Focal Dystonia

[honeybee]

hi everyone-can someone please pm his email address? I need help addressing issues with focal dystonia and schitzencephaly. The current research on these issues is lacking. And nobody has ever posted about these here besides me.
Thanks

 

[ellingerfarmer]

Hopefully worth a read...

http://www.fariastechnique.com/

FOCAL DYSTONIA · MUSICIANS' DYSTONIA · WRITERS' CRAMP · ATHLETES' YIPS · DANCERS · CHILDREN DYSTONIA · BLEPHAROSPASM · CERVICAL DYSTONIA · PARKINSONS
Dr Farias discovered that most of the patients affected by Dystonia experienced some unexpected moments of freedom of movement due to unknown reasons. He realized that both proper coordination and dysfunctional coordination coexist simultaneously in patients affected by F.D. That made him hypothesize that the body is naturally able to restore proper coordination by itself in less time than previously supposed. As a consequence, the goal of the training is to facilitate this process of reorganization known as neuroplasticity. His method is called Dr. Farias Neuroplastic Training and Neuroplastic Movement Therapy.
In addition, he discovered that the involuntary tensions occur due to various factors. Knowing them allows you to get control over them. The recovery process can be induced moving naturally . During this process you should use your imagination and pay attention to the subtle relationship between emotions and movements.

Dr. Farias’ theory is to consider muscle spasms and tremors as logical and meaningful reactions by the human body. He has classified the different reactions observed and has linked them to different meanings by the body. He considers that spasms respond to unconscious defense patterns that follow a predetermined sequence which was programmed in the past. He believes that this sequence can be analyzed and dismantled sequentially.


Dr. Farias has been working in the phenomenon of entrainment of the brain activity, hemyspheric synchronization and the use of Rhythmic Sensory Stimulation to induce neuroplastic changes in the brain during rehabilitation of neurological disorders.
He is also researching adressing Thalamo-Cortical Dysrhytmia inducing synchronization through exposure to external and internal rhythms during exercise based training. His work takes into consideration the connections between emotions and movement and pays special attention to the role that rhythm and timing play in movement coordination.

Dr. Farias has opened new fields of thought in comprehending the neuroplastic processes involved in movement training. He has brought to the table the concept that people who are affected by dystonia are also affected by agnosia and specific task-related amnesias. He points out in his work that by giving specific attention to these agnosias and amnesias reeducation effectiveness is boosted.

He considers that the term dystonia does not accurately describe the reality that these patients encounter. He has coined a new term for the phenomena which is Movement Confusion Disorder, because he believes it more precisely encompasses the mechanics at play in the brain.

He considers Dystonia to be a temporary lack or loss of accuracy and precision in brain activity. For this reason Dr. Farias Neuroplastic training aims to retune the brain and restore proper function of cognitive processes, perception and motor functions.

This new vision of what is implied by the phenomena of dystonia has allowed him to achieve unprecedented improvements and recoveries in patients affected by Musicians' Dystonia, Writers’ Cramp, Blepharospasms, Athletes’ Dystonias/ Yips, Surgeons' Dystonia, Cervical Dystonia and Ankle Dystonia, generalized dystonia, Parkinsons' Disease.

Dr. Farias has developed a system to induce neuroplastic changes in the brain in less than 15 minutes. This unmasking of silent neural pathways in the brain so rapidly has challenged the mainstream thinking about the possibilities that retraining has to bring about actual changes in the structure and function of the brain.

Dr. Farias’ neuroplastic retraining is based on the remembering of lost functions as a way of reinstalling them. For this reason Dr. Farias first referred to his method as the art of remembering. In his opinion patients affected by dystonia live trapped in a brain loop that actualizes memories of erroneous movements. In order to break the loop, it is necessary to make a regression to the original memories of the proper motion rescuing and using them to regenerate functional neural pathways.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has shown that after completing the training, normal cortical activity in the brains of patients was restored.

