These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Claritin Side Effects
Question: I had been taking Claritin-D for several months and noticed a
progressive set of depressive characteristics. In the past, I had a similar
reaction to over-the-counter medications, such as Contac.
Can you tell me what class of medications these belong to and if there are any
alternative types of medication which might not cause the
side effect of depression? I had excellent results from the
Claritin D with regard to my allergy symptoms. I also take Pravachol and Cozaar.
My physician was extremely surprised that my depressive symptoms disappeared
within a couple of days when I discontinued the drug.
Answer: All the antihistamines have an anticholingeric effect. This is why you get sleepy, even on relatively selective ones like Claritin. Many people ill experience depression with any anticholingeric drug.
Claritin
Question: I get spring time allergies and I have heard good things about using Claritin from friends and family. I have to have an annual drug test at my place of employment. Will Claritin cause my drug test to come back positive?
Answer: Only for Claritin.
