An assessment of the use of antihistamines in the management of atopic dermatitis

Background Antihistamines are often used to treat pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) despite lack of evidence for their efficacy. The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend the general use of antihistamines in the management of AD, although the value of short-term sedating antihistamine use for insomnia secondary to itch is recognized. Objective To assess the use of sedating and nonsedating antihistamines for AD in 2003-2012. Methods The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey provided data on physician visits in 2003-2012. Sedating and nonsedating antihistamine use was identified at visits for AD. Results There were 990,000 annual visits for AD. Antihistamines were prescribed for AD in a significant proportion of visits across physician specialties (16%-44%). Dermatologists and pediatricians primarily used sedating antihistamines (58%-70%), whereas the majority of family/general practitioners, internists, and other specialists prescribed nonsedating antihistamines for AD (55%-100%) Limitations We were limited by the accuracy of AD diagnosis and medication recording. Conclusions Antihistamines are widely used for the treatment of AD. There is no high-level evidence to suggest that nonsedating antihistamines reduce itch in patients with AD or that sedating antihistamines provide benefit in controlling AD symptoms (except perhaps sleep and AD comorbidities, such as allergic rhinitis).