 

[ellingerfarmer]

Re: Ray Peat Email Advice Depository: Chlorine or Fluorine

RP Fans

Background: I pace back and forth due to worry, nerve on my bottom of my foot got swollen, PAIN. Dr. Peat recommended Benadryl cream - all pain went away, was able to get some sleep. Pain came back, but less, just put more cream, then it went. Finally all pain is gone. Foot is good. Told Dr. Peat I am thinking about taking Cetirizine for overall health.
He said:




When I asked him about Benadryl containing chloride, and even salt does, he clarified:




He gave me this research:

++++++
1. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008 Sep;24(9):627-8. doi:
10.1097/PEC.0b013e3181850c35.
Cetirizine-induced dystonic reaction in a 6-year-old boy.
Esen I, Demirpence S, Yis U, Kurul S.
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University,
Inciralti,
Izmir, Turkey.
Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes involuntary contractions of
the
>> muscles. Dystonia can affect just 1 muscle, a group of muscles, or all of
>> the
>> muscles. The most common cause acquired dystonia in childhood is drugs.
>> Cetirizine is widely used for allergic disorders in childhood. It is
>> without
>> central nervous system side effects at recommended dosages. There is only
>> 1 case
>> of cetirizine-induced dystonia in the literature. We report a second case
>> of
>> cetirizine-induced acute acquired dystonia whose symptoms completely
>> resolved
>> after the discontinuation of the drug.
>>
>> 2. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2009 May;67(5):577-8. doi:
>> 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2009.03394.x.
>> Epub 2009 Feb 23.
>> Cetirizine-induced anaphylaxis: a rare adverse drug reaction.
>> Afonso N, Shetgaonkar P, Dang A, Rataboli PV.
>>
>> 3. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Jan;33(1):68-9. doi:
>> 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2009.06.011.
>> Epub 2009 Sep 3.
>> [Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis simulating cetirizine-induced
>> toxic
>> hepatitis].
>> [Article in Spanish]
>> Díaz-Sánchez A, Marín-Jiménez I, Aldeguer M.
>>
>> 4. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Dec;41(6):187-9.
>> Paradoxical exacerbation of chronic urticaria by H1-antihistamines and
>> montelukast.
>> Tedeschi A.
>> Unità Operativa di Allergologia e Immunologia Clinica, Ospedale Maggiore
>> Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e
>> Cura a
>> Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milano, Italy.
>> Histamine is the main mediator of urticaria and H1-receptor antagonists
>> represent
>> the treatment of choice in all patients with chronic urticaria.
>> Leukotriene
>> receptor antagonists as montelukast have also been used in patients with
>> chronic
>> urticaria unresponsive to H1-antihistamines alone. We report a patient
>> with
>> chronic urticaria whose disease was paradoxically exacerbated by
>> H1-antihistamines and montelukast, and controlled by immunosuppressive
>> drugs as
>> ciclosporin and azathioprine. Urticaria exacerbations were caused by
>> different
>> molecules including either piperidine (fexofenadine, desloratadine,
>> ebastine,
>> rupatadine) or piperazine (hydroxyzine, cetirizine) derivatives as well as
>> by
>> montelukast suggesting that an IgE-mediated mechanism was not involved. A
>> possible explanation of the observed urticaria exacerbation is that
>> H1-antihistamines and montelukast may shift the H1 histamine receptor and
>> the
>> leukotriene receptor to the active conformation instead of the inactive
>> state.
>> The beneficial effects of ciclosporin and azathioprine confirm that
>> immunosuppressive drugs have an important role in the treatment of
>> refractory
>> chronic urticaria and back the hypothesis that an autoimmune/autoreactive
>> mechanism often underlies the disease.
>>
>> 5. N Z Med J. 2010 Feb 19;123(1309):106-7.
>> Severe hepatitis in a primary sclerosing cholangitis patient receiving
>> recent
>> cetirizine therapy.
>> Jurawan R, Smith A.
>>
>> 6. Prescrire Int. 2010 Feb;19(105):26-8.
>> Cetirizine and loratadine: minimal risk of QT prolongation.
>> [No authors listed]
