What Canadian experts are saying about a viral trend to treat PMDD and menopause symptoms

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Dr. Michelle Jacobson, co-founder and medical director of Coven Women’s Health, is also skeptical.

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She told National Post in an email that while some women notice allergy medications help with symptoms like hot flashes or poor sleep, “Antihistamines are not a true treatment for menopause. They don’t address the underlying hormonal changes, and the evidence that they reliably help is limited.”

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Nevertheless, medical experts say there are few health risks associated with taking Pepcid and Allegra together.

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Combining over-the-counter drugs based on social media trends is, of course, not standard medical practice. But, as long as the two drugs don’t interact with other medications being taken, Dr. Shea said that there’s no reason why patients shouldn’t try it — after consulting with a pharmacist.

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“At the end of the day, if patients ask me about it, I would say it’s worth a try. Particularly if they’re having some of these more physical symptoms. They’re pretty safe medications without a lot of side effects.”

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This is partly because Allegra is a non-drowsy antihistamine. She warns that drowsy medications, like Benadryl, do come with safety considerations.

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Dr. Jacobson explained that taking these can “cause next-day grogginess, memory issues, dry mouth, constipation, and may increase fall risk, especially if used regularly.”

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They can also interact with other medications and alcohol, she added.

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Previous research published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that famotidine (commonly sold as Pepcid) may help treat depression and anxiety symptoms induced by COVID-19. But there is very little research on antihistamines and hormonal changes, despite menopause affecting 50% of the population and roughly one in 20 women experiencing PMDD.

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“Women’s health research has been largely underfunded for years, and this is a major problem,” said Dr. Shea. “Only 10 to 15% of research funding is focused on women’s health specifically. It’s starting to get better, slowly, but this is a large, systemic, historical problem.”

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This gap may help explain why some patients turn to social media for advice, and Dr. Shea hopes that the more we hear about these trends, the more likely it is that these topics will lead to scientific research.

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However, for those struggling with PMDD and menopause symptoms, she recommends trying a low-histamine diet before jumping on the Pepcid-Allegra trend.

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“If you’re noticing changes in your body that could be potentially related to histamine, it’s best to do an elimination diet and cut out high histamine foods,” she said. “Then, slowly add them back in, and you can see what might be making your symptoms worse.”

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Foods higher in histamine include smoked meats, aged cheeses, alcohol, fermented foods, tomatoes, and legumes.

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“We’ve heard everybody wants to use a pill,” Dr. Shea said, “But we forget about all the lifestyle things that we can do, which are even better.”

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