Genius anxiety hack or just a hack that should be sacked?
Some 19% of adults have an anxiety disorder, with Gen Zers notably packing panic pouches to calm themselves down. Those struggling with anxiety are reaching for any relief they can find — even if it means testing their own solutions.
An over-the-counter one-two punch has gone viral amid claims that it reduces anxiety symptoms, but some doctors are uneasy about the unusual combo.
Taking an allergy medication with a nausea and heartburn drug may not immediately come to mind to stop mental distress.
But many have taken to social media to hype the magic of Pepcid with Allegra.
Both medications are antihistamines, though they work on different parts of the body.
Allegra, also known as fexofenadine, is a seasonal allergy drug that blocks histamine — responsible for sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes— without causing drowsiness.
While Allegra targets H1 receptors, Pepcid (or famotidine) works on H2 receptors to reduce stomach acid production that causes heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
“I don’t feel an ounce of depression,” one TikTokker crowed about the pairing. “I’m about to go into therapy, and I don’t even know what to talk about anymore because I’m not sad.”
Others have echoed these sentiments, with another woman saying her Lexapro prescription didn’t do as good of a job melting away her anxiety about the “world burning.”
As these claims swept TikTok, Dr. Zachary Rubin, an Illinois allergist-immunologist, told users to exercise caution before heading to the pharmacy.
Pepcid and Allegra are peripheral antihistamines, meaning they don’t generally cross the blood-brain barrier.
This means there’s no evidence that the combo can effectively treat depression.
Research has indicated that famotidine may reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in people with COVID-19 by managing neuroinflammation. Studies on the effects of fexofenadine on anxiety are limited.
The immediate, same-day relief could be attributed to a number of other factors, such as allergies impacting sleep, focus and mood.
The viral hack could also have the reverse effect for some.
“For some people … it could actually make you worse if those medications are somehow able to get into your brain,” Rubin said.
“It can make you have fatigue, difficulty concentrating and feel very sleepy,” he added.
He also reminded viewers that anecdotal stories are low-quality evidence of a treatment’s effectiveness.
“We can’t verify what people are saying on the internet and whether or not the medications that they’re taking are actually effective,” he said.
While there are no warnings against taking the medications together, some Pepcid formulations contain magnesium, which can decrease Allegra’s effectiveness if taken at the same time.