>> Some antihistamines, such as mizolastine and ebastine, can prolong the QT
>> interval and provoke severe cardiac arrhythmias. This review examines the
>> effects
>> of two widely used antihistamines, cetirizine and loratadine, on the QT
>> interval.
>> As of mid 2009 very few clinical data had been published on the risk of QT
>> prolongation with cetirizine or loratadine. The very rare reported cases
>> of
>> torsades de pointes linked to loratadine mainly appear to involve drug
>> interactions, especially with amiodarone and enzyme inhibitors. We found
>> no
>> reports of QT prolongation attributed to desloratadine, the main
>> metabolite of
>> loratadine. Two cases of QT prolongation with cetirizine have been
>> published, one
>> of which involved overdose and renal failure. The reports are too vague to
>> conclude that cetirizine was implicated. We found no reports of QT
>> prolongation
>> attributed to levocetirizine. Cetirizine is a metabolite of hydroxyzine,
>> another
>> antihistamine. In the 1960s, a study of patients with psychosis showed a
>> risk of
>> QT prolongation. A case of recurrent syncope with QT prolongation has
>> since been
>> reported, along with rare cases of cardiac arrhythmia. In practice,
>> cetirizine
>> and loratadine are first-line antihistamines. However, caution is needed
>> in
>> certain circumstances. In particular, it is best that patients who have
>> risk
>> factors for torsades de pointes or who are taking certain enzyme
>> inhibitors avoid
>> using loratadine. It is best to avoid using cetirizine in cases of renal
>> failure.
>>
>> 7. Br J Pharmacol. 2010 Sep;161(2):456-66. doi:
>> 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00907.x.
>> Histamine H1 receptor antagonist cetirizine impairs working memory
>> processing
>> speed, but not episodic memory.
>> van Ruitenbeek P, Vermeeren A, Riedel WJ.
>> Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of
>> Psychology and
>> Neuroscience, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
>> [email protected]
>> BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The histaminergic neurotransmitter system is
>> currently
>> under investigation as a target for drug treatment of cognitive deficits
>> in
>> clinical disorders. The therapeutic potential of new drugs may initially
>> be
>> screened using a model of histaminergic dysfunction, for example, as
>> associated
>> with the use of centrally active antihistamines. Of the selective second
>> generation antihistamines, cetirizine has been found to have central
>> nervous
>> system effects. The aim of the present study was to determine whether
>> cetirizine
>> can be used as a tool to model cognitive deficits associated with
>> histaminergic
>> hypofunction.
>> EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The study was conducted according to a three-way,
>> double-blind, cross-over design. Treatments were single oral doses of
>> cetirizine
>> 10 and 20 mg and placebo. Effects on cognition were assessed using tests
>> of word
>> learning, memory scanning, vigilance, divided attention, tracking and
>> visual
>> information processing speed.
>> KEY RESULTS: Cetirizine 10 mg impaired tracking performance and both doses
>> impaired memory scanning speed. None of the other measures indicated
>> impaired
>> performance.
>> CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Cetirizine affects information processing
>> speed, but these effects were not sufficient to serve as a model for
>> cognitive deficits in
>> clinical disorders.
>>
>> 8. Med Clin (Barc). 2011 Sep 10;137(6):283-4. doi:
>> 10.1016/j.medcli.2010.09.027.
>> Epub 2010 Dec 8.
>> [Cetirizine hepatotoxicity].
>> [Article in Spanish]
>> Prieto de Paula JM, Franco Hidalgo S, Nalotto L, Ginés Santiago A.
>>
>> 9. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2011 Sep-Oct;39(5):307-9. doi:
>> 10.1016/j.aller.2010.08.003. Epub 2011 Jan 3.
>> Antihistamines in chronic urticaria: threat or treat?
>> Aydin O, Celik G, Misirligil Z.
>>
>> 10. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Mar;106(3):258-9. doi:
>> 10.1016/j.anai.2010.12.005. Epub 2011 Jan 7.
>> Positive basophil activation test result in a patient with acute urticaria
