Chlorphenamine

The chlorpheniramine belongs to a group of drugs called ” sedating antihistamines ” which have the ability to help reduce symptoms allergic to the prevent the effects of a substance called histamine. Histamine is produced by the body as a response to foreign substances to which the body produces a series of allergic reactions . It also works directly on the brain to help you feel more relaxed.

This drug that was introduced into medicine in 1951 and can be administered orally or by intravenous , intramuscular or subcutaneous injection in the form of chlorphenamine maleate.

What is chlorphenamine for?

Chlorphenamine or chlorpheniramine as it is also known, is a drug that is indicated in the treatment of symptoms that arise from different allergic reactions , such as:

• Allergic rhinitis : rhinitis is one of the allergic diseases that affect children, young people and adults, and there are different types, from seasonal rhinitis, caused by pollens, such as hay fever, to perennial rhinitis, which give symptoms in all seasons throughout the year.
• The allergic conjunctivitis : a virus that affects the eyes and produces allergic reactions from mild to severe. Relieves itching , redness and inflammation of the eyes.
• Skin symptoms of uncomplicated mild allergy can be treated with chlorpheniramine, allergies such as urticaria and other rashes allergic that occur in the skin. It can also be used in some mild cases of angioedema .
• Food allergy : many patients who ingest chlorphenamine do so after the ingestion of a certain type of food triggers an allergic reaction in the body.
• Allergic reactions : which are produced by drugs , vaccines or other biological derivatives such as plasma or blood , which when introduced into the human body generate a series of allergic reactions.

It is useful for treating any type of skin disease that can cause itching , such as atopic or contact eczema , it can be soaps, substances, etc.

For severe life-threatening allergies, such as anaphylactic reactions . In these cases, chlorphenamine is indicated after the acute phase of the reaction has passed, after the patient has been stabilized through appropriate urgent measures.

It is indicated in cases of insect bites .

Presentation and dosage of chlorphenamine

Chlorphenamine is a drug that we can find in the following presentations:

• Tablets or tablets : They have 4 mg of active ingredient. They generally have other substances in their composition such as anhydrous lactose, yellow-orange dye, magnesium stearate and microcrystalline cellulose.
• Prolonged or modified release tablets or tablets : These tablets have a presentation of 8 or 12 mg of active ingredient together with other substances such as calcium sulfate, carnauba wax, lactose monohydrate, oleic acid, povidone, cornstarch, sucrose, talc, tribasic calcium phosphate, etc.
• Oral solution in drops : The solution comes in a presentation of 1 or 2 mg / ml.
• Oral suspension in syrup : This type of suspension contains 2, 2.5 or 4 mg of active ingredient for every 5 milliliter of liquid in the container.
• Injectable solution : This can be applied intramuscularly or intravenously and comes in vial presentations containing 10 mg of product for each ml of purified water used in injections.

Chlorphenamine is a product that must be kept in its original container, perfectly closed and must be kept out of the reach of children.

Contraindications

• If the patient is taking medications for anxiety , depression or seizures ; muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers, sedatives , sleeping pills, and tranquilizers.
• If you have had asthma , emphysema , chronic bronchitis , or other types of lung disease.
• If you suffer from glaucoma or increased pressure in the eye as it can cause gradual loss of vision.
• If you are diabetic or have difficulty urinating, heart disease , high blood pressure , if you have seizures or an overactive thyroid gland .
• If you are pregnant or if you are in the process of breastfeeding .
• If you need to drive vehicles or operate machinery.

Side effects

Like all drugs on the market, chlorphenamine can produce a series of side effects in people who take it, among them we can mention the following:

• Drowsiness
• dry mouth, nose, and throat
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Headache
• Feeling of congestion in the chest

Some of these side effects that occur can be complicated and can even be serious . In the event of any of the symptoms mentioned below, patients should contact the doctor immediately:

• Eye sight problems
• Difficulty urinating

Tradename

It can be found under the trade name of Chloro-Trento , Docsi , Derimeton and by its generic name such as chlorphenamine, chlorpheniramine, chlorphenamine maleate .

Compound chlorphenamine

It is an anti-flu medicine that palliates the general and local symptoms of the common cold . It is composed of chlorphenamine , a competitive antagonist of histamine at the H1 receptor level, phenylephrine , which produces vasoconstriction, reducing congestion associated with inflammation of the mucosa that obstructs the nasal passages; caffeine , a stimulant of the central nervous system that produces well-being and relaxation of smooth muscles, and acetaminophen that works as an analgesic that temporarily relieves body pain and fever. Its components are absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa .