To anyone who takes chlor trimeton for hay fever/allergies

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04 Jul 2012, 2:55 pm

For those of you that may not know, chlor trimeton is an OTC allergy med usually taken every 4-6 hours (although it lasts for most of the day for me).

Anyway, I have a question for anyone who does take it for hay fever/allergies. On the days that I take it, I notice that my mind doesn't race with a bunch of different thoughts and worries. It's like things seem to slow down just enough where I can do things and concentrate on them without my mind racing and analyzing every little thing, and worrying about things that have absolutely nothing to do with the task at hand, and I'm a lot more comfortable and at ease when I'm dealing with people, including customers and my bosses at my job. It doesn't make me drowsy, but my mind slows down just enough to the point where I can see things for what they are, instead of seeing things through anxiety filled glasses. It seems to have a similar effect on me that zoloft had when I used to take it. I may actually start to miss allergy season when it's over and I don't need to take it anymore. :wink:

To anyone who takes it or has taken it before, has anyone had anything similar to this when taking it? And if so, I'm wondering if the ingredient in chlor trimeton could theoretically be marketed as an antidepressant or antianxiety drug. It would certainly be a helluva lot cheaper than going to a dr. and getting some expensive prescription. One can dream, can't they? :wink:

Thoughts and experiences if you have any?

Robdemanc
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04 Jul 2012, 3:05 pm

I sometimes take antihistemine and this makes me feel slow and lethargic so that could be similar to what you are describing. I don't think I have tried the brand you discuss though. I usually take Promethazine Hydrochloride 25mg.

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04 Jul 2012, 3:10 pm

The active ingredient in chlor trimeton is chlorpheniramine maleate 4 mg.

Nymeria8
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04 Jul 2012, 3:41 pm

In general, all antihistamines can cause drowsiness or lethargy (not including the 24hr ones with dicongestant-which can keep you up). Chlortrimeton, Benadryl etc. I never feel sleepy but I do feel it slow me down. I guess since our brains seem to go faster in general we don't get as far as sleepy. This is not at all to suggest that allergy meds should be taken to reduce anxiety.

If you think its making your anxiety better and would like that to be the case regularly, I would suggest seeing a doctor for the correct kind of medication. Self medicating takes all forms-none of them turn out well.

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Deinonychus

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04 Jul 2012, 4:01 pm

Nymeria8 wrote:

The only thing I'm self medicating for is my allergies. Its effects on my anxiety levels just happen to be a side effect for me, just to clarify my first post.

CTBill
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04 Jul 2012, 5:09 pm

Quote:

Although not generally approved as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication, chlorphenamine appears to have these properties as well.

It is a SNRI. See Wikipedia article here (click).

I've taken it for 30+ years for seasonal allergies and I get a slight sedative effect. When I was a tween, though, it made me hyper. :bounce:

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04 Jul 2012, 5:59 pm

I clicked on one of the references at the bottom of that wikipedia article and got this:

Quote:

Some old antihistamines were selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the SSRI effect was discovered by Nobel Laureate Professor Arvid Carlsson as early as 1969. Chlorpheniramine was the most active of the tested drugs, and it compares favourably with amitriptyline and imipramine with respect to actions on both serotonergic and noradrenergic neurons. Chlorpheniramine can be called a SSRI, since the blocking of 5HT is stronger than the effect on noradrenaline neurons; however it might also be called a selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) and be compared with new drugs, such as venlafaxine. Carlsson suggested the potential value of clinical studies of the antidepressant properties of this and related antihistamine drugs. But, in the event, no such trials were ever performed at the time. However, later clinical observations of the benefits of dex-chlorpheniramine treatment in panic disorder have been published. Clinical experience suggests that patients using chlorpheniramine, and having also a concomitant depression or panic disorder, may experience a return of symptoms when their old drug is changed to a new antihistamine lacking SSRI effects. Yet this phenomenon is not known to many doctors, and even less known to the large number of patients buying chlorpheniramine under various trade names over-the-counter (OTC) at a low price for self-treatment of hay fewer or as a cold remedy. Chlorpheniramine was introduced in USA under the name Chlor-Trimeton as long ago as July 1950, and is still on the market. Therefore, this SSRI is now over 50 years old. If chlorpheniramine had been tested in depression in the nineteen seventies, it is probable that a safe, inexpensive SSRI drug could have been used some 15 years earlier than fluoxetine – which became available in 1987. Chlorpheniramine might have been the first safe, non-cardiotoxic and well-tolerated antidepressant. Billions of dollars in the development and marketing costs would have been saved, and the suffering of millions of patients alleviated.

http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(05)00647-X/abstract

So a ton of people with allergies including myself have been taking what appears to be an antidepressant without even knowing it, OTC. Wow.

CTBill
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04 Jul 2012, 6:49 pm

Thank you for that additional info. I've been on a "proper" SSRI (citalopram) since my diagnosis of AS but interesting to know why Chlor-Trimeton always seemed to have a positive effect on my general mood in addition to quelling violent sneezing fits and all the other fun symptoms of "hay fever."

So I sez, SSRI? SNRI? SSNRI? Just call it whatever the hell you want and pass the bottle. Don't bogart it, dude!