Allergy Medication: Side Effects

By Jennifer Fields

It's no surprise that your over-the-counter antihistamine can send you snoozing on the job, but sleepiness isn’t the only side effect of allergy medicine that you should be aware of. There are lesser-known effects that can range from annoying to dangerous that you may not even link to your dose of allergy relief. Intensity of side effects vary from person to person and with the help of your doctor you can weigh the severity of your allergy against the intensity of the side effect from the medication used to treat it. Here, Javed Sheikh, M.D., Clinical Director of Allergy at Beth Israel Deaconess and full-time faculty at Harvard Medical School, outlines some of the lesser-known side effects of allergy medication.

1. Impairment of Thinking
The same antihistamine in allergy medicines that cause drowsiness and sedation can also be responsible for some cognitive impairment. You may notice that you feel sluggish, slow or not as mentally sharp as usual; your kids may have trouble functioning in school. Some people may experience difficulty driving as a result, so think twice about getting behind the wheel if you’re taking a drug that causes drowsiness.

2. Depression
Feeling unusually sad? A lesser-known side effect of some allergy drugs with antihistaminesis depression. The sedative in these medicines can exacerbate existing depression or aggravate underlying depression, Sheikh says. If you’re prone to the illness talk with your doctor about allergy treatments that won’t affect your mood.

3. Anxiety
If you feel a little amped up from your allergy treatment, pseudoephedrine might be to blame. This class of medication has an effect similar to drinking several cups of coffee, Sheikh says. The stimulant properties of these medicines give some people heart palpitations, insomnia and anxiety. If you’re prone to panic attacks, these types of drugs will only worsen your condition.

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