Claritin is marketed as Claratyne in New Zealand

Pharmacy Medicine

Among the many allergy medications that are available over the counter in this day and age, few have distinguished themselves as much as Claritin has. Claritin has been around for a while, and is now widely available as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication.

The active ingredient in Claritin is loratadine. If you are familiar with generic names, you may be aware that Clarinex, an active metabolyte of Claritin, comes with the name desloratadine. Desloratadine is good for both indoor and outdoor allergies. Examples of indoor allergies are those incurred through breathing or ingesting particles like mold and dust. Outdoor allergies could take the form of smog allergy or else hay fever, which also known as "seasonal allergic rhinitis."

Being an OTC medicine, Claritin is generally safe for use for all ages. Even children under the age of 12 are able to partake of a version of Claritin that is safe for use for minors: Claritin syrup. This particular substance comes with an invigorating grape flavor that kids are sure to love. Even children as young as 2 years old may enjoy its refreshing fruity taste.

But if your child is over the age of 12, consider allowing him or her to take Claritin Reditabs for adults. This is a dissolvable drug, which does not mean in the least that you should allow it to dissolve in a glass of water - you let it stay on your tongue until it dissolves. Afterwards, you swallow the granules. You may take it with or without water, although water is recommended - even regular Claritin tablets for adults work best with regular intake of water; around 8 glasses a day would be ideal. For best results, you should keep your body hydrated after taking Claritin.

Claritin Reditabs come with a fresh mint flavor, which prevents the taste from becoming unpleasant while you wait for it to dissolve inside your mouth. Your child or teenager should not have any trouble appreciating its taste, either! If your over-12 kids have any trouble swallowing pills, Reditabs would be a great-tasting alternative.

It is not uncommon to take allergy medicines along with other types of medication, especially if you require double-action relief for a specific condition - such as asthma or a cold. However, bear in mind that taking anti-allergy drugs with other medications may cause some complications, even if they are all available over the counter. To prevent complications from taking place, some manufacturers have taken it upon themslves to create medicines that have all the components you need to resolve one or more of your pesky afflictions.

In the case of Claritin, the manufacturers have come up with Claritin-D, which is a mix of loratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate, a known decongestant. Claritin-D comes in two dosages: one for 12-hour relief, and a stronger one for 24-hour relief.

Claritin-D is usually safe to be taken by adults of all body types. However, if you have a liver or kidney condition, it is best to consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine. You may need to be given a lower dose of this drug if so. If you have proven to be allergic to certain antihistamines in the past, make sure to inform your physician or medical worker immediately - it is important in determining whether or not you will also be allergic to Claritin-D.

If you are taking MAO inhibitors, such as the antidepressants Parnate and Nardil, it would be good to refrain from taking this drug.

You must also avoid taking Claritin-D if you have the following:

1. an eye condition known as narrow-angle glaucoma.
2. high blood pressure
3. an arterial heart disease
4. difficulty urinating
5. difficulty swallowing, or a condition wherein the esophagus is narrowed, hindering food from reaching your stomach

Claritin-D may conflict with other drugs, such as "beta blockers" Tenormin and Inderal, which are taken for high blood pressure. Mecamylamine (Inversine), Reserpine, Methyldopa (Aldomet), and Digoxin (Lanoxin) may also not work well with Claritin-D, so exercise great care in taking them with each other.

Claritin-D is best taken regularly to prevent severe allergic outbreaks, so you should be very aware of how it affects your body. When in doubt, always ask your physician or pharmacist about the best possible route to take regarding your medication.

Claritin, also known as Claratyne is a non-sedating antihistamine. Claritin / Claratyne needs to be taken once a day.
The dose of Claritin / Claratyne for an adult and children over 12 years is one tablet daily, this provides 24 hour relief from allergic symptoms by preventing the effects of histamine, which is produced by the body.

Claritin / Claratyne relieves symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis (hayfever), sneezing, runny nose, watery or itchy eyes. Claritin / Claratyne is also useful for chronic urticaria and other allergic skin disorders.

Claritin / Claratyne contains 10mg Loratidine per tablet. It also contains maize starch, magnesium stearate and lactose.

While taking Claritin / Claratyne: - things you must do:

• Tell all doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking this product.
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you become pregnant while you are taking this product.

