Seizures Induced by Desloratadine, A Second-Generation Antihistamine: Clinical Observations

 

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Abstract

Some clinical experiences indicate that H₁-antihistamines, especially first-generation H₁-antagonists, occasionally provoke convulsions in healthy children as well as epileptic patients. Desloratadine is a frequently used second-generation antihistamine considered to be effective and safe for the treatment of allergic diseases. We describe four children who experienced epilepsy associated with the nonsedating H₁-antagonist desloratadine and discuss the neurophysiologic role of the central histaminergic system in seizure susceptibility. In conclusion, we recommend caution in treating epileptic patients with the histamine H₁-antagonists, including second- and third-generation drugs that are frequently referred because they are considered to be nonsedating antihistamines.

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