Drug warning for hay fever sufferers
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IN Truck drivers who use first-generation antihistamines such as hay fever remedies could pose a safety risk on Britain's roads.
According to an American scientist, people who take the antihistamines demonstrate levels of impairment in working memory tests similar to those seen in head trauma patients with mild brain damage.
Dr Gary Kay, a brain researcher in Washington DC, says: "Asking a patient who has taken a first-generation antihistamine for hay fever if he feels drowsy may be as valid as asking a man who's had a couple of pints if he feels drunk.'' Kay cites a recent study which involved healthy volunteers who received a measured dose of firstgeneration antihistamine. Although only a third of the volunteers reported sleepiness, the remainder showed significantly impaired performance in tests of working memory, divided attention and vigilance. Most had not recognised that their performance was impaired.
"Patients who do not feel sedated are unlikely to observe warnings about the need for caution when driving or operating machinery," says Kay.