Drug-induced pruritus

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.

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.

Itching is one of the most frequent adverse effects of opioid therapy.

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.

Epidemiology

Thirty-three percent of the 3,671 cases of cutaneous adverse drug reactions included itching as a common complaint.

References

References

1. (2006). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology". Saunders Elsevier.
2. (2009). "Drug-induced Pruritus: A Review". Medical Journals Sweden AB.
3. (2004). "Itch and skin rash from chocolate during fluoxetine and sertraline treatment: Case report". BMC Psychiatry.
4. (1999). "Opioid-Induced Itching". Elsevier BV.
5. Bork, K.. (2005). "Pruritus precipitated by hydroxyethyl starch: a review". Oxford University Press (OUP).
6. (2014). "Cutaneous adverse drug reactions in Indian population: A systematic review". Medknow.