Health

From: ABCNewsEditorial
To: All

1 of 5
3/20/08

Welcome to the ABC News OnCall+ Allergy question and message board! Here you can ask your allergy questions and have them answered directly by the nation's top experts at the best medical centers in the country. We are able to get most questions answered in 48-72 hours; however, you will want to keep your questions to a general nature, because in most cases, specific questions may be too difficult to answer without additional information.

PLEASE READ: The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site.

From: jodybfish
To: ABCNewsEditorial

2 of 5
4/15/08

I am very concerned about a friend of mine who has suffered from allergies since childhood. He has the usual seasonal allergies but also a variety of other outdoor/indoor suspects (dust, animal hair, etc)....He ingests, on the average, 6-10 benadryl per day . He also suffers from asthma......he has trouble getting enough oxygen when he breathes and constantly makes a snorting noise because he can't get enough air and then has that terrible "allergy-hack cough."....Are there new medicines out there for him to take and what kind of damage is all of this benedryl doing to his body. I can't imagine it being good for him. He has tried xyzal and that doesn't work. He doesn't think an allergy doctor will be able to help him. He is absolutely miserable!!!

From: _ABCNewsMedUnit_
To: jodybfish

3 of 5
4/16/08

*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****

Hi jodybfish and thank you for your question. Here is an answer from Michael Daines, M.D., Pediatric Allergist-Immunologist & Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Arizona Respiratory Center, University of Arizona College of Medicine:

While it is difficult to make a specific recommendation based on second hand information, your question raises several points that are very interesting.

Your friend presents with several issues, three of which could best be handled by respiratory or allergy specialists.

The first concern I have is asthma. The 'allergy hack cough' could well be a sign of asthma, as could his trouble breathing and getting enough oxygen. I would suggest an evaluation by an asthma specialist to determine the presence and severity of asthma. Treatment options vary and would depend on the severity of the asthma and what medications have been tried in the past. Asthma is a controllable disease and there are significant risks to undertreatment.

My second concern is your friend's allergies. That is a lot of diphenhydramine to be taking to control asthma symptoms. Diphenhydramine blocks histamine responses, decreasing the symptoms of allergy. It does not block much of the inflammation that leads to allergies or modify the allergies themselves. It only covers up the symptoms. Better options could include allergen avoidance, anti-inflammatory medications such as nasal steroids, or allergy shots to modify the allergic response. An allergy specialist would be needed to help with these options.

My third concern relates to the snoring/oxygen issues. Is this occurring during sleep? If so, this could represent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). He would need to be evaluated by a sleep specialist to determine if he has OSA.

My suggestion would be to start with a primary care provider and discuss your concerns, and ask what allergy (for asthma and allergies) or pulmonary (for asthma and OSA) specialists your doctor recommends.

NOTE: Top medical experts on treating seasonal allergy symptoms answer more questions like these in the Seasonal Allergy section of our OnCall+ Allergy site: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesSeasonal/.

*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****

From: jodybfish
To: _ABCNewsMedUnit_

4 of 5
4/17/08

Thank you for your prompt response. My real concern is what kind of damage does ingesting 6-8 benedryl a day, for months on end, do to one's body...what organs might it affect and can it do irreversible damage? Thank you.

From: _ABCNewsMedUnit_
To: jodybfish

5 of 5
4/21/08

*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****

Hi jodybfish and thank you for your question. Here is an answer from Michael Daines, M.D., Pediatric Allergist-Immunologist & Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Arizona Respiratory Center, University of Arizona College of Medicine:

The issue here is not the damage that diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may cause. it is a safe drug if given at recommended doses. Its main side effects are sedation. The bigger concern is that using diphenhydramine only masks the ongoing allergic inflammation that could be better managed by other drugs, such as nasal steroids, allergy shots, or asthma medications, depending on the illness being treated.

NOTE: Top medical experts on treating seasonal allergy symptoms answer more questions like these in the Seasonal Allergy section of our OnCall+ Allergy site: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesSeasonal/.

*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****

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