What is the difference between claritin and allegra

Zyrtec, on the other hand, causes sedation in approximately one in six people who take the medication. While you should consult your healthcare provider about the best way to take any medication, there are widely accepted dosing recommendations for all three of these antihistamines.

First and foremost, each works best when taken daily rather than intermittently. All of these antihistamines are indicated for adults and children 2 years of age and older, with Zyrtec and Claritin dosed once a day for all ages.

Allegra is dosed twice a day for children age 2 to 11, and once a day for adults and children age 12 years and older. Finally, since Allegra can be used in children as young as 6 months of age, it's sometimes the ideal choice for young children. Besides dosing, there are some slight differences in how quickly or well the drugs work. For example, while Claritin is effective for treating hay fever and hives, other antihistamines, such as Zyrtec and Allegra, work better and faster and last longer.

Zyrtec and Allegra work quickly for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and hives, typically within less than an hour. On the other hand, studies show that Claritin takes many hours to start working.

Studies show that Allegra is nearly as good as Zyrtec at treating hayfever. However, Zyrtec and its isomer Xyzal levocetirizine appear to be better medicines for the treatment of hives. There are also some unexpected nuances associated with each of the antihistamines. For example, if you're taking Allegra, it's important to avoid drinking fruit juice for one to two hours before you take the medication and one to two hours after.

Juices such as orange juice or grapefruit juice can decrease the absorption of Allegra by nearly half. The best antihistamine choice for any one person is based on the degree of symptom relief desired and the degree of side effects you're willing to tolerate.

For mild to moderate allergy symptoms, Allegra may be preferable to drugs such as Zyrtec since these other drugs are more sedating. Yet for severe symptoms that are interfering with work, school, or play, a medication such as Zyrtec may be needed. Note that every person is different. This means that despite what studies say, there are many people who do not experience any fatigue on Zyrtec or Xyzal. Likewise, there are people who do experience fatigue on Allegra.

It's sometimes helpful to try different medications to see which works best for you as an individual. If you try this, though, talk with your healthcare provider first. You might keep a journal to get an objective measure of which drug works best. For instance, you can write down your most annoying symptoms, and rank them from 1 to 10 based on how well they are controlled by different medications. Allegra and Claritin are considered newer antihistamines.

That said, the following tables list examples of possible side effects of these drugs. If you experience any serious side effects that may indicate an allergic reaction, get emergency medical treatment right away. Two things you should consider when taking any medication is the possible drug interactions and potential problems related to health conditions you have. These are not all the same for Allegra and Claritin.

This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. Allegra and Claritin interact with some of the same drugs. Specifically, each may interact with ketoconazole and erythromycin.

But Allegra can also interact with antacids , and Claritin can also interact with amiodarone. To help avoid interactions, be sure to tell your doctor about all prescription and OTC drugs, herbs, and supplements you take. They can tell you about what interactions you might be at risk of in using Allegra or Claritin.

For example, both Allegra and Claritin can cause problems if you have kidney disease. And certain forms may be dangerous if you have a condition called phenylketonuria.

These forms include the orally disintegrating tablets of Allegra and the chewable tablets of Claritin. If you have either of these conditions, talk to your doctor before taking Allegra or Claritin. You should also talk to your doctor about the safety of Claritin if you have liver disease.

Of course, it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before trying any new medication. If you're shopping for allergy medication, we'll assume your eyes are itchy, your nose is running, and you can't stop sneezing. But if you can still breathe through your nose, proceed to Step 2. If you can't, consider an allergy medication with an added decongestant. Claritin-D, Allegra-D, and Zyrtec-D all contain a decongestant called pseudoephedrine, the same active ingredient that powers Sudafed.

It makes your nose feel less stopped up by narrowing the blood vessels inside your nostrils. Pseudoephedrine's usefulness when making methamphetamine means that in the United States, these drugs need to be purchased directly from the pharmacist with a government ID.

If your primary symptom is a stuffed up nose, you can also ask your doctor about decongesting nasal sprays.

Most require a prescription, but Nasacort is one that recently became available over the counter. With or without a decongestant, Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec are all antihistamines, meaning they calm down your body's immune reaction to allergens like pollen or animal dander. Sakina Bajowala, an Illinois-based allergist, explains. That said, they do have some very slight differences — which probably aren't noticeable to every user.

It is generally recommended to treat those who are 12 years and older. However, the ODT form can be used in those aged 6 years and older and the suspension can be administered to children aged 2 years and older.

Claritin What is Claritin? It is available in an oral tablet, oral capsule, and ODT form to treat those who are 6 years and older. It can also be taken as a chewable tablet or oral solution in children aged 2 years and older. Sign up for Claritin price alerts and find out when the price changes! Get price alerts.

Both Allegra and Claritin are used to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis, which is the inflammation of the lining of the nose due to allergens. These drugs can also treat perennial allergic rhinitis, which occurs year-round and is sometimes referred to as hay fever. Both medications can also treat chronic idiopathic urticaria, or hives, which is recurring and lasts for 6 weeks or more. Allegra can be effective as a pretreatment for hymenoptera immunotherapy, which is a type of desensitization therapy that uses bee or insect venom to decrease the severity of sting reactions.

Claritin can also be used as an add-on treatment with other medications to help control asthma , especially asthma that is triggered by allergies. Claritin can also help treat a type of nonallergic rhinitis called eosinophilic nonallergic rhinitis. Nonallergic rhinitis has the same symptoms of allergic rhinitis except there may not be a known cause for it.

Use the following table to compare the approved medical uses and off-label uses of Allegra and Claritin. Allegra and Claritin are both effective at relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis compared to using no medication at all.

However, Claritin has been shown to provide more overall symptom relief compared to Allegra. It has also been shown to provide overall relief faster than Allegra. According to a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial , Claritin was found to have a The trial compared both drugs in patients randomized to either therapy. Results showed that the active ingredient in Claritin produced a greater level of relief earlier than that of Allegra. In another randomized study , participants with seasonal allergic rhinitis were given either Claritin, Allegra, or placebo.

Results found that Allegra produced better relief of eye symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes compared to Claritin. While both drugs relieved nasal symptoms, Allegra was also found to improve the overall quality of life compared to Claritin.