• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Antihistamines affects on Blood Glucose levels

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Jodee

Jodee

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Short statement, the anti-histamine I take seems to be raising my blood glucose - any suggestions on which ones are less likely to do that?

Details (an optional read) :D

I get prescribed Cetirizine for allergy reactions this time of year. They are supposed to be non drowsy but have always had a sedative affect on me, so I just take as required and always before bed because of this.

Last night I was sneezing so much, had itchy eyes and nose I took one before bed. Omg I didn't surface till 12.40pm,
I did get up about 6am for a pee and then straight back to sleep.

I took my blood glucose measurement and it was at 8.5 - which for me (of late) on rising before food is high. this made me think... (I may be a bit slow at times) :D
are the antihistamines having an affect on my blood glucose :confused: and sure enough they have been it appears. o_O

So my question is, can anyone suggest a anti histamine that may not affect the blood glucose so much?

Thanks for sharing any info.

🙂
 
Last edited:
antihistamine should not raise blood glucose levels. I would speak to your GP as to why your sugars could be rising.
 
Thank you Mr D,

There is a lot of reference to it on-line, they have always made me drowsy but didn't occur to me it could be the blood sugar being high each time I took one !

I do have more than just diabetes going on so maybe the antihistamine does impact on my BG also.

I do suspect though if I don't take the antihistamine tonight my blood glucose won't be so high tomorrow and I won't sleep so late. I will check that before making a telephone appointment with the doc.

Thank you for your input.
 
I take cetirizine and it’s ok for me. I’ve found the opposite - that some antihistamines can lower my blood sugar, so now I stick to the same two.

If you’re going to take it at night, then Piriton Allergy (old-fashioned original one) is worth a try. It might make you sleepy but it’s ok for my blood sugar.

I do find that bad hay fever can put my blood sugar up sometimes without any meds. I think that’s the stress of the sneezing and itchy eyes.
 
I take two quite strong prescription ones, hydroxyzine and fexofenadine for urticaria and they don't seem to affect my levels at all but even after 15 years on them they still can make me sleepy so only take before bed.
 
Thanks @Inka, its always good to hear other peoples experience, I've not thought about it just being the added histamine in the blood that could be affecting the blood sugar as well - once I took loratadine which didn't have such a sleepy affect on me. I may try that again and pay attention to the way it affects me and BG.
thanks again.
 
Last edited:
brisr949 said:
I take two quite strong prescription ones, hydroxyzine and fexofenadine for urticaria and they don't seem to affect my levels at all but even after 15 years on them they still can make me sleepy so only take before bed.
Click to expand...

Wow I probably wouldn't surface for days on that dose brisr :D thanks for your input 🙂
 
Was that BG reading of 8.56? you took, at 6am when you went to the loo or at lunchtime when you actually got up?

Just wondering if it could be high due to the extra long fast till lunchtime, causing the liver to chuck out some extra glucose ie Dawn Phenomenon rather than the antihistamines.
 
I take Loratadine every day and have done for years, it has no effect on my Blood Sugars.
 
I've never had a meter that tests to 2 decimal places, so I'm interested in that reading too. 8.5 ish isn't a particularly dangerously high level, and I should think much more likely due to the hay fever itself rather than owt else.
 
Jodee said:
I get prescribed Cetirizine for allergy reactions this time of year. They are supposed to be non drowsy but have always had a sedative affect on me, so I just take as required and always before bed because of this.
Click to expand...
Non-drowsy? They say 'may cause drowsiness' on the outside of the packet! I certainly daren't take them except at night, they put me out like a light! I normally take loratidine. I’ve never noticed an effect on my Blood sugars, from either, so as people have suggested, it may be dawn effect because you are sleeping longer.
 
I take Loratadine as it doesn't make me drowsy, Cetirizine knocks me out completely. Neither affected my blood sugars though.

Loratadine I pick up for a £1 for 30 tablets in BM if anyone needs them and money is tight at the moment.
 
rebrascora said:
Was that BG reading of 8.56? you took, at 6am when you went to the loo or at lunchtime when you actually got up?

Just wondering if it could be high due to the extra long fast till lunchtime, causing the liver to chuck out some extra glucose ie Dawn Phenomenon rather than the antihistamines.
Click to expand...

Could be rebrascora it was the before food after mid day. 2 hours after down to 7.6 just now at 19.17 hours 4.4, feel weird again just had corned beef sarnie can't wait for big meal which I will eat later.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
I take Loratadine as it doesn't make me drowsy, Cetirizine knocks me out completely. Neither affected my blood sugars though.

Loratadine I pick up for a £1 for 30 tablets in BM if anyone needs them and money is tight at the moment.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sue think I will have to switch to Liratadine. Still feel so groggy just from one dose of Cetirizine.
 
@grovesy thanks grovesy

@Robin not on my box and not according to nhs - Cetirizine is known as a non-drowsy antihistamine. It's much less likely to make you feel sleepy than some other antihistamines. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/cetirizine/

Thanks everyone for you input 🙂 a great help.

@trophywench - a possible typo will double check next time a do a reading :D
 
Jodee said:
@Robin not on my box and not according to nhs - Cetirizine is known as a non-drowsy antihistamine. It's much less likely to make you feel sleepy than some other antihistamines. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/cetirizine/
Click to expand...
If you read down to the bottom on the NHS guidance, it does say that it still makes some people drowsy, hence the warning on my pack of Piriteze, I think. I’m certainly one of the unlucky few.
 
yep that was a typo @trophywench with the extra digit, amended now :D

Cetirizine certainly makes me drowsey @Robin, I am switching to Loratadine.

Well my blood glucose following day without taking cetirizine were back to 5.5 on rising. Of course it could be how as @rebrascora mentioned regarding the xtra long fast.

Thanks again everyone - great help.
 
Neither Cetirizine of Loratadine make me drowsy. Not many medications do, in fact. I don’t think I’ve noticed any side effect from a prescribed drug, apart from Metformin right at the start of of my misdiagnosed diabetic career. That segued into my first episode of Ulcerative Colitis, which turns Metformin squits into a minor irritation.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top