you can't be allergic to an antihistamine. You can only be _allergic_ to things which are proteins, which antihistamines aren't. (Er, I don't think.) You could be otherwise sensitive to them, but you can't be allergic.
The hives I get from some antihistamines aren't an allergy? Ok, thanks. What's the technical difference between an allergy and a sensitivity when you're talking about stuff that isn't life-threatening, only annoying?
This is predicated on my assumption that that antihistamines aren't protein-based; as far as I can tell, they aren't, but that doesn't mean they aren't for sure. You could be allergic to one of the binding agents in a common prep of those antihistamines, rather than the antihistamine itself. Hives don't always mean allergies; I get hives from touch if I don't dope up on antihistamines.
The difference is in exactly what's happening, and how it's treated. An allergic response is a specific series of events involving your immune system. The symptoms can be very similar with a sensitivity, but the standard anti-allergen regimes won't work.
Apologies for my long-windedness and general incoherence. I just got up and haven't had any tea yet.
Thanks for that clarification (and the clues to further info in a later comment) of how alergies work. That falls squarely in the "I really should've known that" category, and I'm glad to be able to re-file it under "I know that now." Yay for knowledge.
When I saw this, I was about to ask about allergies to binders or fillers in the pills, but I see you've answered that below. (That wouldn't be quite as ironic -- less so on a scientific level but plenty enough so on a personal level -- but would still suck.) At least one person on my friends list is allergic to most birth control pills because of the binder used.
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The difference is in exactly what's happening, and how it's treated. An allergic response is a specific series of events involving your immune system. The symptoms can be very similar with a sensitivity, but the standard anti-allergen regimes won't work.
Apologies for my long-windedness and general incoherence. I just got up and haven't had any tea yet.
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When I saw this, I was about to ask about allergies to binders or fillers in the pills, but I see you've answered that below. (That wouldn't be quite as ironic -- less so on a scientific level but plenty enough so on a personal level -- but would still suck.) At least one person on my friends list is allergic to most birth control pills because of the binder used.