medicines >> Dosing and Side Effects http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1340331351 Message started by Joan on 06/21/12 at 15:15:51

Title: Dosing and Side Effects
Post by Joan on 06/21/12 at 15:15:51

My friend was having some acute mast cell activation, probably due to a parasitic infection. She was taking several different antihistamines and at one point began hallucinating. The pruritis was so bad that apparently she had a little too much antihistamine which caused some crazy symptoms, including hearing a choir singing, seeing animated teddy bears in the tree outside, and others that were pretty frightening, X-Files kind of visions!

The point here is that doctors can tell patients what they believe is the maximum dose of an antihistamine, but it might just be simply too much for that particular person. If you need to add something for breakthrough symptoms, make sure someone else is around if possible.

Only add one medicine at a time, and write down any changes in your feelings or behavior. Try to alternate meds so you aren't taking the same thing all day every day.

Be sure to read about any and all meds you are taking or plan to try. Read especially well the interactions with other meds and/or foods and the signs and symptoms of overdose.

Luckily, the outcome in this case was to cut out some meds, and the hallucinations went away!

Title: Re: Dosing and Side Effects
Post by Anaphylaxing on 06/21/12 at 16:57:34

Thanks for sharing this Joan!

The name for antihistamine overdose is "anticholinergic syndrome" and the phrase for remembering its symptoms is

Mad as a hatter---hallucinations like your friend/delirium
Red as Beet
Dry as a bone
Blind as a bat
Hot as a hare
The bowel and bladder lose their tone
and the Heart runs alone (tachy)

In my early stages I thought I was having it as I was soo "Red as beat" but it was hard to differentiate from the usual flushing. So I'm not sure which was which. I cut back on the benadryl in case

That must've been scary for your friend!

Title: Re: Dosing and Side Effects
Post by Joan on 06/22/12 at 13:32:46

Not as scary as it was for her husband!