>> induced by cetirizine and desloratadine.
>> Bobadilla-González P, Pérez-Rangel I, Cámara-Hijón C, García-Menaya JM,
>> Sánchez-Vega S.
>>
>> 11. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2011;21(1):66-8.
>> Urticaria due to antihistamines.
>> Sánchez Morillas L, Rojas Pérez-Ezquerra P, Reaño Martos M, Sanz ML,
>> Laguna
>> Martínez JJ.
>> Allergology Department, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, Madrid, Spain.
>> [email protected]
>> Erratum in
>> J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2011;21(2): 2 p following 161.
>> H1-antihistamines are probably the most frequently used drugs in allergic
>> diseases, with widely established efficacy, tolerance, and safety. We
>> report a
>> patient with urticaria due to ingestion of ebastine and fexofenadine. Skin
>> prick
>> tests, patch tests, and basophil activation tests with the implicated
>> drugs and
>> antihistamines from other families were negative. The oral challenges with
>> the
>> implicated antihistamines and other antihistamines tested were positive,
>> but the
>> patient tolerated an oral challenge with cetirizine. We present a patient
>> with
>> urticaria induced by different antihistamines in whom the diagnosis was
>> established by oral challenge. The mechanism of sensitization remains
>> unclear.
>>
>> 12. Ann Hepatol. 2011 Apr-Jun;10(2):237-8.
>> Levocetirizine induced hepatotoxicity in a patient with chronic urticaria.
>> Ekiz F, Yüksel I, Ekiz O, Coban S, Basar O, Yüksel O.
>>
>> Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2002 Nov;129(11):1295-8.
>> [Cutaneous drug eruption with two antihistaminic drugs of a same chemical
>> family: cetirizine and hydroxyzine]
>> [Article in French]
>> Assouere MN, Mazereeuw-Hautier J, Bonafe JL.
>> Service de Dermatologie, Hopital de Rangueil, 1, avenue Jean Poulhes,
>> 31403
>> Toulouse Cedex 4, France. [email protected]
>> BACKGROUND: H1-antihistamines are widely used to relieve symptoms of
>> allergic
>> disorders. A few skins reactions to H1-antihistamines have been described
>> in the
>> literature. We report the first case of cutaneous drug eruption as fixed
>> drug
>> eruption with 2 antihistamines of the same chemical family: cetirizine and
>> hydroxyzine. CASE REPORT: A 73 year-old man was admitted because of a
>> third
>> cutaneous eruption with the same morphologic features of the same sites as
>> before. The first and second eruption appeared after 4 hours of cetirizine
>> intake, the third eruption appeared after 4 hours of hydroxyzine intake.
>> Healing
>> was obtained after stopping the medication. Histology showed induced drug
>> reaction. Patch tests with cetirizine and hydroxyzine were negative,
>> except
>> false positivity with dimethylsulfoxide vehicles. DISCUSSION: The
>> diagnosis of
>> cutaneous drug eruption as non pigmenting fixed drug eruption related to
>> cetirizine and hydroxyzine was retained. Allergy to both H1 antihistamines
>> can
>> be explained by the fact that they've got the same chemical node that is
>> piperazine, and by the fact that cetirizine is the main metabolite of
>> hydroxyzine. Oral test provocation was omitted because the patient had
>> already
>> reexposed himself to the drugs. To identify the drug responsible for fixed
>> drug
>> eruption, peroral provocation tests are the most valuable method, but
>> carry the
>> risk of a strong reaction. Some authors use patch tests, but their
>> positivity is
>> inconstant. Their interest in fixed drug eruption is undergoing
>> assessment.
>>
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002 Dec;89(6):561-5.
>> Facial swelling and eosinophilia in a 44-year-old woman.
>> Abraham D, Saltoun CA.
>> Division of Allergy-Immunology, Ernest S. Bazley Asthma and Allergic
>> Diseases
>> Center, Department of Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital,
>> Northwestern
>> University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
>> Case Reports
>> Clinical Conference
>>
>> J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2002;12(2):136-7.
>> Urticaria to cetirizine.
>> Tella R, Gaig P, Bartra J, Garcia-Ortega P.
>> Allergy Unit, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain.
