Medical, Drugs, Pharmaceuticals And Diseases Information

Fexofenadine is a specific, selective (has no central actions) and competitive histamine H1 receptor antagonist, with twice the affinity for H1 receptor than terfenadine. It blocks both early and late stages of allergy effectively. It does not have anticholinergic, dopaminergic or alpha-adrenergic activity. It is available under brand names like Allegra, Allegra D and Telfast. Fexofenadine - Allegra is an antihistamine drug used in the treatment of hay fever and similar allergy symptoms. The pharmaceutical company Hoechst Marion Roussel which is now a part of Sanofi-Aventis holds the patent rights for Fexofenadine allegra.

Fexofenadine allegra like other second and third-generation antihistamines, does not easily cross the blood-brain barrier, and so causes less drowsiness than other first-generation histamine-receptor antagonists.

Fexofenadine allegra is used in the treatment of Allergic rhinitis and Allergic skin conditions. Dosage for Allergic Rhinitis is 120 mg once daily and for Allergic Skin Conditions it is 180 mg once daily. Contraindications of Fexofenadine allegra include Hypersensitivity. No special precaution is needed in the elderly, renally impaired or hepatically impaired patients unlike other antiohistamines. This drug is not recommended during lactation.

Common side effects of Fexofenadine allegra include Nausea,Vomiting,Weakness,Drowsiness, sleepiness,Fatigue,Diarrhea and Unusual bowel movements.

Loratadine – brand name Claritin is a drug used in the treatment of allergies. It belongs to antihistamine gropy of drugs and is known for it’s non-sedating properties. This molecule was developed and patented by Schering-Plough Corporationin the year 2001. It was originally proposed to be an OTC – Iover The counter drug but was changed into a prescription medicine. Loratadine  is available under brand names like  Claritin, Claritin-D, Claritine, Clarityn, Clarityne or Fristamin.

Loratadine – Claritin is a (H 1) receptor antagonist and  penetrates very poorly into the central nervous system. Hence  it does not have CNC depression properties. Structurally it is related to azatadine. Loratadine effectively suppresses mast cell mediator release.

Loratadine – Claritin is used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, acute coryza and  allergic dermatological disorders. The typical dosage is 10 mg once daily for adulys. In case of those in  6-12 year age group the dosage is  5 mg once a day. Loratadine is not recommended in children under 2 yrs. This drug should not be used during lactation as it passes into breast milk.

While Loratadine is devoid of major side effects, The Most common side-effects are Drowsiness, headache, psychomotor impairment, dry mouth, blurred vision, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Many cases of high blood pressure was reported on usage of Loratadine – claritin.

Other rarer side-effects of Loratadine are Hypotension, extrapyramidal effects, dizziness, confusion, depression, sleep disturbances, tremor, convulsions, palpitation, arrhythmias, hypersensitivity reactions, blood disorders, liver dysfunction, and angle-closure glaucoma.