Does Loratadine Help With Asthma

What Kind Of Physician Treats Adult Onset Asthma

Many older patients are treated for asthma by their internist or family physician however, if your asthma symptoms are not under control within three to six months, or if you have severe persistent asthma, or if you are having asthma episodes that need emergency treatment, it may be time to see an asthma specialist. Allergists/Immunologists or pulmonologists are specialists who treat asthma. Those who have completed training in those specialties are usually called board-certified or board-eligible.

Is Benadryl Or Claritin More Effective

While Benadryl and Claritin are similarly effective for treating allergy symptoms, Claritin has less sedating side effects. Claritin is often preferred over Benadryl for this reason.

According to guidelines developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians , second-generation antihistamines are recommended to treat symptoms of allergic rhinitis such as sneezing and itching.

Other guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology suggest using a nasal steroid such as Flonase or Nasacort for allergic rhinitis before adding the use of an oral antihistamine.

Research from a literature review found that newer antihistamines such as loratadine are safer than first-generation antihistamines. The study also compared other second-generation antihistamines such as Zyrtec and Allegra . The study found that cetirizine or fexofenadine may be more effective than loratadine.

Choosing an antihistamine depends on your overall condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to determine which treatment option may best for you.

Can Allergic Rhinitis Make Asthma Worse

Hay fever can make asthma harder to control. People with asthma who also have allergic rhinitis have more visits to hospital or emergency departments and more time off work or school than other people with asthma.

Some people find that the things that trigger their asthma will also make their allergic rhinitis worse. These could include things they are allergic to or cold air, cigarette smoke or other irritating fumes.

Effective treatment for allergic rhinitis may reduce the chance of severe asthma attacks, and make the lungs work better.

People with allergic rhinitis who are allergic to grass pollens can have asthma attacks caused by springtime thunderstorms. These mainly occur in October-November, in places where there is a lot of grass pollen . Very severe asthma attacks triggered by thunderstorms are more likely in people who have asthma as well as allergic rhinitis especially if their asthma is not well controlled, or they are not taking regular preventer medication for their asthma.

Recommended Reading: How To Cure Asthma Naturally Permanently

How Is Allergic Rhinitis Treated In Children

Some corticosteroid nasal sprays can be used in children as young as 2 years.

Antihistamine tablets can be used for children with mild allergic rhinitis or young children who will not tolerate nasal sprays. Some can be taken by children as young as 12 months. Only newer antihistamines, which cause less sleepiness, should be given to children.

Montelukast tablets are effective for some children.

Your doctor may recommend other medicines.

Common Side Effects Of Allegra Vs Claritin

Allegra and Claritin share some mild side effects such as headache, drowsiness, and fatigue. These side effects are common with other second-generation antihistamines like Zyrtec . However, Allegra may produce less drowsiness than Claritin and other antihistamines.

Other common side effects of Allegra include dizziness, nausea, stomach ache, and back pain. Claritin may also cause dry mouth.

Serious side effects are rare with Allegra and Claritin. However, allergic reactions to any of the ingredients in either drug are possible. Those with allergies to either drug may experience rash, swelling, or trouble breathing. Seek medical attention immediately if this occurs.

You May Like: What Type Of Disease Is Asthma

What Causes Allergy Symptoms

When you take a breath or rub your nose or eyes, allergens enter your body and your immune systemX immune system The bodys defense system that protects us against infections and foreign substances. triggers a hypersensitivity reaction. To get rid of the substance it thinks is harmful, your body undergoes various reactions and releases inflammatory mediators like histamineX histamine A naturally occurring substance that is released by the immune system after being exposed to an allergen. When you inhale an allergen, mast cells located in the nose and sinus membranes release histamine. Histamine then attaches to receptors on nearby blood vessels, causing them to enlarge .

