Histamine release by narcotics and muscle relaxants in humans

Abstract

The purposes of this article are to review the literature, which demonstrates that commonly used narcotics and neuromuscular blocking agents can cause dose-related increases in plamsa histamine in humans; to demonstrate further that these increases in plasma histamine are temporally and quantitatively related to observed cardiovascular charges; and to review clinical strategies that plasma the cardiovascular changes in humans. These strategies include altered rate of administration and the use of H1 and H2 receptor antagonists. Drug design also will be considered, because structural changes can increase potency and specificity, while reducing nonspecific effects like histamine release.