Allergy Medicine Got You Down?

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, can affect your quality of life, ability to work or learn, and can worsen other diseases such as asthma and chronic sinusitis. Many of the allergy medications available, particularly the over-the-counter forms, may make the situation even worse. Older antihistamines, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine), can make you sedated, and even impair your ability to drive an automobile. For this reason, it is possible to be charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) while operating an automobile while taking some antihistamines.

Newer antihistamines, including Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Clarinex (desloratadine), cause much less sedation, and show no evidence of impairment when taken in recommended doses. Allegra (fexofenadine) is currently the only antihistamine on the market that shows no evidence of sedation.

Want to learn more? Find out about:

• Allergic rhinitis: More than just a runny nose
• More about the antihistamines that you should be using
• Other treatments for hay fever