Which claritin for hives

Thompson DA. American Academy of Pediatrics; Briggs JK. In: Triage Protocols for Aging Adults. Wolters Kluwer; Kelly AP, et al. Drug eruptions. McGraw Hill; Hereditary angioedema: Acute treatment of angioedema attacks.

Biology of wounds and wound care. McGraw-Hill Education; Accessed May 27, This is because Claritin stays in the body longer than Benadryl. Sign up for Benadryl price alerts and find out when the price changes! Get price alerts. Both allergy medications can treat allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. Allergic rhinitis is a group of symptoms that affects the nose such as congestion and sneezing.

Both drugs can treat allergic conjunctivitis which leads to inflammation and itchiness of the eyes. Antihistamines like Benadryl or Claritin can also treat skin hives urticaria and itching pruritus from allergies. Because Benadryl has sedating properties, it is often used alone or in combination with other drugs for insomnia. For those who experience motion sickness , Benadryl can be used to prevent nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

While Benadryl and Claritin are similarly effective for treating allergy symptoms, Claritin has less sedating side effects. Claritin is often preferred over Benadryl for this reason. According to guidelines developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians AAFP , second-generation antihistamines are recommended to treat symptoms of allergic rhinitis such as sneezing and itching.

Research from a literature review found that newer antihistamines such as loratadine are safer than first-generation antihistamines. The study also compared other second-generation antihistamines such as Zyrtec cetirizine and Allegra fexofenadine.

The study found that cetirizine or fexofenadine may be more effective than loratadine. Choosing an antihistamine depends on your overall condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to determine which treatment option may best for you. What is Allegra? Get the SingleCare prescription discount card. Benadryl can be purchased as an over-the-counter drug.

Most Medicare and insurance plans may not cover Benadryl for this reason. Benadryl is widely available in its generic form diphenhydramine.

Many pharmacies, grocery stores, and big-box retailers also carry diphenhydramine in their own store brand. Claritin Claritin coupon comes in boxes with quantities ranging from 5 tablets to tablets.

It is purchased over-the-counter as brand-name Claritin or generic loratadine. What is Claritin? Antihistamines can often have side effects that affect the central nervous system CNS. 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.

Talk with an allergist about the possibility of allergy testing and allergy shots. Histamine causes many allergy symptoms, including inflammation of the skin or sinuses, pain, redness, and wheezing. Immune responses also encourage extra mucus to develop, which helps to clear allergens from the nose and throat. Allergy medications block histamine responses. Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies.

However, as with all medications, there may be some side effects. Loratadine—present in Claritin—may not be safe for people with severe liver conditions. The liver has to break down loratadine. The kidneys break down cetirizine—found in Zyrtec—and the body excretes it in the urine, largely unchanged.

Claritin is more likely to interact with other drugs than Zyrtec. Claritin is broken down in the liver by enzymes that other drugs can inhibit. This may lead to Claritin building up in the body, which increases the risk of side effects.

Everyone reacts to medications differently, but Claritin and Zyrtec may have the following side effects:. Some people experience a severe allergic response called anaphylaxis after taking antihistamines. A person should seek emergency medical attention if any of the following symptoms are present:. Some antihistamines are safe for children, but it is a good idea to talk with a doctor or check the label carefully before giving antihistamines to a child.

In , a review found that some antihistamines may be problematic during pregnancy. However, the authors noted that there was no evidence linking cetirizine or loratidine to birth defects. A study published in noted that 10—15 percent of women use antihistamines during pregnancy.

Most appear to be safe, but some may have adverse effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC urge people to ask a doctor before using an antihistamine or any other drug during pregnancy.