Allergic contact dermatitis caused by mepyramine in topical products.

H1-antihistamines are widely used for the treatment of allergic disorders, both systemically and topically. Topically, they are used on the skin for general itch relief, and in the eye or nose for mucosal complaints. Hypersensitivity to topical antihistamines is often not suspected, because of their use as ‘anti-allergic medications’. There are a few reports describing hypersensitivity to topical antihistamines (1, 2). We report a case of a woman with allergic contact dermatitis caused by mepyramine, a first-generation antihistamine, targeting the H1-receptor, used in a product to treat itching resulting from insect stings.