Clarity on Claritin?

Can someone tell me if it makes sense to take Claritin just as needed—basically until the allergy symptoms clear out—or am I supposed to stick to a full course?

Whenever you need—basically throughout pollen season or whenever you’re dealing with whatever triggers your allergies.

Much appreciated, Casey Palmer5 🙂

I don't know what kind of allergy you're dealing with, but over here, Allegra seems to work much better. It won't knock you out.

Sure, if it becomes necessary.

Betty Rivera14 said:I don't know what kind of allergies you're dealing with, but Allegra has worked better for me. It doesn't make you drowsy.

If only I knew. Some kind of pollen... mostly seems tied to the woods (check my blog for hints).

I had some Claritin at home, so I just took that. 🙂

Thanks, Nat... my mistake, ironowl13 😁 😉

I guess it doesn't have much of a sedative effect on you. My Junior is completely out for the count once he takes it. Luckily, we started using Telfast on an as-needed basis last year and it’s been 👍

Betty Rivera14 said:it doesn't seem to have that sedative effect on you. My Junior is completely out for the count after taking it. Luckily, we switched to using Tylenol on an as-needed basis last year and it’s been great. 👍

Keep doing exactly what you're doing. 🙂 😁

I’ve been using Rinolan for my allergies and honestly, it does the job, though you really have to commit to taking it every single day to actually feel the full effect instead of just popping it whenever you feel like it. It definitely has that drowsy vibe, but I don't really mind since I just take it right before hitting the sack anyway.

I only take Claritin when I absolutely have to, but honestly, I usually feel better after just two tablets. There’s really no point in going through an entire box.

Betty Rivera14, it is incredibly strange that your son gets drowsy from Claritin. It’s well known that pilots are actually prescribed this specifically because it doesn't cause drowsiness.😕

Maybe try using Control from a medical brand, or perhaps some Flonase from Pfizer.

I just looked it up... it says a certain percentage of people do experience drowsiness.

Besides that—not to dwell on it—he’s dealing with spasmodic bronchitis, which is exhausting enough on its own. Add Claritin into the mix... basically, he spent half the day in a total fog.😢

We didn't notice any issues with Fexofenadine🙂 plus, the Fexofenadine kicks in immediately, whereas the Claritin takes about two days to even start working.

Thanks for the advice; we'll look into those two options.🙂

You could also try Loratadine; it actually worked for me since Claritin doesn't do a thing for my allergies.

And I didn't even notice if it made me feel sleepy or anything...

Casey Palmer5 said:You've also got Loratadine—that stuff was a lifesaver for me since Claritin doesn't do a single thing for my allergies.
I didn't even notice if it made me sleepy or whatever.

Well, I'm having the exact opposite experience: Claritin works great for me and I feel totally fine on it.
But man, they gave me some Loratadine to try once and I was literally sleepwalking around the house... it was an absolute nightmare, seriously. 👎

Switched from Claritin over to Rhinocervical. It’s just the same Loratadine active ingredient, but it’s made by Pfizer here in the States.👍

Betty Rivera14 said:So I did some digging... apparently, a certain percentage of people actually do get drowsy with it.

Aside from that, I don't want to bore you, but he’s dealing with spasmodic bronchitis, which is just exhausting on its own. Add Claritin to the mix... basically, his head was spinning half the day.😢

We didn't notice any of that with Fexofenadine🙂 plus, Fexofenadine kicks in immediately, while Claritin took like two days to even work.

Thanks for the advice, we'll definitely look into those two options.🙂

If I don't take an antihistamine, my nasal passages swell up, my bronchi get inflamed, and my brain ends up starved for oxygen.
Now I'm wondering if maybe it's just too hard on a kid's liver or something.😕

Anyway, it isn't a bronchodilator or a spasmolytic; it just helps with bronchial spasms indirectly by cutting down the allergic inflammation through histamine.

Not sure what Telfast is.

Fexofenadine gives me such a killer headache
With Claritin, I’m basically a walking zombie
Loratadine is okay—I could sleep through anything if I wanted, though I can barely wake up in the morning—but if I actually focus, I can get things done🙂

Is there something special about taking Claritin only when needed? Like, I have to take Loratadine starting in May just to feel "normal" by July

I honestly thought Claritin was pretty mild🤔 I didn't even notice it working. Diphenhydramine just knocks you right out.

Diphenhydramine belongs to those older generations of antihistamines, so it’s definitely going to make you drowsy.

That sedative effect has been dialed back in newer products, though it isn't completely gone—otherwise, they wouldn't bother putting the warning on the label.

Of course, some people won't feel a thing, while a certain percentage will definitely deal with that heavy, groggy sensation. It's especially noticeable in kids.

Man, I remember back in the day... I once hooked a buddy up while we were out on the coast because he was complaining about how impossible it was to find anything decent to smoke. He was promising me he’d score something way stronger than the usual low-grade stuff. Well, he ended up crashing hard, out like a light... 😂

Right now, I'm taking Claritin, but honestly, I'm not feeling much of a difference. This year's ragweed is absolutely brutal—it's completely wrecked my sinuses and everything feels totally clogged up. Still, I guess it's better to have sinus issues than bronchitis; at least I'm not choking on my own breath 🙂

I haven't given Telfast or Letizen a shot yet... Which one actually works against ragweed?