(no subject)

[phineasjones]

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are closely related drugs with actions and side effects similar to the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline).

i knew it! when i was a wee one with asthma, they were forever shooting me full of adrenaline and it made me feel awful, much in the same way taking pseudoephedrine does now. i just read a list of 'minor' side effects and yeah, they're all the ones i experience. weird. so, i guess i'm sensitive to it. i would like to file an official complaint here... i mean really. someone out there said, let's give this one nasty allergies, defective sinuses and some mild asthma and then make her hyper sensitive to the one drug everyone uses for congestion. grr. it worked out much better with my hair. i've always thought that was well planned - have a narrow head. but my hair is so huge and boofy and curly, no one would ever notice my narrow head. see, there can be logic here.

Comments

Re: drugs

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

To the poster above, yes, you want to take an antihistamine in response to a histamine-producing sting, because it isn't the sting that is actually bothering you - it's your bodies overreaction to it. Some people get a sting or bite or poison ivy or what have you, and just feel a tiny bit of discomfort. Some people who are really allergic, swell up like balloons, and can even die if their breathing gets constricted (I have that reaction to bees). That severe reaction is caused not by the allergen, but by the reaction of your body's immune system. Overproducing histamine is what CAUSES the runny nose, itching, watery eyes, hives and swelling. In other words, your body reacts to an extremem, and can cause you big trouble. Blocking the histamine blocks the symptoms.

Re: drugs

[wildgreentide.livejournal.com]

Ah--thanks for clearing that up. (It made sense at the time when she told me, and then when I was typing it out, I thought "wait a minute..." but posted it anyway.) But the point of the story still stands, which was that the doctor was totally unhelpful when asked that question. Clearly the poor bee-stung guy knew no more than I did, and the doctor should have explained the situation to him like you just did to me.