Media Credit: Matt Nicholson John Halliwill stands next to medical equipment used to monitor how subjects' blood pressure react to excercise. Halliwill's research has determined that a histamine released during excercise causes a drop in blood pressure.

Recent research by a University professor shows that taking simple antihistamine drugs such as Allegra and Zantac can limit the sudden drop in blood pressure that causes some people to faint or become nauseous after exercise.

Human Physiology Professor John Halliwill's research showed a link between the activation of histamine receptors in the body and the lower blood pressure that is known to occur during post-exercise recovery.

"For a long time we've been trying to understand what happens with the cardiovascular system as we recover from a bout of exercise," Halliwill said.

Halliwill said initial experiments gave subjects Allegra and Zantac individually and measured their bodies' responses. He said the Allegra had a stronger immediate effect, reducing the drop in blood pressure as soon as 30 minutes after the exercise. The Zantac had a more long term effect, Halliwill said, having the same effect over an hour after subjects began the recovery period.

Allegra is a common allergy medicine available by prescription. Zantac is an acid reflux medication available over the counter.

For the most recent study, Halliwill said, subjects received both drugs at the same time before they exercised. Here the results were more dramatic.

"We found out that we could completely wipe out the blood flow or blood pressure response during recovery from exercise," Halliwill said, noting that these subjects experienced no drop at all in blood pressure.

Halliwill said the decrease in blood pressure after exercise can actually be good for some. While it may cause fainting or nausea in people with normal blood pressure levels, he said, it can also bring someone with extremely high blood pressure to begin with down to a normal level.

"Blood pressure change is kind of a two-edged sword," Halliwill said.

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