Adapted from BMJ 8th August 2026
As a GP, I often would prescribe oral anti-histamines to children and adults who had eczema (atopic dermatitis) in order to help them sleep and with the hope of reducing scratching. A recent study has found that I was wasting my time.
This study looked at the prescribing of anti-histamines to both adults and children with atopic dermatitis. They looked at the severity of the skin lesions, how itchy they were, how much sleep was disturbed, their quality of life, and adverse effects.
They found 47 trials with a total of 6,230 people. Compared to placebo there was a small reduction in lesion severity and itch. Although the change reached statistical significance, the change wasn’t enough to recommend the anti-histamines as a treatment. First generation anti-histamines (the sedating ones) increased cognitive impairment, whereas the non sedating ones eg loratidine, did not.
The study authors did not consider the use of the anti-histamines to be worthwhile due to the lack of meaningful symptom improvement and the risk of cognitive impairment of the older drugs.
