histamine dihydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
The injection is an immunostimulant; the skin-prick preparation is a diagnostic allergy-test control.
Licensed roles
Maintaining first remission in adult acute myeloid leukaemia with interleukin-2, and acting as a positive control in allergy skin-prick tests.
Administration
The leukaemia treatment is slowly injected under the skin; trained healthcare personnel apply and prick the allergy-test control.
Key practical risk
The injection can cause low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting, particularly if administered too rapidly.
What is histamine dihydrochloride used for?
The UK products have two licensed uses:
Maintenance therapy with interleukin-2 for adults with acute myeloid leukaemia in first remission following consolidation treatment.
A positive reference control in skin-prick testing for specific IgE-mediated allergy. It does not treat allergy.
How does histamine dihydrochloride work?
In acute myeloid leukaemia, it reduces reactive oxygen species that can impair natural killer cells and T cells, helping protect immune cells activated by interleukin-2. In skin-prick testing, it produces the expected raised, red and itchy response used to confirm that the skin reacts normally.
histamine dihydrochloride preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 0.5 mg/0.5 mL
How to take histamine dihydrochloride
The leukaemia formulation is given by slow subcutaneous injection in a different area from interleukin-2. Treatment starts under clinical supervision; self-injection requires practical training, preferably with another adult present. The allergy-test control is applied to clean, healthy skin and pricked by experienced personnel.
Do not inject the leukaemia formulation into a vein or at the same site as interleukin-2.
Do not self-inject without training from a doctor or nurse.
Do not use discoloured injection solution or solution containing particles.
Tell allergy-testing staff about medicines that may suppress the skin response.
histamine dihydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Injection: flushing, headache, dizziness, low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhoea, cough, breathlessness, rash, muscle or joint pain, and injection-site reactions.
- Injection-related blood-test changes may include reduced platelets and increased eosinophils.
- Skin-prick control: the intended raised wheal, redness and local itching; slight application-site pain may occur.
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe low blood pressure with collapse or fainting.
- Significant breathing difficulty, chest pain, or troublesome rapid or irregular heartbeat.
- Severe or widespread skin reaction, or clinically important infection during combined treatment.
histamine dihydrochloride in pregnancy
The injectable formulation with interleukin-2 is contraindicated during pregnancy. Effective contraception is required for women who could become pregnant and sexually active men receiving treatment. The skin-prick control should be used only when the clinician considers that its benefit outweighs the risk.
histamine dihydrochloride while breastfeeding
The injectable formulation with interleukin-2 is contraindicated during breastfeeding because transfer into breast milk is unknown. Systemic exposure to the skin-prick control is negligible, so effects on a breastfed child are not anticipated and testing can be performed while breastfeeding.
histamine dihydrochloride interactions
Interactions differ between the injectable treatment and the diagnostic skin-prick control.
Systemic corticosteroids
They must not be used with the injection because immune suppression may oppose treatment. Higher exposure can also suppress skin-prick responses.
Clonidine
Clonidine is contraindicated with the injectable formulation.
Histamine H2-receptor antagonists
Medicines such as cimetidine and famotidine must not be used with the injection because they oppose histamine signalling.
Common questions about histamine dihydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why is it used with interleukin-2?
It helps protect natural killer cells and T cells from oxidative suppression, allowing interleukin-2 to support their activity against residual leukaemia cells.
Is it chemotherapy?
No. The injectable formulation is an immunostimulant used with interleukin-2 as maintenance treatment after earlier acute myeloid leukaemia therapy.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.