Claritin is an antihistamine with the pronounced anti-allergic effect. This drug can be used as preventive means, especially for allergic inflammations, such as bronchial asthma. Being a blocker of histamine receptors, the drug affects only cell structures, involved in allergy, without affecting other organs.
Getting to the human body, Claritin provides an anti-allergic, anti-exudate and antipruritic effect. The drug prevents the development of tissue swelling, effectively reduces the permeability of capillaries and significantly reduces the activity of smooth musculature. The maximum concentration of Loratadine in blood is achieved 1–1.2 hours after the drug intake.
Claritin acts quickly (within half an hour after taking ) and prolonged (more than one day), suppressing the occurrence of allergic reactions, including preventing the occurrence of edema and itching. Thus Claritin does not penetrate into the brain tissue (not overcome the blood-brain barrier) and has no effect on the central nervous system, so it does not have a sedative effect and does not cause accustoming and addiction. Also, Claritin does not potentiate (does not increase) the effect of alcohol.
Indications for the use of Claritin
Year-round or seasonal allergic rhinitis, Quincke’s disease, acute urticaria, conjunctivitis, allergy to insect bites, pseudoallergic syndromes, and also the comprehensive treatment of dermatosis (chronic eczema, contact allergic dermatitis).
- intolerance or hypersensitivity to the drug components;
- the age under 2 years old;
- liver failure.
The following side effects of Claritin occurred on almost the same frequency, as those of placebo — ≥2%.
Adults: headache, fatigue, dry mouth, drowsiness, gastrointestinal disorders (sickness, gastritis), allergic reactions in the form of rash (with a frequency of placebo); besides, there were rare cases of anaphylaxis, alopecia, liver dysfunction, heartbeat and tachycardia.
Children (rarely): headache, nervousness or sedative effect. As in the adults, the frequency of these side effects was at the same level as in the use of placebo.
Claritin must not be taken together with barbiturates, ethanol and tricyclic antidepressants, because it can reduce the effectiveness of the drug.