Allegra

• If you have any questions about Allegra , please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• Allegra is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
• Carry an identification card at all times that says you are taking Allegra .

This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Allegra . If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.

• Allegra may cause dizziness. It does not usually cause drowsiness when used under normal circumstances at the recommended doses. However, these effects may be worse if you take Allegra with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Allegra with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Do NOT take more than the recommended dose or use for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
• Allegra may interfere with skin allergy tests. If you are scheduled for a skin test, talk to your doctor. You may need to stop taking Allegra for a few days before the tests.
• Use Allegra with caution in the ELDERLY; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Allegra should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 6 months old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Allegra while you are pregnant. It is not known if Allegra is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Allegra , check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.

Fexofenadine hydrochloride, the major active metabolite of terfenadine, is an antihistamine with selective H1-receptor antagonist activity. Both enantiomers of fexofenadine hydrochloride displayed approximately equipotent antihistaminic effects. Fexofenadine hydrochloride inhibited antigen-induced bronchospasm in sensitized guinea pigs and histamine release from peritoneal mast cells in rats. The clinical significance of these findings is unknown. In laboratory animals, no anticholinergic or alpha1-adrenergic blocking effects were observed. Moreover, no sedative or other central nervous system effects were observed. Radiolabeled tissue distribution studies in rats indicated that fexofenadine does not cross the blood-brain barrier.