Maintenance medicine could be quite expensive. You need to take it religiously in order for it to do its job well, and this could weigh quite heavily on your household budget. Allergy medication, for example, could cost up to 200 US dollars a month. Thankfully, there are workarounds to this particular dilemma. If you're looking for allergy medicine that's effective, easily available and cost-efficient all at once, Lora-tabs is the drug for you.
Lora-tabs is the generic version of Claritin, which is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug that is widely known for its potency in countering allergy attacks. Claritin may be known by different brand names, depending on your location - for example, it is known as Clarityn in some European countries, while it is known as Claratyne in Australia and New Zealand.
The active ingredient of Claritin - thus, also Lora-tabs - is loratadine, a mild antihistamine. It fights allergies by inhibiting the production of histamines, a chemical naturally released by the body in reaction to the introduction of allergenic substances, such as dirt and pollen. Even indoors, you may encounter allergens such as dust and mold. These substances trigger a condition known as allergic rhinitis, or an inflammation of the nasal passages.
Allergic rhinitis is characterized by an itchy and runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing. At times there will be coughing, as well as some difficulty breathing, especially if the allergic reaction also triggers an asthma attack. Around 80% of all people with asthma also have some form of nasal allergy, which compounds the risk of experiencing severe allergic attacks.
Taken regularly, loratadine counters these effects by "taming" the glands that produce histamine. This action prevents the nasal passages from becoming inflamed quickly, causing all the other side effects, such as the wet or burning sensation in the nose and eye areas. This inflammation is the body's natural way of rejecting foreign and potentially harmful materials that are small enough to pass through the nostrils.
Allergic rhinitis is not the only condition loratadine alleviates! Skin allergies are also treatable by anthistamine ingestion, although it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly which substance has triggered the allergic attack. Hives appear when sensitive skin is placed in the presence of an allergenic substance. And if a person finds hives on his or her skin inside a crowded room, there's almost no telling what caused them! Not to fear - loratadine should prevent these hives from showing up in future occasions.
Loratadine may be used primarily as a defense against allergic rhinitis and hives, but as an antihistamine, it could serve a number of different purposes. A health worker may recommend that you take loratadine for conditions other than those previously described.
Another plus point for Lora-tabs is that it is non-drowsy, unlike the more traditional antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl). It may be taken at any time of the day. Once a day is enough - this drug should be able to protect the body for a full 24 hours after ingestion. For best results, this drug should be taken at exactly the same time every day. If a dose is missed, one should take the medicine again as soon as he or she remembers it.
Lora-tabs are dispensed in 10 mg tablets, and are suitable for most adults. However, certain conditions may prevent a person from fully enjoying the anti-allergenic effects of Lora-tabs. People who have a liver or kidney disease, for example, should consult their doctor before taking loratadine-based anti-allergy medications. Some high blood or heart medications may also conflict with the effects of Lora-tabs.
These tablets are even safe for ingestion by children under the age of 12, though in smaller doses. Half a tablet (5 mg) should suffice for children under 30 kg.
There is no known danger of addiction to Lora-tabs. However, taking more than the recommended dose may result in a number of side effects, principal of which is drowsiness. Do not make a habit of taking more than the recommended dose of this drug in order to prevent health risks. It has not yet been determined if Lora-tabs will have a negative effect on pregnant and nursing mothers and their infants, but it has been proven that antihistamines could pass onto breatmilk. Nursing mothers are advised to abstain from this drug, or else limit their intake.