Claritin

What is Claritin?

Claritin is a medication for allergies. It treats and prevents sneezing, itchy eyes, and other symptoms caused by allergic rhinitis and hives. It also helps with seasonal allergies like hay fever. Depending on your allergies, you might experience hives, eczema, or other skin reactions, while other people may experience a runny nose or itchy eyes.

In the case of hay fever, symptoms are brought on by pollen and other stuff you may be exposed to in an outdoor environment. For some people, pets or certain substances like fragrance and fabric can cause an allergic reaction. In all these cases, Claritin can provide quick and effective relief.

How does Claritin work?

The active ingredient in Claritin is loratadine, a type of antihistamine. Antihistamines like loratadine work to stop the effects of histamines on your body. Your immune system produces histamines when it detects a potential threat. In people with allergies like hay fever, too many histamines are produced in response to something non-harmful, such as pollen. This overload of histamines causes the uncomfortable feelings associated with allergies.

Taking an antihistamine like Claritin can either resolve or prevent these symptoms from occurring. It works by binding to and blocking your histamine receptors.^[1] This reduces the symptoms that result from an allergic reaction, like the itching from hives or the watery eyes and sneezing from hayfever. Unlike older antihistamines, it also doesn’t make you drowsy, so you can enjoy an allergy-free day.

What doses of Claritin are there?

You can get Claritin in 10mg tablets. The recommended dose is one 10mg tablet a day for adults. Try to take it around the same time every day if you’re taking it regularly. If you don’t feel like this dose is helping to control your symptoms, go back and talk to your physician. You may need to try a different antihistamine, or a higher dose might be better for you depending on your needs.

How to take Claritin

Taking Claritin is easy and convenient. It’s usually available in a tablet, but you can also get it in a liquid form if you prefer. Just take one pill each day with a glass of water. If you’re taking it every day to control your symptoms, try to take it around the same time so the levels of antihistamine stay around the same in your blood.

You can take Claritin with food if you like, but you don’t have to. Swallow it whole. If you have trouble swallowing the tablet, there’s a line to help you break it in half. Always follow your doctor’s advice when taking Claritin. If you have any extra questions, just ask.

How long does it take Claritin to work?

Claritin kicks in relatively quickly. You should begin to feel your allergy symptoms improve within an hour. If you don’t experience adequate relief, let your clinician know. They may recommend another antihistamine to treat your allergies.

If you know you’re going to come into contact with an allergen on a particular day (if there’s a high pollen count or you’re visiting a friend with a pet, for example) the effects of Claritin peak after around eight to twelve hours. So you can take it in the morning and you should be protected for most of the day. ^[1]

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Claritin?

If you forget to take your Claritin on time, take it as soon as you remember. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip your missed dose and take your medicine as normally scheduled.

Taking more Claritin than you should can cause several unpleasant side effects including headache, rapid heartbeat, and drowsiness. But it’s usually not cause for alarm. If you’ve taken too much and are concerned, seek appropriate medical care to make sure you’re okay.