Medical condition
Drug-induced pruritus is itchiness of the skin caused by medication, a pruritic reaction that is generalized.[ 1] : 57
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.[ 2]
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.[ 2]
Another class of medications known to occasionally cause itching is known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors .[ 3]
Itching is one of the most frequent adverse effects of opioid therapy.[ 4]
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.[ 5]
Thirty-three percent of the 3,671 cases of cutaneous adverse drug reactions included itching as a common complaint.[ 6]
^ James WD, Berger T, Elston D (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (10th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7216-2921-6 .
^ a b Reich, A; Ständer, S; Szepietowski, JC (2009). "Drug-induced Pruritus: A Review" . Acta Dermato Venereologica . 89 (3). Medical Journals Sweden AB: 236–244. doi :10.2340/00015555-0650 . ISSN 0001-5555 . PMID 19479118 .
^ Cederberg, Jonas; Knight, Stefan; Svenson, Svante; Melhus, Håkan (2004). "Itch and skin rash from chocolate during fluoxetine and sertraline treatment: Case report" . BMC Psychiatry . 4 (1). doi :10.1186/1471-244X-4-36 . ISSN 1471-244X . PMC 533866 . PMID 15522120 .
^ Katcher, Jerald; Walsh, Declan (1999). "Opioid-Induced Itching" . Journal of Pain and Symptom Management . 17 (1). Elsevier BV: 70–72. doi :10.1016/s0885-3924(98)00115-8 . ISSN 0885-3924 . PMID 9919868 .
^ Bork, K. (2005). "Pruritus precipitated by hydroxyethyl starch: a review". British Journal of Dermatology . 152 (1). Oxford University Press (OUP): 3–12. doi :10.1111/j.1365-2133.2004.06272.x . ISSN 0007-0963 . PMID 15656795 . S2CID 13483776 .
^ Patel, TejasK; Thakkar, SejalH; Sharma, DC (2014). "Cutaneous adverse drug reactions in Indian population: A systematic review" . Indian Dermatology Online Journal . 5 (6). Medknow: S76-86. doi :10.4103/2229-5178.146165 . ISSN 2229-5178 . PMC 4290186 . PMID 25593813 .
Classification External resources