When the histamine binds to receptors on other cells in your body, it causes you to experience allergyX allergy An exaggerated response of the immune system to a substance that is ordinarily harmless. symptoms, including runny nose, sneezing, itchy/watery eyes, itchy nose or throat, nasal congestion and sinus pressure.

DID YOU KNOW?

Working Our Your Pollen Triggers

To work out which pollen sets off your hay fever, make a note of any days when your symptoms are bad. Then you can use a pollen calendar to work out which pollen you are allergic to and find out when it is released. Look at the pollen chart here:

If you already know which pollen triggers you?

If you know pollen is a trigger for your asthma, speak to your GP or asthma nurse who can give additional support and advice to help you manage your asthma at this time.

Alcohol may make your symptoms worse

Alcohol contains histamine that is also released as part of the bodys reaction to allergies. It is therefore strongly suggested that alcohol can increase the sensitivity of the body to pollen and other allergens. It is advisable to avoid alcohol if you have a prone to allergic reactions or are asthmatic. Particularly if you are experiencing a worsening of your asthma or hay fever.

Prepare for pollen season

If you regularly get hay fever, start taking antihistamines up to four weeks before you normally get symptoms.

Remember a steroid nasal spray can take up to two weeks to start working, so start using it before your personal pollen trigger is released.

How can you treat a pollen allergy?

The best treatment is to avoid the allergen, but pollen is extremely difficult to avoid. To reduce your exposure to pollen you can:

• stay indoors on dry, windy days
• ask others do the gardening during peak pollen seasons
• keep doors and windows closed when you know pollen counts are due to be high

Read Also: A Common Pathological Finding In Patients With Asthma Is

What Are The Side Effects Of Loratadine

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Common side effects may include:

• headache or
• feeling tired or drowsy.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Mild And Serious Side Effects

Allegra and Claritin are considered newer antihistamines. One benefit of using a newer antihistamine is that theyre less likely to cause drowsiness than older antihistamines.

The other side effects of Allegra and Claritin are similar, but in most cases, people dont experience any side effects with either drug. That said, the following tables list examples of possible side effects of these drugs.

If you experience any serious side effects that may indicate an allergic reaction, get emergency medical treatment right away.

Two things you should consider when taking any medication is the possible drug interactions and potential problems related to health conditions you have. These are not all the same for Allegra and Claritin.

Don’t Miss: How To Tell If Your Child Has Asthma

What About Antihistamines In Cold And Flu Medications

What many people may not know is that cold and flu medicines marketed to treat runny nose and sneezing usually include first-generation antihistamines the more sedating types. Thats because they are often better at treating cold symptoms and drying up runny nose than the newer types.

Because of their sedating effect, cold medicines with antihistamines are labeled for nighttime use. Take this labeling seriously, as some include medications like doxylamine that are more sedating than others. Check labels for dosages, as well, as these may vary, even within brands.

More is not better read labels carefully and take only as recommended. Dont supplement a multi-symptom cold medication with another single-ingredient antihistamine.

Products Contraindicated With Asthma

Asthma was once a labeled contraindication for allnonprescription products containing first-generation antihistamines. Therationale behind this labeled contraindication was discussed by an OTCreview panel appointed to examine antihistamines in its original 1976report: The Panel is aware that a controversy exists concerning the useof antihistamines in patients with bronchial asthma where a dryingaction is undesirable. Many physicians consider this effect to bedisadvantageous in patients with bronchial asthma and some maintain thatthe antihistaminic drugs are contraindicated in patients with thisdisease.2 Products carried this label for years. In 1985,the FDA published a tentative final monograph for antihistamines,agreeing with the need for this label.3

In 1992, however, the FDA published its final rule on labeling for nonprescription first-generation antihistamines.4In this document, the agency described the conclusions of a 1990meeting of the FDAs Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee.Participants believed that first-generation antihistamines did not havesufficient anticholinergic effects to be problematic for those withasthma, removing the term asthma from the warnings. Second-generationantihistamines have never beenrequired to carry an asthma warning.

