Are you on antihistamines? Antihistamine is not an answer to Chronic Urticaria
by Dr Rajesh Shah, MD
If you have been suffering from chronic urticaria (hives) (frequent bouts of urticarial rash), your dermatologist or family physician will most probably put you on a daily dose of medicine called antihistamines. Antihistamines are the drugs that block the action of histamine. Histamine is the substance that is produced as a result of an allergic reaction in the body, which finally leads to rash and itching. When antihistamine is ingested it inhibits the action of histamine, in turn relieving skin rash and itching. However, it is important to understand that histamine is released as a result of the allergic process, which is immunologically mediated. The immunological reaction to an allergen is the cause of the urticarial rash and itching. Histamine release is not the ultimate  cause of urticaria. Histamine release is just the result of the allergic process. That means, by nullifying the effects of histamine by using the antihistamine, you are treating the effects of the disease and not the cause of the disease. If you are consuming anti-histamine or anti-allergic medicine for many months or years, you need to understand this fact.
Some of the commonly used antihistamines are Allegra (Fexofenadine), Cetirizine, Levocetirizine, etc. Of course, there are hundreds of them in the market available as over-the-counter products.
The use of antihistamine for an occasional urticarial rash may be justified. However, if one keeps using antihistamine for months and years together, such a method of prescribing should be considered as very superficial, unwise, and symptomatic.
In my global practice, I come across cases of chronic urticaria every single day. Most of them approach me for homeopathic treatment after having used antihistamine for several years. The sad fact is that even after taking an antihistamine for five years, the patients are unable to stop it for even five days. Soon on stopping the antihistamine, the rash and itching resurface in no time, suggesting the superficiality of the treatment. Prolonged use of antihistaminic is habit-forming. The biggest problem with antihistamines is the drug dependency it gives to patients. Patients who consume anti-histamine for months or years, do not realize that they become addicted to these medicines.
Chronic urticaria calls for a much deeper approach while eliminating the urticaria from its roots. Fortunately, such a treatment is available with homeopathy. The homeopathic treatment is able to address the allergic process at the immunological level, whereby the homeopathic medicine does work as 'antihistaminic' but it treats the hypersensitive allergic state of the patient. Homeopathy offers deeper acting and non-habit forming solution for chronic urticaria. Patients all across the world who have experienced the benefits of homeopathy know that it is possible to get rid of the anti-histamine. Of course, one cannot stop antihistamines abruptly. There is a process that your homeopathic doctor should explain to you.
Related links: Adverse effects of Anti-histamines Adverse effects of cortisone