Carbinoxamine is an
antihistamine
Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides ...
and
anticholinergic agent. It is used for
hay fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...
, vasomotor rhinitis, mild
urticaria
Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red or flesh-colored, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and typically ...
, angioedema, dermatographism and allergic conjunctivitis. Carbinoxamine is a histamine antagonist, specifically an H1-antagonist. The maleic acid salt of the
levorotatory
Optical rotation, also known as polarization rotation or circular birefringence, is the rotation of the orientation of the plane of polarization about the optical axis of linearly polarized light as it travels through certain materials. Circul ...
isomer is sold as the prescription drug rotoxamine.
It was patented in 1947 and came into medical use in 1953.
It was first launched in the United States by the
McNeil Corporation under the brand name Clistin. Carbinoxamine is available in various countries around the world by itself, combined with decongestants such as pseudoephedrine, and also with other ingredients including paracetamol, aspirin, and codeine.
Society and culture
In June 2006 the FDA announced that more than 120 branded pharmacy products containing carbinoxamine were being illegally marketed and demanded they be removed from the marketplace. This action was precipitated by twenty-one reported deaths in children under the age of two who had been administered carbinoxamine-containing products. Despite the fact that the drug had not been studied in this age group, a multitude of OTC preparations containing carbinoxamine were being marketed for infants and toddlers. At present, all carbinoxamine-containing formulations are approved only for adults or children ages 3 or older.
Brand names
Brand names include Clistin, Palgic, Rondec, Rhinopront, Ryvent.
Side effects
Continuous and/or cumulative use of
anticholinergic
Anticholinergics (anticholinergic agents) are substances that block the action of the acetylcholine (ACh) neurotransmitter at synapses in the central nervous system, central and peripheral nervous system.
These agents inhibit the parasympatheti ...
medication, including first-generation antihistamines, is associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older people.
See also
*
Carbinoxamine/pseudoephedrine
*
Tofenacin
*
Clemastine
*
Captodiamine
References
{{Histaminergics
H1 receptor antagonists
4-Chlorophenyl compounds
2-Pyridyl compounds
Ethers