What Is Carbinoxamine Used For?

Carbinoxamine is a medication that is used for treating various forms of allergies. It is approved for the treatment of eye allergies, respiratory allergies, and different types of allergic reactions. The medication can be given to children as young as two years old. Although some antihistamines are used "off-label" to treat non-allergy related conditions, there are currently no universally approved off-label uses for carbinoxamine.

Carbinoxamine Drug Information

An Overview of Carbinoxamine Uses

Carbinoxamine maleate (Palgic^®) is an allergy medication approved for a variety of different uses. It is an antihistamine and is available by prescription only. Approved uses for carbinoxamine include the treatment of the following conditions:

Seasonal or perennial (year-round) allergies, such as hay fever
Runny or stuffy nose due to irritants (instead of allergens)
Eye allergies, known medically as allergic conjunctivitis, due to inhaled allergens or foods
Mild allergic skin reactions, such as hives
Dermatographism (a severe form of hives due to physical triggers such as touch, heat, or cold)
Severe, life-threatening allergic reactions when used in combination with other medications such as epinephrine
Allergic reactions to blood or plasma transfusions.

How Does Carbinoxamine Work?

Carbinoxamine is one of many allergy medications known as antihistamines. Specifically, it is known as an H1 receptor antagonist. This means that it blocks a specific type of histamine receptor in the body (known as H1 receptors). Since the symptoms of allergic reactions are partly caused by histamine, carbinoxamine can help prevent or relieve allergy symptoms.

Carbinoxamine also blocks acetylcholine receptors, an action which produces some of the bothersome side effects of the medication (such as dry mouth or difficulty urinating) but also helps to produce a "drying" effect (which can be helpful for a runny nose).

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