Claritin 24 Hour Allergy, 30-Tablets by Claritin

Original Prescription Strength Non-Drowsy* 24 Hour Allergy Tablets. Relief of: sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, itchy throat or nose (*When taken as directed).

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
Claritin (Loratidine) is a medication in the class of anti-histamines. Histamine is a chemical in our cells that is released during an allergy attack. Histamine causes all the symptoms of allergies: sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, hives, etc. Being an anti-histamine, Claritin blocks the action of histamine in the body. Claritin replaced Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) as the #1 doctor prescribed allergy medication, the reason being that Claritin does not have any drowsiness as a side-effect like Benadryl has. Benadryl has very significant sleepiness as a side-effect, and this limited its use in people who needed to operate cars, machinery, or needed to have full-attention in their jobs. The sleepiness of Benadryl was so marked, that manufacturers marketed it as a sleeping aid! (Diphenhydramine is the component in Tylenol PM or Excedrine PM, it is also in all the sleeping pill formulations). Fortunately for allergy sufferers, Claritin has no sleepiness as a side-effect, in fact, Claritin has virtually NO side effects, which makes it an excellent medication to take if you are taking other medications as well. Plus, Claritin WORKS to counter allergy symptoms. I developed a form of full-body hives that persisted for over a year, and Claritin was a God-send for me. Without Claritin, my life would have been miserable. Up until a few years ago, Claritin was a prescription medication and was the mainstay for doctors to prescribe for allergies. Once its potential for abuse was determined to be nil, and its safety factor proven, it was released on the market as an over-the-counter allergy medication. Claritin still is expensive, as the medication is still "owned" by a major drug company. Until its lease expires and it can be marketed as the generic Loratidine, consumers will have to ante up the money if they want the best over-the-counter allergy medication available. If you can't or won't afford Claritin, then the cheaper alternative is Benedryl (Diphenhydramine), and you put up with the drowsiness. Hope this helps. Jim "Konedog" Koenig