Recommended Reading: Can Asthma Cause Low Blood Oxygen Levels

How Childhood And Adult

Over 25 million people in the United States have asthma. Its a condition that must be treated, or you risk doing permanent damage to your lungs. Unfortunately, asthma at any age cannot be cured, only controlled and managed. While there are similarities, childhood and adult-onset asthma differ.

At Allergy Asthma & Immunology Institute in Leesburg, Virginia we offer long term asthma strategies or same-day appointments for urgent situations. Laura Ispas, MD, discovers each patients allergies and triggers and creates a specialized plan to treat those specific concerns. Controlling your asthma is a long term process, but one that can be done.

Recommended Reading: Is Asthma Allergy Related

Can I Take Antihistamines For My Allergies

Antihistamines are usually safe for people who have asthma to use, but they can cause side effects. Some antihistamines cant be taken with certain other medicines. Like any other medicine, read the warnings and instructions on the label and check with your doctor before you start taking an antihistamine.

Also Check: Can Wildfire Smoke Cause Asthma

Key Steps To Reduce The Likelihood Of An Attack:

Take your asthma medication

If you are asthmatic and have a pollen allergy, ensure you have your asthma medication with you at all times. Particularly your blue reliever inhaler.

But also take your hay fever medicine

Research has shown that asthma sufferers who also have hay fever can significantly reduce their risk of needing to go to A& E if they treat their hay fever effectively.

Antihistamines will reduce your sensitivity to the histamine released by your body in response to the pollen.

If you are taking Fexofenadine ensure you are not taking them with orange juice or grapefruit as this can dramatically reduce the efficacy of your medication.

Read our full article on how grapefruit affects your medication

Some antihistamine medications become less effective after continued use. If one antihistamine is not working for you, speak with your pharmacist and try alternatives to see if others work better.

Be careful taking antihistamines that can cause drowsiness.

Many of the same antihistamine medication is marketed by different drug companies, look carefully at the generic name of the medication and you may find it is possible to buy the identical medication much cheaper as a generic brand. Ask your pharmacist to help and advise.

When does hay fever season start?

Grass pollens are the most common cause of hay fever, being the trigger for 95% of peoples hay fever. It usually affects people in May, June and July.

Warnings Of Allegra Vs Claritin

Allegra is in pregnancy category C. No adequate trials have been performed in pregnant women. Allegra should only be used if the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Claritin is in pregnancy category B. No adequate trials have been performed in pregnant women. However, there does not appear to be a risk in animal fetus studies. It should only be taken if benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Allegra should be used with caution in those with kidney problems. Because Claritin is heavily processed in the liver, it should be used with caution in those with liver problems. Claritinâs dose may need to be adjusted as well in those with kidney problems.

Both Allegra and Claritin may interact with grapefruit juice. Drinking grapefruit juice with these medications can alter how these drugs are processed in the body.

Read Also: Can Cockroaches Trigger An Asthma Attack

What Is Fda Doing

We are requiring a Boxed Warning, our most prominent warning, to be added to the prescribing information of montelukast to describe these serious mental health side effects and to recommend that montelukast should only be reserved to treat allergic rhinitis in patients who are not treated effectively with or cannot tolerate other allergy medicines. We are also requiring a new patient Medication Guide to educate patients and parents/caregivers about the medicine.

Dont Miss: Aromatherapy Inhaler Recipes

How To Take It

Loratadine comes as 2 different types of tablet ordinary and melt-in-the-mouth tablets.

Swallow ordinary loratadine tablets with a drink of water, milk or juice. If the tablet has a score line, you can break it in half if you find it hard to swallow it whole. Do not chew it.

Melt-in-the-mouth tablets dissolve instantly on your tongue without needing a drink. Be careful not to crush them when you take them out of the packet.

Loratadine liquid may be easier for children to take than tablets. The medicine will come with a plastic syringe or spoon to help you measure out the right dose. If you don’t have a syringe or spoon, ask your pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give the right amount.