Things you must not do:

• Do not give Claritin / Claratyne to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
• Do not use it to treat any other complaints unless your doctor or pharmacist says to.

Things to be careful of:

• Make sure you know how you react to Claritin / Claratyne before you drive a car or operate machinery.
• Claritin / Claratyne is unlikely to make you drowsy. If you are drowsy, do not drive a car or work with machinery.
• Stop taking Claritin / Claratyne 48 hours before you have skin tests as antihistamines may interfere with the results of skin tests.
• Do not use Claritin / Claratyne if you are allergic to it or any of the ingredients listed above, or if you are pregnant or currently breastfeeding.
• It is not suitable for children less than 2 years of age, or if you suffer from liver disease or eye problems (such as glaucoma), diabetes, prostate enlargement or problems with your liver, kidney or bladder

General Product Information

When it comes to allergy medicines, few brand names are as recognizable as Claritin. Claritin has established itself as an effective provider of 24-hour allergy relief; its syrups and tablets have become staple medication for many households around the world.

Allergy is a very common disorder. In the United States alone, 50 million people are estimated to suffer from at least one form of allergy. This is why antihistamines such as Claritin are constantly in demand. Antihistamines have anti-inflammatory properties which restrain the body from going on overdrive, as it were, upon the introduction of potentially allergenic materials, such as dust, animal fur, or even pollen. Pollen causes hay fever, a form of allergic rhinitis, or an allergy that involves inflammation and/or swelling within the nasal passages.

However, nose-related allergies are not the only things Claritin can cure. It can also be used for treating hives and other skin allergies. Compared to other antihistamines, Claritin may take a little longer to take effect, but its preventive properties are longer-lasting, and it is non-sedative besides.

Claritin comes in syrup and pill form, as well as a dissolvable tablet form known as Reditabs. Reditabs are fast-dissolving tablets that you allow to dissolve on your tongue before swallowing. You can take them with or without water: this makes Reditabs extra convenient for people on the go!

Regular Claritin tablets should not be broken, chewed or crushed, however. Like ordinary pills, these are ideally swallowed whole, then washed down with water.

Claritin Syrup is best for children aged 6 and up. It is the first and only safe, non-drowsy antihistamine medicine for children younger than 12 years of age. The pleasant-tasting grape flavor makes it easier to administer to kids who can be picky about the taste of the medicine they are given. Incidentally, the Reditabs version of Claritin also comes with a light mint flavor that is sure to take the edge off dissolving medicine right on your tongue!

A regular dose of Claritin for adults comes with 10 mg of micronized loratadine. In its pure form loratadine is recognizable as a white or off-white powder. It is not soluble in water, but highly soluble in chloroform, alcohol, and acetone.

Loratadine is the only allergy medication of its class that is available as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is known by a variety of brand names besides Claritin, such as Lek (by the manufacturer Lomilan) or Alvert (by Wyeth). Claritin's manufacturer Schering-Plough also distributes this medicine under different names for different markets; examples are Claratyne and Clarityn.

While Claritin is generally safe for use, there are some things you must know about this medication before you begin to use it. One of them is that you may experience dizziness or drowsiness when using it; this is a rare side effect, since Claritin normally does not cause weakness or sleepiness, and thus may be taken in the daytime. Nonetheless, be conscious of how your body responds to your first intakes of Claritin. You may be hypersensitive to the product, in which case another allergy medication may be better for you.

Under no circumstances must you use more Claritin in a single dose than indicated in the label. As the medication is dispensed over the counter, you may ask your pharmacist for help in understanding the proper dosages. If you miss a dose, simply resume taking the medicine as originally scheduled. Do not take a double dose! This places you at risk of an overdose. The following may be symptoms of a Claritin overdose: drowsiness, headache, nausea, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. Call your doctor as soon as you detect these symptoms.

Claritin-D is a decongestant version of this drug. In this version, it is combined with pseudoephedrine, to aid in unblocking stuffy noses. This version is still considered safe for general use, although sleeplessness is a possible side effect.

This medicine is not expected to harm an unborn baby, but it is still best for a pregnant mother to consult a doctor before taking Claritin. Claritin is known to pass into breastmilk, however, and therefore it is not recommended that nursing mothers ingest it. Children younger than 12 but older than 2 may benefit from Claritin Syrup, or Reditabs for children (aged 6 and above only).