Can antihistamines help during an asthma flare up ?

[Hannah125]

Hi everyone!

As I am still struggling to bring my asthma under control, I was wondering if antihistamines (desloratadine) could potentially ease the symptoms or stop an ongoing attack that has been lasting for hours if not days ?

I am very concerned about my asthma right now because I am going through another exacerbation and it just won't go away! I've tried oral steroids and it didn't work. Seretide is still not working and Pulmicort seems to make my symptoms worse. My symptoms are currently a burning and itching sensation in my chest (it feels like my lungs are on fire as well as the trachea and even my nose sometimes!), I struggle to breathe in and out, I get out of breath at the least effort and even when I'm doing nothing. It all started with the flu but now it's been almost 6 months and I don't understand why things haven't settled. Even nebs don't work when I'm in that state and yet my sats never drop below 97. So I'm thinking about allergy as there is a lot of dust in my room and I am allergic to dust mites. My blood test results also show a very high level of Ige. But I read that antihistamines don't treat asthma and can only help with rhinitis.

So, would antihistamines help calm and control a flare up if it is caused by allergies ? And if so, how long should it take to see the results ?

Thank you!

[Chip_y2kuk]

If allergies are causing the issue then yes they would help however if they aren't then no they wouldn't

[strongmouse in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

It is true that anithistamines will only help if you have an allergy. However many doctors don't know enough about allergies to diagnose them.

If you suspect that your asthma is caused or aggravated by an allergy then you taking an antihistamine helps. Keep a note of your symptons and how they change over 24 hours or daily , weekly. It can be helpful for instance to notice if your symptoms are worse at home or at work or when out in the park, or even after eating certain foods. Talk to your doctor and ask for testing for airbourne allergies if you have a reason for thinking this might be a trigger. This will help you to look at possible causes. The grass pollen has been quite high this summer. Even adults can develop new allergies. You could phone the Allergy UK helpline if this is something you know nothing about. Tel: [phone]

You don't want to take additional medication unneccessarily, but it is worth checking out. Plus the other useful options mentioned, such as silent reflux and anxiety as they can both aggravate symptoms. I have allergies, asthma and silent reflux and I also find certain chemicals such as BBQ smoke, perfumes, diesel fumes (amongst others) aggravate the asthma.

If you know that you are allergic to dust mite then you need to take action and eliminate them as far as possible. Again Allergy UK are a very helpful organisation and have information on dust mite allergy. Taking an antihistamine will only have a certain impact as long as you continue to be exposed on a regular basis to a high level of dust mite.

[ReedB]

Pardon the silly question but what does your gp say?

I have allergies and asthma and spent years figuring out which meds to use for which symptoms. For allergies I take telfast (fexafenedin... Chk spelling!) in the morning and possibly Puriton at night if it's really bad. Failing that steriods.... For asthma I take fostair, a mix of preventer and reliever...

As I'm extremely allergic to dust I Hoover and dust regularly as well as change bedding.

It sounds as though you need to take steriods or possibly antibiotics for a longer period until symptoms settle down... I'd definitely go bk to your gp and see what other meds and solutions can be found...

Hope this helps!

[Hannah125 in reply to ReedB]

Thank you!

I actually went to see a specialist but he simply told me to continue with the seretide and nebs and he gave me a new appointment with him in october! My main issue I think is that I have not yet found the right doctor as most of them didn't take me seriously and said it was just anxiety since I don't wheeze and have good sats. I don't go to hospital anymore because of that as everytime I went they said I was fine and that it couldn't be asthma!

[ReedB in reply to Hannah125]

Sounds familiar!

I trust my gp more than anyone as together we've learnt what does and doesn't work. I have seen three different consultants but it was only the last one who took me seriously...

It sounds as though your airways are irritated more than lungs? I find a peak flow very helpful in figuring out when I should be looking to take steriods or nebs. With the right inhaler you shouldn't need nebs and actually repeated use can irritate your throat more. Just for reference if you've had flu or chest infections it can take weeks or months for irritation to subside especially if hay-fever is now causing issues.

I would definitely recommend a peak flow and some different antihistamines/inhaler/steriod nasel spray. Failing that it may be a case of some antibiotics and steriods to take until things calm down. I'm not a gp though so go see what they suggest first!

[Hidden]

i have found antihistamines make no difference to my asthma, and tbh don't even do much for my hay fever symptoms.

Your description sounds more like silent reflux (LPR).

[ChrissieMons]

Don't be too keen to dismiss the anxiety aspect. It plays a major role in asthma and perhaps you should find out why you feel anxious ( apart from the obvious fact that you're ill & not getting better!) and see if any calming methods would help. You are probably at the stage where you'd try anything, so it might be worth giving that a go.

[Junglechicken]

Have you discussed the possibility of chronic sinusitis with GP? You said that at times your nose was affected. I had pneumonia at the start of June and it has played havoc with my asthma control. Like you my lungs sometimes were burning. I was permanently wheezing and had a chronic cough. Salbutamol not effective at usual dose. Steroids helped a little but when the course was finished I was as bad as ever. 3 attacks later, my specialist is now treating me for chronic sinusitis and post nasal drip. I am starting to feel better but it’s slow going. ReedB is right about inflammation lasting a while after any sort of respiratory virus/infection (my GP said it could take as long as 12 months for me to fully recover). Nasal irrigation is working really well too (although I hate doing it!) I didn’t realise my nose was congested until I started. I hope you manage to find the right treatment because being unwell for any length of time eventually starts taking it’s toll on you physically and mentally.