Most people experience at least 24 hours of relief after a single dose. Zyrtec, on the other hand, is fast acting. People who take it may feel relief in as little as one hour. It also releases a substance called histamine. This substance causes many of the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Antihistamines are designed to block the effects of the histamine that your body produces. In turn, they decrease the symptoms of the allergy. Zyrtec and Claritin have very few side effects and are generally recognized as safe for most people.
However, some side effects may still occur. Zyrtec can cause sleepiness, but only in some people. Take it for the first time when you will be at home for a few hours in case it makes you sleepy.
Claritin is less likely to cause sleepiness than Zyrtec when you take either at recommended doses. More serious side effects of these medications are rare. If you have one of the following side effects after taking either medication, seek emergency medical attention:.
Children may have any of the side effects that adults do, but they can also have completely different reactions to antihistamines. Children may become stimulated, restless, or sleepless.
Claritin is active in the body for at least 24 hours. The typical daily dose of Claritin for adults and children who are 6 years and older is 10 mg per day. The typical daily dose of Claritin for children aged 2—5 years is 5 mg. Children this age using Zyrtec should be given 2. People with chronic medical conditions like kidney disease may need less frequent doses because the drug may take longer for them to process.
Older adults and adults who have chronic illness should only take 5 mg of Zyrtec per day. The body absorbs both antihistamines quickly, but Zyrtec seems to work faster for some people. A study found that both drugs were absorbed into the bloodstream within 1—2 hours of taking the medication. Researchers are often studying, comparing, and improving antihistamines. Other popular brands on the market today are Allegra and Benadryl.
When a person comes into contact with an allergen, their immune system reacts and produces a chemical called histamine. Histamine causes many allergy symptoms, including inflammation of the skin or sinuses, pain, redness, and wheezing.
Immune responses also encourage extra mucus to develop, which helps to clear allergens from the nose and throat. Allergy medications block histamine responses. Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies. However, as with all medications, there may be some side effects.
Loratadine—present in Claritin—may not be safe for people with severe liver conditions. The liver has to break down loratadine. The kidneys break down cetirizine—found in Zyrtec—and the body excretes it in the urine, largely unchanged.
Claritin is more likely to interact with other drugs than Zyrtec. Claritin is broken down in the liver by enzymes that other drugs can inhibit.
This may lead to Claritin building up in the body, which increases the risk of side effects. Everyone reacts to medications differently, but Claritin and Zyrtec may have the following side effects:. Some people experience a severe allergic response called anaphylaxis after taking antihistamines. A person should seek emergency medical attention if any of the following symptoms are present:. Some antihistamines are safe for children, but it is a good idea to talk with a doctor or check the label carefully before giving antihistamines to a child.
There is no difference. Both products contain 10mg of cetirizine in the same citrus flavor and can be taken by both adults and children 6 years and older.
Allergies affect more than 50 million people in the United States alone. People with allergies can experience lots of symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose nasal congestion , or itchy, watery eyes. If you only develop upper respiratory symptoms at certain times of the year often spring or fall , you probably have seasonal allergic rhinitis, or outdoor allergies.
These allergies can be triggered by trees, grass and weed pollens, or outdoor mold. Learn more about outdoor allergies. Common triggers include animal dander tiny skin flakes or saliva from animals , indoor mold and dust mites. Learn more about indoor allergies. SmartSource is an online network of coupons and offers that can help you save money.
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If you were trying to print several coupons, the file size may be exceeding the amount of memory you have available. Try printing a single coupon. It's common for people with hives urticaria or hay fever allergic rhinitis to wonder which over-the-counter antihistamine they should take: Claritin loratadine , Zyrtec cetirizine , or Allegra fexofenadine. All of these antihistamines have been available OTC without a prescription for a number of years. But if you're thinking these antihistamines are the same, they're actually not.
Depending on the allergic condition being treated, the age of the person, as well as other underlying issues such as pregnancy , the best choice of antihistamine might be different.
When you've been exposed to a substance you're allergic to such as pet dander, dust mite, ragweed, or peanuts , your body produces histamine , which is a chemical messenger released by cells in the immune system to alert and activate other cells and proteins of the immune system. Histamine causes the typical allergy symptoms of sneezing, stuffy and runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and an itchy throat that you associate with exposure to whichever allergens you are sensitive to.
Antihistamines reduce the amount of histamine circulating in your system, thereby reducing symptoms. Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra are all considered newer generation antihistamines. First-generation antihistamines, such as Benadryl diphenhydramine and Atarax hydroxyzine , can be helpful for allergies and hives as well, but their use is limited due to side effects such as fatigue and sedation sleepiness.
So while Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra are all newer generation antihistamines that can treat hay fever or hives, there may be some advantages for each of these over the others. Claritin and Zyrtec have been shown to have a good safety profile in studies of pregnant animals, but there are no human studies available.
During pregnancy, they are preferred over Allegra, which has shown adverse fetal effects in animal studies. Allegra is considered to be safer for breastfeeding mothers compared to Zyrtec and Claritin. However, all three are deemed to be safe during lactation. All three antihistamines may cause side effects such as:. That said, the side effect profile may vary slightly among them. For instance, Allegra is completely non-sedating doesn't make people sleepy , while Claritin is minimally sedating makes only a small number of people sleepy.
Zyrtec, on the other hand, causes sedation in approximately one in six people who take the medication. While you should consult your healthcare provider about the best way to take any medication, there are widely accepted dosing recommendations for all three of these antihistamines. First and foremost, each works best when taken daily rather than intermittently.
All of these antihistamines are indicated for adults and children 2 years of age and older, with Zyrtec and Claritin dosed once a day for all ages. Allegra is dosed twice a day for children age 2 to 11, and once a day for adults and children age 12 years and older. Finally, since Allegra can be used in children as young as 6 months of age, it's sometimes the ideal choice for young children.
Besides dosing, there are some slight differences in how quickly or well the drugs work. For example, while Claritin is effective for treating hay fever and hives, other antihistamines, such as Zyrtec and Allegra, work better and faster and last longer.
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