Why is Geneirc Claritin Used?

Generic Loratadine by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, also known by its brand name of Claritin, remarkably changed the realm of allergy treatment. In 1993, it became one of the first allergy drugs which does not make users feel tired. Now, Claritin is available over-the-counter and in generic form which means great savings on your allergy treatment.

Claritin is used for treating the symptoms of allergic reactions such as running nose, itchiness, hives, or watering eyes. Even though Claritin is primarily thought of as a treatment for hay fever, it can also be used for treating dust allergies, seasonal allergies, or some food allergy rash.

How Does Claritin Work?

Claritin, like most allergy drugs, is a type of antihistamine. Allergy symptoms occur when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a harmful one.  This substance is called an allergen.  To combat the allergen, the immune system releases histamine which is responsible for allergy symptoms. By taking Claritin, histamine is blocked along with all of its effects.

How is Claritin Taken?

Claritin usually comes in tablet or oral suspension forms.  For allergy sufferers 6 years and older, the typical dosage of Claritin is one 10mg tablet taken once per day or 2 teaspoons of oral suspension taken once per day.  The usual dosage for children 2-5 years old is 1 teaspoon of oral suspension.  If you have kidney or liver impairments, you should consult your pharmacist or doctor before taking Claritin to treat allergy symptoms.  Do not give Claritin to children under 2 without first consulting your doctor.

What are the side effects of Claritin?

Claritin usually does not cause any side effects in users.  However, even though Claritin is a non-drowsy allergy drug, some users still become lethargic while taking it.  Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if Claritin makes you feel very drowsy or the drowsiness persists.  Though these effects are not common from Claritin, some patients do have headaches, dry mouth, upset stomach, blurry vision, and retaining water.  However, the incidence of these side effects from Claritin were only slightly higher than with the placebo during clinical testing.

What You Need to Know before taking Claritin

Even though Claritin is available as an over-the-counter allergy medicine, you should not take this medicine to treat allergy symptoms without first having your condition diagnosed by an allergy specialist.  Some types of allergies may require a different treatment approach like an allergy diet.  If you have serious health problems or are taking medications, do not use Claritin without first getting the approval from your allergy specialist or pharmacist.

Where Can I Buy Claritin?

Claritin is a very popular allergy medicine so it can be found in almost all pharmacies.  In most countries, modication is available without a prescription.  However, in the United Kingdom, you may need to have a pharmacist’s approval to buy large quantities of allergy drugs like Claritin.  Typically, pharmacies will only have the brand-name Claritin version.  However, it is possible to find generic Claritin at many online pharmacies. You can even buy Claritin legally from foreign pharmacies.  However, due to all the competition with generic Claritin brands, it is often the same price to buy Claritin at your home-based online pharmacy as abroad.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Claritin?

When Claritin became available as an over the counter generic drug in 2002, the prices of the allergy drug drastically decreased.  Because of this, many insurance plans stopped covering the cost of Claritin.   If you need to find an option to treat allergy symptoms which is insurance covered, you may want to consider the drug Clarinex.  While studies have shown there are no effectiveness advantages between the two allergy drugs, Clarinex is often covered by insurance.  However, since Claritin can be bought so cheaply online, the costs are often less than an insurance co-pay.

Can Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women take Claritin?

Claritin is listed as FDA pregnancy category B. That means Claritin is generally thought to be safe for use during pregnancy.  It is also thought to be safe during breastfeeding. In studies with non-human subjects, Claritin did not adversely affect fetuses.  However, there have not been significant studies with pregnant or breastfeeding women.  If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your allergy specialist before taking medication.