>> A patient with recurrent idiopathic urticaria reported exacerbations after
>> treatment with cetirizine. Prick test to cetirizine was negative.
>> Double-blind
>> challenge tests with mizolastine, loratadine, fexofenadine,
>> dexchlorpheniramine,
>> ebastine, ketotifen, and placebo were negative, whereas hydroxyzine and
>> its
>> active metabolite, cetirizine, reproduced the urticaria. Identification of
>> uncommon adverse reactions to H1 antihistamines is important, particularly
>> because they may mimic the underlying disease.
>>
>> Toxicol Lett. 2002 Feb 28;127(1-3):279-84.
>> Cardiotoxicity of new antihistamines and cisapride.
>> Paakkari I.
>> Institute of Biomedicine/Pharmacology, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of
>> Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, FIN-00014, Finland. [email protected]
>> Although the new second-generation nonsedative antihistamines terfenadine
>> and
>> astemizole were launched as highly selective and specific H(1)-receptor
>> antagonists, they were later found to cause prolongation of the
>> QT-interval and
>> severe cardiac arrhythmias. The prolongation of the QT-interval is caused
>> by the
>> blockade of one or more of the cardiac potassium channels, among which the
>> delayed rectifier I(Kr), encoded by the HERG-gene, appears to be the most
>> significant. The potency of the prokinetic drug cisapride to block I(Kr)
>> appears
>> to be similar to that of terfenadine (IC(50) about 50 nmol/l). These drugs
>> cause
>> problems when overdosed, used in combination with inhibitors of their
>> CYP3A4-mediated metabolism, or when given to individuals with altered drug
>> kinetics (the aged) or patients with existing cardiac disease
>> (congenitally long
>> QT). Moreover, interactions with other QT-interval prolonging drugs
>> require
>> special attention. Active hydrophilic metabolites of the second-generation
>> antihistaminic compounds (ebastine-carebastine, loratadine-desloratadine,
>> terfenadine-fexofenadine, astemizole-norastemizole) are new compounds with
>> probably reduced risk for drug interactions and cardiac toxicity.
>>
>> J Clin Gastroenterol. 2000 Oct;31(3):250-3.
>> Cetirizine-induce cholestasis.
>> Fong DG, Angulo P, Burgart LJ, Lindor KD.
>> Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
>> Minnesota
>> 55905, USA.
>> Cetirizine, a human metabolite of hydroxyzine, is a selective H1-receptor
>> antagonist currently approved for the treatment of seasonal allergic
>> rhinitis,
>> perennial allergic rhinitis, and chronic urticaria. In U.S. clinical
>> trials,
>> transient reversible hepatic transaminase elevations were observed in <2%
>> of
>> patients during cetirizine therapy. We report a case of cetirizine-induced
>> cholestasis in a 28-year-old man with no previous hepatobiliary disease
>> after a
>> 2-year period of taking cetirizine on a daily basis. The treatment of this
>> patient included the use of ursodeoxycholic acid, as well as hydroxyzine,
>> for
>> symptomatic relief of pruritus. In light of the patient's clinical and
>> biochemical improvement while using hydroxyzine, it appears that the
>> hepatic
>> metabolism of hydroxyzine to metabolites, including cetirizine, is not
>> involved
>> in the pathogenesis of this particular case of drug-induced
>> hepatotoxicity.
>> Cetirizine should be considered as a potential cause of drug-induced
>> cholestasis.
>>
>> Ann Intern Med. 2001 Jul 17;135(2):142-3.
>> Severe hepatitis in a patient taking cetirizine.
>> Watanabe M, Kohge N, Kaji T.
>> Case Reports
>> Letter
>>
>> J Clin Gastroenterol. 2002 Apr;34(4):493-5.
>> Acute hepatitis associated with cetirizine intake.
>> Sanchez-Lombrana JL, Alvarez RP, Saez LR, Oliva NP, Martinez RM.
>> Case Reports
>> Letter
>>
>> Ann Pharmacother. 2004 Nov;38(11):1844-7. Epub 2004 Sep 21.
>> Recurrent acute hepatitis associated with use of cetirizine.
>> Pompili M, Basso M, Grieco A, Vecchio FM, Gasbarrini G, Rapaccini GL.
>> Department of Internal Medicine, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore,
>> Rome,
>> Italy. [email protected]
>> OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of recurrent acute hepatitis related to the
