Allegra

Overall rating 

Effectiveness:          Highly Effective
Side effects:          No Side Effects

Treatment Info

Condition / reason:          Allergies
Dosage & duration:          60 mg taken twice per day for the period of 2 years
Other conditions:          Ocular hypertension
Other drugs taken:          Xalatan

Reported Results

Benefits:          This drug alleviates my allergic responses–itchy eyes and sneezing. It’s effective because if I don’t use it, my symptoms return.
Side effects:          I’m not sure if this drug has a drying effect. I don’t think so, but I really don’t know how to tell.
Comments:          I take a pill approximately every 12 hours. I try to keep well hydrated.

The safety of fexofenadine has been examined extensively in adults and school-age children. However, the safety of fexofenadine in children younger than 6 years has not been reported to date. OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and tolerability of twice-daily fexofenadine hydrochloride, 30 mg, and placebo in preschool children aged 2 to 5 years with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, conducted between February 29, 2000, and June 14, 2001. Participants were randomized to either fexofenadine hydrochloride, 30 mg, or placebo twice daily for a 2-week period. To facilitate dosing, capsule content was mixed with applesauce (approximately 10 mL). Safety assessments depended on date of entry into the study because of an amendment to the protocol. Before the amendment, assessments included physical examination, vital signs reporting (oral temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate), and adverse event (AE) reporting. After the amendment, safety assessments included laboratory testing (blood chemistry and hematology profiles), physical examination, 12-lead electrocardiography, and vital signs (oral temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate) and AE reporting. RESULTS: Treatment-emergent AEs were observed in 116 of 231 participants receiving placebo and 111 of 222 receiving fexofenadine. These AEs were possibly related to study medication in 19 (8.2%) and 21 (9.5%) of the participants receiving placebo and fexofenadine, respectively, and most frequently involved the digestive system. No clinically relevant differences in laboratory measures, vital signs, and physical examinations were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that fexofenadine hydrochloride, 30 mg, is well tolerated and has a good safety profile in children aged 2 to 5 years with allergic rhinitis.

• 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.

Use Allegra-D with caution if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, increased pressure in the eyes, prostate problems, or hyperthyroidism. Stop using it and check with your doctor if it causes nervousness, dizziness, or sleeplessness.

The effects of this drug during pregnancy have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. It is not known whether Allegra appears in breast milk. If the drug is essential to your health, your doctor may advise you to stop nursing until your treatment is finished.

void using antacids within 15 minutes before or after taking a medication that contains Allegra. Antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb Allegra.

Do not take Allegra with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).
Avoid taking any other cold or allergy medicines unless your doctor has told you to.

Check with your doctor before combining Allegra with erythromycin (E.E.S., Ery-Tab, PCE) or ketoconazole (Nizoral). These drugs may increase Allegra’s effects.

Allow a little time between a dose of Allegra and antacids such as Maalox that contain aluminum and magnesium. This type of antacid can decrease Allegra’s effects.

Allegra-D should never be taken within 2 weeks of using an MAO-inhibitor drug such as the antidepressants Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate. Also check with your doctor before combining it with the following:

Mecamylamine (Inversine)
Methyldopa (Aldomet)
Reserpine (Diupress, Hydropres)

You should also avoid Allegra-D if you have a pacemaker and take digoxin (Lanoxin). And you should not combine it with over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants.

If Allegra or Allegra-D gives you an allergic reaction, avoid it in the future. Do not give either product to children under 6.

Do not take Allegra-D if you have glaucoma, urination problems, or severe high blood pressure or heart disease. Also avoid taking Allegra-D within 2 weeks of using an MAO-inhibitor drug such as Marplan, Nardil, or Parnate.