Dermatológia pre prax 1/2021

Antihistamines – pharmacology and usage in dermatology

Antihistamines belong to the most widely used systemic drugs in dermatology. This is attributable to the major role played by histamine in common pruritic inflammatory dermatoses such as urticaria and atopic dermatitis. Unlike first generation H1-antihistamines introduced from 1942 to the mid-1980s, the second generation of these drugs introduced subsequently have been investigated extensively with regard to clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety; moreover, they are relatively free from adverse effects and not causally linked with serious side effects after overdose. Non-sedating antihistamines should be preferentially used whenever possible as most antihistamines are equally efficacious, while adverse effects of sedating antihistamines can be serious.

Keywords: histamine, antihistamines, pharmacology, urticaria, atopic dermatitis