Loratadine tablets and melt-in-the-mouth tablets must only be taken by children aged between 2 and 12 years if they weigh 30kg or more. Give children loratadine liquid if they weigh less than 30kg.

Also Check: Why Do Cockroaches Cause Asthma Attacks

Cbd May Interact With The Endocannabinoid System To Reduce Mucus Production As One Review Indicates

CBD functions as an immune modulator and some allergy sufferers may find improvement in their condition, according to Dr. Karyemaître Aliffe, a physician who focuses on cannabis-based healthcare options.

Cannabis activates the CB1 and CB2 receptors, reducing airway sensitivity in people who have asthma. However, this activity would be more related to full-spectrum, THC-rich products than with a CBD isolate.

Dr. Philip Blair, an endocannabinologist, believes that full-spectrum CBD is more effective due to the entourage effect.

The entourage effect is a phenomenon that shows synergy among cannabinoids. It results when the many components within the cannabis plant interact with the cannabinoids in the human body to create a stronger impact than any one of those components alone.

Whole plant-derived CBD also performs better and more consistently with reduced adverse effects than isolate, at significantly lower quantities of CBD.

Dr. Blair recommends taking CBD oil orally, or by using a vape pen. He said asthma responds well to oral CBD.

In his experience, liposomal products are effective in immediately improving several aspects of this disorder.

Dr. Blair adds, Vaporization of CBD is helpful but not as complete as oral or sublingual use.

Cautions With Other Medicines

Some medicines and loratadine interfere with each other and increase the chances of you having side effects.

Tell your doctor if you’re taking:

• amiodarone, a medicine used to treat an irregular heartbeat
• cimetidine, an indigestion medicine
• ketoconazole, a medicine to treat fungal infections
• midodrine, a medicine used to treat low blood pressure
• ritonavir, a medicine used to treat HIV infection
• any medicine that makes you feel sleepy, gives you a dry mouth or makes it difficult for you to pee. Taking loratadine might make these side effects worse

Recommended Reading: Why Does Asthma Cause Coughing At Night

How Are Antihistamines Classified

Antihistamines are divided into two major subtypes. The first subtype is called H-1 receptor antagonists or H-1 blockers. This subtype of antihistamines is used to treat allergy symptoms. The second subtype is called H-2 receptor antagonists or H-2 blockers. They are used to treat gastrointestinal conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease , peptic ulcers, gastritis, motion sickness, nausea and vomiting. The naming structure tells doctors and scientists the cell type the location of the histamine receptor that the antihistamine medication blocks.

The H-1 blocker subtype is further broken down into two groups first-generation antihistamines and second-generation antihistamines.

Dont Miss: Can You Join The Army If You Have Asthma

Does Anyone With Asthma Take Claritin Or Alavert

I have cough variant asthma for which I take Advair and Ventolin .

A friend keeps insisting I should try Claritin for my asthma cough. If you have asthma, do you take Claritin and does it help your asthma?

Thanks,

I also have asthma , and take a daily antihistamine. It does help, but not specifically with asthmatic symptoms. So if I have an upper respiratory infection, the antihistamine won’t do a thing to reduce my dependence on other meds like albuterol… BUT it can help with triggers which are allergic in nature. Like animal dander and pollen.HTH.

Thanks for your answer Corvallismom. Your asthma sounds like mine. May I ask what triggers yours? Any foods?thanks,

Hi!My daughter has asthma and is allergic to tree pollens, grass pollens, animal dander, etc…She started back on Claritin the last week of March when we had a warm spell. She will be on it until sometime in July when pollen season slows. She goes back on it in the fall and then again at Christmas.I know she needs it when her nighttime cough returns. This is in addition to daily doses of Advair and Nasonex.It makes a big difference in her quality of life and we don’t use her inhaler as much.——————

Read Also: Can You Buy Asthma Inhalers Over The Counter