>> use of
>> cetirizine, a selective histamine(1)-receptor antagonist approved for the
>> treatment of common allergic diseases. CASE SUMMARY: A 26-year-old man was
>> hospitalized with a week-long history of weakness, nausea, anorexia, and
>> hyperchromic urine, which had developed after 6 days of therapy with oral
>> cetirizine 10 mg/day for allergic rhinitis. Admission laboratory testing
>> revealed evidence of acute hepatitis and seropositivity for liver-kidney
>> microsome antibodies. Liver biopsy findings of diffuse portal tract and
>> lobular
>> inflammation with a prominent eosinophilic infiltrate were consistent with
>> drug-related hepatitis. The patient was discharged after one week of
>> treatment
>> with tocopherol and glutathione. Three months after discharge,
>> transaminase
>> levels were normal. At 6 months, seropositivity for liver-kidney microsome
>> antibodies was still present, but considerably less intense. The patient
>> had
>> suffered 2 previous episodes of "acute hepatitis of unknown origin," and
>> both
>> had occurred after cetirizine use. DISCUSSION: Use of the Naranjo
>> probability
>> scale indicated cetirizine as the probable cause of acute hepatitis, and
>> the
>> positivity for liver-kidney microsome antibodies is suggestive of an
>> autoimmune
>> mechanism for liver damage. As of September 13, 2004, ours is the fourth
>> reported case of acute hepatitis associated with cetirizine and the second
>> in
>> which liver-kidney microsome antibodies have been documented. CONCLUSIONS:
>> Although cetirizine is considered to have low potential for severe hepatic
>> toxicity, the possibility that it can provoke autoimmune-mediated
>> hepatotoxicity
>> should be considered.
>>
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Mar;92(3):294-303; quiz 303-5, 355.
>> Erratum in:
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Jun;92(6):675.
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Mar;94(3):409-10.
>> Comment in:
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Mar;94(3):407.
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Mar;94(3):407-9; author reply 409-10.
>> Antihistamines and driving ability: evidence from on-the-road driving
>> studies
>> during normal traffic.
>> Verster JC, Volkerts ER.
>> Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of
>> Psychopharmacology,
>> University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected]
>> BACKGROUND: All antihistamines are capable of crossing the blood-brain
>> barrier
>> and thus may cause sedation. Most antihistamine users are ambulatory
>> patients
>> and therefore presumably drive a car. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the effects
>> of
>> antihistamine drugs on driving ability. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION:
>> A
>> literature search (MEDLINE and cross-references) was performed using the
>> keywords driving and antihistamine. Sixteen studies using the on-the-road
>> driving test during normal traffic were included in the review. Studies
>> were
>> double-blind and placebo-controlled and included a positive control.
>> RESULTS:
>> First-generation antihistamines (diphenhydramine, triprolidine,
>> terfenadine,
>> dexchlorpheniramine, clemastine) significantly impair driving performance
>> after
>> both one-time and repeated (daily) administration. Second-generation
>> antihistamines (cetirizine, loratadine, ebastine, mizolastine,
>> acrivastine,
>> emedastine, mequitazine) may also impair driving performance, but the
>> magnitude
>> and extent of impairment depend on the administered dose, sex, and time
>> between
>> testing and treatment administration. Tolerance develops after 4 to 5 days
>> of
>> administration, but impairment is not absent. Third-generation
>> antihistamines
>> (fexofenadine and levocetirizine) have been shown to produce no driving
>> impairment after both one-time and repeated administration. CONCLUSIONS:
>> First-
>> and second-generation antihistamines may significantly impair driving
>> performance. In the context of driving safety but also taking into account
>> the
>> cardiotoxic properties of some of the second-generation antihistamines, we
