Liver disease, mast cells and antihistamine

[Readlots]

I’ve just seen a post on X about mast cells and Covid-19 which mentioned a link with autoimmune diseases of the gut and the use of antihistamines as a treatment.. I wondered if anything was known about autoimmune liver diseases, mast cells and antihistamines. I found this 2017 research paper ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl.... Does anyone out there no more about whether antihistamines have been tried as a treatment for PBC or AIH?

[periwinkle88]

I'm not aware of antihistamines being used as treatment for PBC, but I found this very interesting because I have a Mast Cell Activation Syndrome diagnosis. Something to look into further! Thanks for posting.

[Readlots in reply to periwinkle88]

You’re welcome. I hope that one of the rare positives from Covid will be a better understanding of our immune systems.

[DonnaBoll Administrator in reply to Readlots]

Wouldn't that be something if Covid could help us in the long term understanding of how our immune system is affected?!

[FarahS]

thanks for posting this - very interesting indeed. I think for PBC the crux of it seems to be this:

It has also been demonstrated that UDCA can inhibit the release of histamine from mast cells (unpublished observations), so while traditional antihistamines that block histamine receptors have had only mild success in treating pruritus, UDCA therapy may act on mast cell-derived histamine, thus offering some true relief from chronic itching.

[Readlots in reply to FarahS]

Ah, that’s really interesting. Thank you for explaining

[234WARD03]

I have been on antihistamines for a good few years. Pbc has got worse over those years. I have been wondering if antihistamines make it worse rather than better.

I understood PBC was your bodies immunity fighting your liver that was the problem, which would mean antihistamines might make that response worse. I am not sure, only a specialist can tell us the maybe answer to that.

[DonnaBoll Administrator in reply to 234WARD03]

Had you been on Urso as well for this length of time that the PBC got worse for you?

[234WARD03 in reply to DonnaBoll]

No had been on antihistamines long before Urso. Pbc has got worse over time scale of about 20 years as it was undiagnosed for many years. Been on urso for about four years. The antihistamine is for sneezing and breathing issues and is not prescribed.

[Readlots]

That was my thinking before reading this research paper. I think FarahS may be right though…

[zinchunter]

Because I get itchy skin and hives, presumably from PBC, I ve taken antihistamine (180mg/d fexofenadine) for many years. Seems to work and give no problems.

[DonnaBoll Administrator in reply to zinchunter]

Glad it helped the itching for you.

[zinchunter in reply to DonnaBoll]

The antihistamine was prescribed by a dermatologist that I saw, not my liver man. Having seen some of the problems from PBC itch solutions, I wonder if this an alternative. Or, as we are all different, was I just lucky?

[DonnaBoll Administrator]

No mention was made of this at the Summit I just attended. I did see that the article was from 2017. I would question this article just from reading this..."PBC, an autoimmune disease characterized by the injury of small- and medium-sized bile ducts, gradually progresses to liver cirrhosis and, eventually, death." This paints a very dim picture for the patiend. We all know that this is not true. It does not always progress to cirrhosis and death. Any physician will tell you that the vast majority of us will die with PBC - not from it. Antihistamines were not mentioned at the Summit either as being used for treatment.

[Readlots in reply to DonnaBoll]

I wonder whether it is something that will be revisited in the light of what has been learnt through Covid. Been going back through Twitter to find the Covid related research that prompted my initial thoughts but can’t find it - damn brain fog…

[DonnaBoll Administrator in reply to Readlots]

It does make sense that taking antihistamines for allergy 'itchy' eyes and skin could help the itch from PBC as well. If anyone that watches the Thursday Q&A with the experts from The PBC Foundation, this would be a great question to submit or ask. Are you familiar with this ? You can submit this question to [e-mail]

[lovesoccer]

I'm not aware of any clinical research, but being that many of our doctors suggest benadryl, an antihistamine, for itch, and it hasn't really slowed the PBC, I cannot imagine that it would be an effective treatment. Still, an interesting connection between mast cells and Covid-19. I'd like to read more about that (admitted science nerd).