Piriton and seizures

RE: Piriton and seizures

Thomas Johnson — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 08:57:32 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

There are long lists (in fact most drugs it seems) of medication that can alter the blood levels of anticonvulsants and could affect the seizure threshold.

I suspect that anything that can have the effect of causing sedation might just alter the seizure threshold but suspect they rarely do! Most of the time I think it is backside covering but clearly not all the time.

[/quote]

My wife has epilepsy, and has been told that any drugs that cause sedation do have a small risk of lowering the seizure threshold. I agree that it seems be very rare, but it is possible.

RE: Piriton and seizures

Clive Ansell — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:20:35 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I know you are only in locum tenens Clive but it sounds like its time someone reviewed this case. Assuming this a chronic derm case, given chlorpheniramine is of limited value, I would think it would be a good opportunity to take it off the Piriton and see what happens with the skin. Preds then next on the list! [/quote]

Been done several times by different colleagues, but working against lack of funds, lack of compliance, regularly missed check up appointments. Only ever had limited work up restricted to skin scrapes to exclude parasites. Advice to use Advocate or Stronghold along with regular malaseb baths is ignored. Has had prolonged antibiotic course in the past of limited value. The minute it is off preds it excoriates itself to the point of bleeding open skin sores - preds or PTS really.

some you win, some you don't, This one no chance.

RE: Piriton and seizures

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:08:24 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]....been on preds and 4mg sid Piriton since about 2 years old.[/quote]I know you are only in locum tenens Clive but it sounds like its time someone reviewed this case. Assuming this a chronic derm case, given chlorpheniramine is of limited value, I would think it would be a good opportunity to take it off the Piriton and see what happens with the skin. Preds then next on the list!

RE: Piriton and seizures

Bob Russell — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:11:07 GMT

There are long lists (in fact most drugs it seems) of medication that can alter the blood levels of anticonvulsants and could affect the seizure threshold.

Perhaps time to use a non-sedating antihistamine?

RE: Piriton and seizures

Luca Poddighe — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:06:01 GMT

Never had any similar problem and I was unaware of what Arlo says so worth keeping it in mind.

RE: Piriton and seizures

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:25:19 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]I have never heard of Piriton causing seizures[/quote]

One of those conditions that are on the list of things that antihistamines can exacerbate: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antihistamines/Pages/Who-can-use-it.aspx. Not, I think, because it causes seizures, but because it might lower a person's seizure threshold (ie susceptibility to having a seizure triggered by some other event). Not sure what evidence those guidelines are based on, though.