Drug-induced pruritus

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Drug-induced pruritus is itchiness of the skin caused by medication, a pruritic reaction that is generalized.{{cite book | vauthors = James WD, Berger T, Elston D |title=Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology |date=2006 |publisher=Saunders Elsevier |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-0-7216-2921-6 |edition=10th}}{{rp|57}}

Signs and symptoms

Depending on the causing agent, symptoms may start out acutely, go away when the drug is stopped, or develop into a chronic pruritus that lasts longer than six weeks.{{cite journal | last1=Reich | first1=A | last2=Ständer | first2=S | last3=Szepietowski | first3=JC | title=Drug-induced Pruritus: A Review | journal=Acta Dermato Venereologica | publisher=Medical Journals Sweden AB | volume=89 | issue=3 | year=2009 | issn=0001-5555 | doi=10.2340/00015555-0650 | pages=236–244| pmid=19479118 | doi-access=free }}

Causes

A common anti-malarial medication called chloroquine may cause pruritus for unknown reasons. Other antimalarials like amodiaquine, halofantrine, and hydroxychloroquine have also been linked to pruritus, albeit less frequently and to a lesser extent.

Another class of medications known to occasionally cause itching is known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors.{{cite journal | last1=Cederberg | first1=Jonas | last2=Knight | first2=Stefan | last3=Svenson | first3=Svante | last4=Melhus | first4=Håkan | title=Itch and skin rash from chocolate during fluoxetine and sertraline treatment: Case report | journal=BMC Psychiatry | volume=4 | issue=1 | date=2004 | issn=1471-244X | pmid=15522120 | pmc=533866 | doi=10.1186/1471-244X-4-36 | doi-access=free | page=}}

Itching is one of the most frequent adverse effects of opioid therapy.{{cite journal | last1=Katcher | first1=Jerald | last2=Walsh | first2=Declan | title=Opioid-Induced Itching | journal=Journal of Pain and Symptom Management | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=17 | issue=1 | year=1999 | issn=0885-3924 | doi=10.1016/s0885-3924(98)00115-8 | pages=70–72| pmid=9919868 | doi-access=free }}

A common artificial colloid used in clinical fluid management is hydroxyethyl starch (HES). Well-defined side effects, such as coagulopathy, clinical bleeding, anaphylactoid reactions, and pruritus, can make using HES more difficult.{{cite journal | last=Bork | first=K. | title=Pruritus precipitated by hydroxyethyl starch: a review | journal=British Journal of Dermatology | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=152 | issue=1 | year=2005 | issn=0007-0963 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2133.2004.06272.x | pages=3–12| pmid=15656795 | s2cid=13483776 }}

Epidemiology

Thirty-three percent of the 3,671 cases of cutaneous adverse drug reactions included itching as a common complaint.{{cite journal | last1=Patel | first1=TejasK | last2=Thakkar | first2=SejalH | last3=Sharma | first3=DC | title=Cutaneous adverse drug reactions in Indian population: A systematic review | journal=Indian Dermatology Online Journal | publisher=Medknow | volume=5 | issue=6 | year=2014 | pages=S76-86 | issn=2229-5178 | doi=10.4103/2229-5178.146165 | doi-access=free | pmid=25593813 | pmc=4290186 }}

See also

References

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