Antihistamines & Tinnitus and Ototoxicity — What Is Your Experience?

[UrbanBubblegum]

@UrbanBubblegum -- My understanding is that virtually all antihistamines are anticholinergic drugs. This means they have a major impact on the body's important neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which happens by blocking it's uptake at acetycholine receptor sites.

This can have system-wide effects, as acetylcholine receptors are virtually everywhere in the body, including the inner ears. If you're taking a drug that directly affects neurotransmission, it's likely going to affect the brain, ears, and entire neurological system in some manner or another. "Drowsiness" is a common symptom, but tinnitus can also be a manifestation of those effects.

@Lane, I stumbled across an anticholinergic antihistamine with Ebastine. I'm really encouraged and might give this a shot. Have you heard of it?

 

[buttercake]

@Lane, I stumbled across an anticholinergic antihistamine with Ebastine. I'm really encouraged and might give this a shot. Have you heard of it?

I am currently taking Ebastine (Kestine) 10 mg / day. It does not seem to affect my tinnitus. Ebastine seems to be the only antihistamine which works for my allergy; throughout my life, especially as a kid, I tried them all - Clarityn (Loratadine), Tinset (Oxatomide), Zyrtec (Cetirizine), Aerius (Desloratadine), Reactine (Cetirizine & Pseudoephedrine), allergy shots for few years... nothing worked.

 

[UrbanBubblegum]

I am currently taking Ebastine (Kestine) 10 mg / day.

Do you take it in the morning or at night? All the others I have tried have spiked my tinnitus or given me other unbearable side effects.

Reading @Lane's post again and coming across Kestine makes me hopeful this can work?

 

[buttercake]

Do you take it in the morning or at night? All the others I have tried have spiked my tinnitus or given me other unbearable side effects.

I take it in the morning, but I tried taking it before going to bed without having any issue. I usually quit a few days after the pollen's concentration in the air begins to decrease.

Maybe try it out and see how it goes? I am not a medical doctor, but I have always seen these over the counter antihistamines as pretty safe to take. I doubt very much that they can give you permanent side effects.

 

[UrbanBubblegum]

@buttercake, can you drink alcohol even though you take Kestine?

 

[buttercake]

@buttercake, can you drink alcohol even though you take Kestine?

I had to Google it, but it seems that alcohol consumption is advised against when taking Ebastine.

 

[StoneInFocus]

Shouldn't second gen antihistamines generally be safe as they cannot cross the blood brain barrier, and therefore probably can't cross the blood labyrinthine barrier either?

 

[andrewdaniels]

Shouldn't second gen antihistamines generally be safe as they cannot cross the blood brain barrier, and therefore probably can't cross the blood labyrinthine barrier either?

This was also my understanding? That the second gen (i.e. Zyrtec, Aerius, etc.) are not a problem, and instead ones like Benadryl are more concerning. I would love to know as I fight allergies daily.

 

[MindOverMatter]

This was also my understanding? That the second gen (i.e. Zyrtec, Aerius, etc.) are not a problem, and instead ones like Benadryl are more concerning. I would love to know as I fight allergies daily.

Zyrtec and the likes = zero negative effects.

I used Cetirizine myself for probably 25 years for allergies. It's not ototoxic in any way.