Proper erection recovery time after stopping taking antihistamines

[serakel]

Hi All,

I had been prescribed an antihistamine drug - Telfast (Fexofenadine), which was 1.5 years ago. 6 months ago I stopped taking this medicine and changed that into Allegra (Fexofenadine), available without prescription (both the same dose of Fexofenadine). During the last half of the year I observed increasing erection dysfunction. I may also say that this dysfunction appeared during last year but was not so visible as it is now. I was taking this medicine every day.

Fexofenadine was identified as the candidate for the cause of my erection dysfunction by a doctor. I was advised to stop taking this medicine as it is not life treating - sometimes without it I have skin rush, but I only feel discomfort.

After how many days or weeks I can expect erection dysfunction to disappear? Now I am not taking any antihistamine drug. What can I do to help my recovery from this condition? I hope it is not permanent.

Thank you for your help very much.

Serakel

[Cavalier]

There are to many variables involved to give a definitive answer to this. All I can say is it won't happen overnight. It may be days, weeks or more, but I doubt very much that there is anything permanent. In the mean time don't get to worried or anxious about it, that can create a whole new area of erection problems.

[the journey]

One thing that might help your EQ is kegals, jelqing and edging. Cavalier is right, there is no definitive answer to this but try the things I said and let's hope for the ED to disappear in the nearest future.

[Phoenix7672]

Antihistamines can cause erection issues? Does this extend to drugs like Reactine (Cetirizine)? I'm typically on the stuff from April until October, and don't really notice any issues but maybe I'm lucky.

[Jaw Breaker]

Sounds like another question for the doctor.

[jockinthebox]

I've been taking 5mg loratidine (Claratin OTC) for years and have noticed no side effects; other than my eyes don't tear & itch and I'm not sneezing my head off 8 moths out of the year. Check with your pharmacist to investigate possible side effects or other drug or diet interactions to try and narrow down whether this may be affecting your erections.

[corageon]

Antihistamines can cause erection issues? Does this extend to drugs like Reactine (Cetirizine)? I'm typically on the stuff from April until October, and don't really notice any issues but maybe I'm lucky.

Yes, especially histamine H2 antagonist drugs, such as Zantac (Ranitidine) and Tagamet (Cimetidine) - in other words, stomach acid pills that are specific for histamine can cause erectile dysfunction, among other issues.
They can also cause psychosis and memory disruption with long-term use at higher doses.

Cimetidine: adverse reactions and acute toxicity. - PubMed - NCBI
Cimetidine inhibits catechol estrogen metabolism in women. - PubMed - NCBI
Safety issues relating to long-term treatment with histamine H2-receptor antagonists. - PubMed - NCBI

Br J Urol. 1995 Feb;75(2):220-4.The role of histamine in human penile erection.

Cará AM1, Lopes-Martins RA, Antunes E, Nahoum CR, De Nucci G.
Author information


Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the relaxant action of histamine on human corpus cavernosum in vitro and the erectile response caused by the intracavernous injection of histamine in patients with psychogenic impotence.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Human corpus cavernosum (HCC) tissue was cut into strips of approximately 2 cm and suspended in a cascade bioassay. The strips were then superfused with oxygenated and warmed Krebs solution and precontracted with noradrenaline (3 microM). Glyceryl trinitrate, acetylcholine and histamine were injected as a single bolus in the absence or in the presence of mepyramine and cimetidine. For the in vivo studies, histamine (30-60 micrograms) was injected intracavernously as a single bolus into the right corpus cavernosum 1 cm from the balamo-preputial sulcus. Similar protocols were carried out for papaverine (50 mg). The erectile response was divided into four grades: no response, tumescence, partial and full erection.
RESULTS:

In vitro studies demonstrated that histamine (3-100 micrograms) caused dose-dependent relaxation of the HCC strips which was significantly inhibited by cimetidine (5-10 microM). The histamine H1 receptor antagonist mepyramine (1 microM) potentiated histamine-induced relaxation. The co-infusion of both mepyramine and cimetidine did not abolish histamine-induced relaxation. When injected intracavernously in humans, histamine (30 micrograms) caused full erection in 13% of the patients, whereas 87% had partial erection or tumescence. A higher dose of histamine (60 micrograms) caused full erection in 26% of the patients and 74% had partial erection or tumescence. Papaverine induced full erection in the majority of patients (66%). In contrast to papaverine, the duration of erection induced by histamine was markedly shorter (mean 200 and 6.5 min, respectively). The penile erections induced by papaverine were associated with complications such as pain, haematoma and priapism. Histamine did not induce any complications. Treatment of eight male patients with psychogenic impotence with the histamine H1 receptor antagonist astemizol (10 mg orally once daily for 1 week) did not affect histamine-induced erectile responses.
CONCLUSION:

These results indicate that histamine may play a role in human penile erection. The erection-promoting action of histamine is probably due to H2 receptor activation, although another histamine receptor, possibly H3, also seems to be involved. This study suggests that histamine could be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction.


PMID:7850330[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[corageon]

The role of histamine in human penile erection. - PubMed - NCBI

H1 antihistamines don't cause as many issues, but they can dull the libido if they cause you fatigue (but due to the tiredness, not a physiological mechanism)...interestingly, some people such as myself - they don't even touch . lol
But the H2 antagonists as in Zantac and Tagamet, stay away from..use a proton pump inhibitor such as Prilosec instead.

Benadryl and other anti-muscarinic-dual-antihistamines should be avoided...claritin doesn't cross the blood brain barrier as much so it's fine...that is why most don't get sides from Claritin.

Here's a good guide I wrote regarding all of this - it tells you how to assess whether a substance will have a particular effect...much of it has to do with blood brain barrier penetration rates / and or molecular mass of the substance and other pharmacokinetic parameters.

http://area1255.blogspot.com/2015/05...-value-of.html


10 Rules for Assessing / Evaluating NeuroPharmacological Effects of a Substance