>> advise treating patients with third-generation antihistamines such as
>> fexofenadine and levocetirizine.
>>
>> Am J Ophthalmol. 2004 Feb;137(2):355-7.
>> Oculogyric crisis in patients taking cetirizine.
>> Fraunfelder FW, Fraunfelder FT.
>> Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland,
>> Oregon
>> 97201, USA. [email protected]
>> PURPOSE: To report oculogyric crisis in patients receiving cetirizine and
>> inform
>> clinicians on the characteristics of this drug-induced ocular side effect.
>> METHODS: For this retrospective, observational case series, case reports
>> were
>> collected from the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects
>> (Casey
>> Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon). The World Health Organization Causality
>> Assessment Guide of Suspected Adverse Reactions was used to categorize the
>> cases. RESULTS: Nine cases were reported, with eight occurring in the
>> pediatric
>> age group. Dosage ranged from 5 to 10 mg orally and onset of symptoms
>> ranged
>> from 3 to 184 days. Six cases of oculogyric crisis had positive
>> rechallenge
>> data. Eight cases had complete neurologic consultation including
>> radiographic
>> studies. CONCLUSIONS: Cetirizine can cause oculogyric crisis, especially
>> in the
>> pediatric age group. Extensive neurologic workups may be avoided if
>> clinicians
>> recognize this drug-induced ocular side effect.
>>
>> Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Nov;93(5):460-4.
>> An evaluation of the ocular drying effects of 2 systemic antihistamines:
>> loratadine and cetirizine hydrochloride.
>> Ousler GW, Wilcox KA, Gupta G, Abelson MB.
>> Ophthalmic Research Associates Inc, North Andover, Massachusetts 01845,
>> USA.
>> BACKGROUND: Systemic antihistamines, such as loratadine and cetrizine
>> hydrochloride, have proven efficacious in the control of many allergic
>> conditions; however, patients complain about their drying effects.
>> OBJECTIVE: To
>> investigate the ocular drying effects of loratadine and cetirizine
>> hydrochloride
>> in individuals with normal ocular health exposed to a controlled adverse
>> environment (CAE). METHODS: Eighteen individuals completed a randomized,
>> double-masked study. Participants were evaluated in a CAE (a chamber that
>> regulates humidity, temperature, airflow, and visual tasking) at baseline
>> and
>> after taking 10 mg of either loratadine or cetirizine hydrochloride daily
>> for 4
>> days. Keratitis, conjunctival staining, and tear film break-up time
>> (TFBUT) were
>> examined before and after a 45-minute CAE exposure. Participant-reported
>> ocular
>> discomfort was recorded every 5 minutes during CAE challenge. RESULTS:
>> After 4
>> days, use of loratadine yielded a mean increase of 0.75 points (107%) in
>> keratitis (P < .001), a mean increase of 1.35 points (133%) in
>> conjunctival
>> staining (P < .001), a mean decrease of 1.38 seconds (33.7%) in TFBUT (P <
>> .001), and a mean increase of 0.32 points (24.8%) in ocular discomfort (P
>> = .05)
>> vs baseline. After 4 days, use of cetirizine hydrochloride yielded a mean
>> increase of 0.57 points (60%) in keratitis (P < .001), a mean increase of
>> 0.7
>> points (49.7%) in conjunctival staining (P = .005), and a mean decrease of
>> 0.76
>> seconds (19.6%) in TFBUT (P = .05) vs baseline. Loratadine was shown to
>> induce
>> 93% greater conjunctival staining after 4 days of use and CAE exposure vs
>> cetirizine hydrochloride (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Loratadine and cetirizine
>> hydrochloride induced signs and symptoms associated with ocular dryness,
>> including increased corneal and conjunctival staining, decreased TFBUT,
>> and
>> increased ocular discomfort in healthy individuals. Loratadine induced
>> significantly more conjunctival staining than cetirizine hydrochloride.
>> Clinical Trial
>> Randomized Controlled Trial

 

[whodathunkit]

Scott Adams (the creator of "Dilbert" has a recent book out that is in part about his search for a cure for focal dystonia. He's had it in his hands and vocal cords. Might be worth a read.

Amazon.com: how to fail at almost everything

Good luck! :)