Sevda Onder

Assessment of the effects of antihistamine drugs on mood, sleep quality, sleepiness, and dream anxiety

Abstract Objective. There are limited comparative studies on classic and new-generation antihistamines that affect sleep quality and mood. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effects of classic and new-generation antihistamines on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, dream anxiety, and mood. Methods. Ninety-two patients with chronic pruritus completed study in the dermatology outpatient clinic. Treatments with regular recommended therapeutic doses were administered. The effects of antihistaminic drugs on mood, daytime sleepiness, dream anxiety, and sleep quality were assessed on the first day and 1 month after. Results. Outpatients who received cetirizine and hydroxyzine treatments reported higher scores on the depression, anxiety, and fatigue sub-scales than those who received desloratadine, levocetirizine, and rupatadine. Pheniramine and rupatadine were found to be associated with daytime sleepiness and better sleep quality. UKU side effects scale scores were significantly elevated among outpatients receiving pheniramine. Classic antihistamines increased daytime sleepiness and decreased the sleep quality scores. New-generation antihistamines reduced sleep latency and dream anxiety, and increased daytime sleepiness and sleep quality. Conclusion. Both antihistamines, significantly increased daytime sleepiness and nocturnal sleep quality. Daytime sleepiness was significantly predicted by rupadatine and pheniramine treatment. Cetirizine and hydroxyzine, seem to have negative influences on mood states. Given the extensive use of antihistamines in clinical settings, these results should be more elaborately examined in further studies.

Two cases of eczematid‐like purpura of Doucas and Kapetanakis responsive to narrow band ultraviolet B treatment

Eczematid‐like purpura of Doucas and Kapetanakis is a type of pigmented purpuric dermatoses (PPDs) with eczematous changes in the purpuric surface. A 10‐year‐old male and a 44‐year‐old male patients were admitted to our clinics for itching and flaking of the skin rashes. Based on the clinical and histopathological evaluations, the rashes were identified as eczematid‐like PPDs of Doucas and Kapetanakis. Both patients were treated with narrow band ultraviolet B. The lesions were remarkably regressed following the treatment. These cases reported due its rarity and good response to narrow band ultraviolet B.

General psychiatric symptoms, quality of sleep, and coping strategies in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

Psoriasis is a common dermatological disorder with psychiatric comorbidity. Psoriasis is associated with a variety of psychological problems, including poor self‐esteem, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

The role of patient chronotypes on circadian pattern of chronic pruritus: a latent growth modeling analysis

Chronic pruritus is a serious medical and psychiatric disorder that can have a huge impact on a patient’s quality of life. Hence, we aimed to examine whether the chronotype characteristics impact on the severity of pruritus throughout the day. In our study we included 83 idiopathic chronic pruritus patients who did not have any underlying dermatological, systemic, or metabolic diseases. We examined the change in the severity of itching symptoms throughout 24 h at four time points. The latent growth modeling approach was used to assess the significance of the chronotype effect on symptom severity after controlling for age, gender, and depression. The patients with morning chronotype characteristics reported more severe itching symptoms later in the day, while the patients with evening chronotype characteristics complained of more severe itching earlier in the day. These findings suggest that chronobiological factors might play a deterministic role on the symptom severity.

A case of levetiracetam induced bullous pemphigoid

Bullous pemphigoid is a chronic, acquired autoimmune skin disease. Certain drugs such as furosemide, penicillins, sulfonamides, ciprofloxacins, penicillamines, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, chloroquine, and phenacetin were reported to cause bullous pemphigoid. This is a case report of a 70-year-old female, who presented with the formation of diffuse cutaneous blister in month after starting to use levetiracetam. Dermatological exam and histopathological findings were consistent with bullous pemphigoid. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of bullous pemphigoid in the literature associated with levetiracetam use.