Are antihistamines essential?

[Billy1]

Just trying to put together a personal first aid kit and looking on various sites almost everybody includes them.

I have never had any allergies that I am aware of, and I would rather only carry medicines and equipment that could save my life.

I'm trying to find out whether they are a drug that just provides relief from annoying symptoms, or whether they have a more critical application that I'm not aware of?

Thanks a lot!

 

[rik_uk3]

Well worth carrying a strip with you http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Antihistamines/Pages/What-is-it-used-for.aspx

 

[sausage100uk]

If you've never had any allergies then the chances are you'll never have a life threatening reaction. If you or someone you were with suffered a full blown anaphylaxis then you'd need more than just a piriton 😄

 

[Billy1]

If you or someone you were with suffered a full blown anaphylaxis then you'd need more than just a piriton 😄

Yeah this is what I was getting at

 

[Billy1]

Well worth carrying a strip with you http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Antihistamines/Pages/What-is-it-used-for.aspx

Yeah I can see they might be useful, but would they ever be essential?

 

[redbranchwarrior]

I agree with Rik. Just because you've never had a reaction doesn't mean you never will, especially if you are going to new environments.

I didn't have asthma until I was 18, and I didn't suffer from hay fever until my early thirties. You can have fairly minor reactions that can cause significant discomfort, that an over the counter antihistamine can relieve. For the sake of carrying a very lightweight strip I would err on the side of caution....but each to their own.

Essential as in life-saving? But then most over the counter meds/first aid kit supplies aren't. Do you have specialist training, and or access to specialist equipment/medications?

What sort of medicines and equipment are you planning to carry?

 

[Billy1]

I don't really know yet tbh, just trying to learn about it all now. But things for closing wounds, treating burns, bandages, splints that sort of thing come to mind.

 

[redbranchwarrior]

I don't really know yet tbh, just trying to learn about it all now. But things for closing wounds, treating burns, bandages, splints that sort of thing come to mind.

That all sounds very sensible, and is basically what I carry. Im sure there will be others along that will add their own (much broader and specialised) knowledge. Have you done any kind of first aid training? Without stating the obvious, as with most kit is can be ineffectual unless you now when and how to use it...also different items may be of more use than others in different enviromments.

What sort of thing are you planning to do? Where are you planning to go?

 

[Billy1]

Just planning to go to Scotland with a friend to do some wild camping and practice Bushcraft. I haven't done any first aid training yet, but I will as soon as I can afford it. Gona get a book on it for now and that will have to do!

 

[rik_uk3]

If your camping in Scotland and its midge season antihistamine is essential; carry tablet and cream.

 

[Billy1]

If your camping in Scotland and its midge season antihistamine is essential; carry tablet and cream.

Going next month so should be alright hopefully! But yeah good point!

 

[Toddy]

It's not just for the midgies though, there are clegs and keds and ticks, and I know of at least one area with mosquitos.
It only needs one bite that goes nuts for the inflammation to make you utterly miserable
For the weight of one wee plastic card of seven pills for £1, I wouldn't be without them.

There are differences in the assorted variety of pills though. There's a hard hitting short acting 4 hourly one (that's a godsend. It stops a swelling from immobilising a joint) and there are longer lasting one a day kind that come both drowsy making (very good, but don't drive if you can avoid it) and non drowsy….not quite so effective but if taken after a 4hourly one, very good indeed.

For those saying that if it's bad enough to need an epi pen then these pills are useless; you are very mistaken.
I carry an epi pen for cleg bites. If I present at hospital with anaphylactic shock they'll administer the anti-histamines (by drip if necessary) before they'll try epinephrine. An epi pen is the last resort, it's a hellish shock to the system.

I sincerely hope you never need to use either, but, I pack them for my husband and sons in their first aid kits, and mine hang in one of those spy capsules on my keyring.

cheers,
M

 

[dwardo]

I agree with Rik. Just because you've never had a reaction doesn't mean you never will, especially if you are going to new environments.

I didn't have asthma until I was 18, and I didn't suffer from hay fever until my early thirties. You can have fairly minor reactions that can cause significant discomfort, that an over the counter antihistamine can relieve. For the sake of carrying a very lightweight strip I would err on the side of caution....but each to their own.

Essential as in life-saving? But then most over the counter meds/first aid kit supplies aren't. Do you have specialist training, and or access to specialist equipment/medications?

What sort of medicines and equipment are you planning to carry?

Thought I was alone in developing hay fever and asthma late on. Spend most of the summer months on the horrible pills. More so if I get eaten alive by clegs n mozzies.

 

[santaman2000]

Yeah I can see they might be useful, but would they ever be essential?

Define "essential." If you mean will your life depend on it, probably not.

On the other hand if you mean, will I enjoy my weekend outing or will it turn into a miserable sneezing mess, then yes, it just might be essential. Same goes for the Imodium, the analgesics and the anti-itch creams (hydro-cortizone)

Of course this logic only applies if your outings take you farther than a reasonable drive to the nearest Tesco.

 

[andybysea]

Toddy where do you get your anti histamines from for £1 ? as for use well i never developed hayfever till my late 20's and some summers i dont really get symptoms worth worrying about but two years ago in France it was unbearable, i litterally couldnt stop sneezing my eyes felt like they had grit in them and my nose was just streaming, i also react badly to midge,horsefly bites, so now i carry them in my wallet in summer.

 

[dwardo]

Toddy where do you get your anti histamines from for £1 ? as for use well i never developed hayfever till my late 20's and some summers i dont really get symptoms worth worrying about but two years ago in France it was unbearable, i litterally couldnt stop sneezing my eyes felt like they had grit in them and my nose was just streaming, i also react badly to midge,horsefly bites, so now i carry them in my wallet in summer.

I buy them from most supermarkets Even my local chemist has given up trying to flog the £5 brands. Same goes for most medications these days.
They tend to be Loratadine or certazine, exact same ingredients as the "brand name" stuff. Although when the hayfever gets really bad for me its the doctors only horse pill size AH jobs that will work.
Lots of other over the counter med now can be found for a fraction of the price, suafed for instance, £5 or a £1 for the same stuff.

Sorry to jump in toddy

 

[Toddy]

No, you're quite right

Asda, Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M's, all carry antihistamines for around the pound a packet…..actually I think I paid 89p last time. Online from the internet pharmacies too, like this one,
http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/allergy-hayfever-relief-tablets-zirtek-equivalent/prd-1i

My Doctor says I can have a permanent prescription, but to hang with that ripping off that the big Pharma companies charge the NHS. I'll just buy them across the counter.

M

 

[Billy1]

There are differences in the assorted variety of pills though. There's a hard hitting short acting 4 hourly one (that's a godsend. It stops a swelling from immobilising a joint)

Which one is this?

 

[Toddy]

Chlorphenamine.
http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/chlorphenamine

M

 

[Insel Affen]

Pretty essential for me, I have an allergy to walnuts and pecan nuts!

Need them to stop my throat swelling, tongue itching, and eyes itching/going blood red! 💊🚑🏥😵😨😱💀👻