by Brenda Contents
Do not use this medication if the safety seal is open or torn. If you are taking the rapidly disintegrating tablet, follow the package directions to remove the tablet from the blister package without breaking the tablet. After you remove the tablet from the blister package, immediately place it on your tongue and close your mouth. The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed with or without water. If you’re breastfeeding and your baby was premature or has other health problems, talk to your doctor before taking Claritin .
The overall incidence of side effects with Claritin was low (14%) with few occurrences of sedation (3%) and dry mouth (4%). Some seemingly innocuous medications, including many over-the-counter drugs, can interact negatively with alcohol. Certain herbal remedies, often publicized as having beneficial effects for varied health conditions, ultimate guide to sugar addiction can also be harmful when taken with any type of alcoholic beverage. This is a common concern for those who take allergy medicines and indulge in alcohol. If you’re the type of person who wants to sit on a porch and drink a beer without dealing with seasonal allergies, this can make or break your usage of certain medications.
Why Medications and Alcohol Don’t Mix
The first set of symptoms indicates an overdose; the second set signifies a severe allergic reaction requiring medical intervention. If you or a loved one struggle with drinking, you do not have to face your addiction alone. Our alcohol addiction experts at The Recovery Village at Baptist Health can help you get started on your road to a new, find sober living homes in massachusetts alcohol-free life. Contact us today to learn more about treatment programs that can work well for your situation and needs. You should use caution if mixing either Claritin or Claritin-D with alcohol. The drug interaction between loratadine and alcohol, with or without pseudoephedrine, raises concerns about additive side effects and safety.
Claritin is also used to treat itching and redness caused by hives. However, Claritin does not prevent hives or other allergic skin reactions. Claritin is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.
Claritin is an over-the-counter medication that you can find in most pharmacies and drug stores. Still, it is important to be mindful of potential alcohol and drug interactions. Drinking alcohol while taking Claritin is not advisable because when these substances are combined, some of the effects of each substance will be amplified.
It works by preventing histamine from binding to histamine receptors in your body. The following list of medications that shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol isn’t exhaustive. You should always read the label of any medication and check with a doctor to be sure you are safely taking a medication. When the interaction between the substances goes the other way, certain drugs can change how your body responds to an alcoholic beverage. For example, some OTC products can make the effects of alcohol more intense.
In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Can you drink 10 hours after taking Claritin?
Because it takes about five half-lives5 to completely rid your body of a drug, Claritin can remain in your system for more than 40 hours after you take a dose. Drinking during this timeframe can put you at risk of increased side effects, including alcohol-related liver disease.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. All Alcoholrehabhelp content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible. You keep drinking even though it is affecting your relationships with family, friends, colleagues, etc.
Side Effects & Risks of Taking Claritin
However, other medications that mix loratadine and pseudoephedrine (including Claritin-D) can increase anxiety. It can increase the impact on your nervous system and result in excessive sleepiness, loss of coordination, or overdose. Following the directions provided on the medication label can reduce the risk of adverse reactions. LORATADINE; PSEUDOEPHEDRINE (lor AT a deen; soo doe e FED rin) is a combination of an antihistamine and a decongestant. With numerous antihistamines on the market, finding the right one for you might take some time. Some antihistamines work for four to six hours, while others are designed to be effective for 12 to 24 hours, says the U.S.
For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Claritin is a second-generation antihistamine designed to treat allergen-triggered symptoms like hives, rashes, runny noses, sneezing, and watery eyes. Along with other brand names like Allegra and Zyrtec , Claritin disrupts the histamine receptors in your body that kick into high gear whenever you’re exposed to allergens. Always read the label and package insert of any medication you are taking, whether it has been prescribed by your doctor or purchased over-the-counter.
Decreased Effectiveness of Claritin
If you are not sure if you can safely drink alcohol while taking a certain medication, read the label carefully and consult with a pharmacist or doctor. Additionally, if you have an underlying health condition like heart disease or high blood pressure , mixing alcohol with your medications can put you at risk for complications. If you’re drinking excessively or regularly, you are increasing the risk of adverse medication reactions.
In some cases, a fatal overdose can occur if sleep aids are mixed with alcohol because both substances affect the body’s central nervous system . Medications used to treat insomnia or help you fall and stay asleep should never be mixed with alcohol. The sedating effect of these drugs can be increased by alcohol, leading to slowed or impaired breathing, impaired motor control, abnormal behavior, memory loss, and fainting. Here is what you need to know about the possible unsafe interactions between alcohol and common prescription and over-the-counter medications. If you take any medication—even over-the-counter products—you should know that drinking alcohol might affect how your meds work. Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals.
Learn how long alcohol can be detected in your system, and how long the effects from alcohol may last. Both alcohol and Claritin slow down nervous system activity. When an allergen enters your body, your immune system may mistakenly identify the allergen as a dangerous intruder. It then activates chemicals, like histamine, to fight off the intruder.
You can buy Claritin without a prescription from a healthcare provider. She adds that in this scenario the patient needs professional medical care so call 911 or get them to a doctor immediately. Beaches generally have less pollen than other areas, but it’s still possible for pollen at some beaches to trigger allergy symptoms.
Claritin Tablets 24-Hour
Claritin is generally safe, with a low risk of serious drug interactions. Women and older adults are more likely to experience serious alcohol-medication interactions. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how alcohol can interact with Claritin and the possible side effects of mixing the two. While it typically gets better after stopping taking the medications, there has been concern that alcohol could potentially make liver inflammation worse.
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , alcohol can interact with antihistamines like Claritin. If you have angina, you might be prescribed a medication called nitroglycerin. Antipsychotics may be prescribed for people with conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The mixture of opiates and alcohol, for example, can cause your breathing to stop and is a common cause of death.
What should you not drink with antihistamines?
Don't take more of the antihistamine than recommended. Don't drive or perform any activities that require focus until you know how the antihistamine medication affects you. Alcohol can worsen certain side effects of antihistamines. It is best to avoid mixing alcohol with antihistamines.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American, allergic rhinitis affects 20 million adults in the United States each year. And millions more experience various other types of allergies—everything from insect bites and pet dander to shellfish, peanuts, and mold spores . If your allergy is severe enough, you might carry an EpiPen or receive allergy shots from your doctor.
How Long After Taking Claritin Can I Drink Alcohol?
If your allergy symptoms are still unbearable despite taking Claritin, seek professional medical advice to get a stronger prescription medication. So drinking while taking certain drugs at the same time can put you at a higher risk of injury. Though second-generation antihistamines like Claritin are less likely to cause serious side effects, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to mix this type of medication with alcohol. However, even medications that don’t require a prescription can be unsafe when mixed with alcohol.
- In these cases, the people who developed liver problems may have been pre-disposed to the illnesses.
- Claritin is in a class of medications called antihistamines.
- Combining these drugs with alcohol can make the risks and side effects worse, especially if you have liver disease.
- If you had an alcoholic beverage and are not sure if you should take an OTC pain reliever, you can ask a local pharmacist or primary care provider if it is safe to do so.
- Second-generation antihistamines, including Claritin, have no sedative properties, and they’re far less likely to induce drowsiness.
- Keep in mind that Claritin is specifically an allergy medicine.
These drugs can also make the effects of alcohol more intense, leading to impaired judgment and sedation. Medications that are prescribed to treat nausea can make you feel drowsy, dizzy, and may impair your motor control—symptoms that can also be caused by alcohol. Some drugs used to prevent and treat motion sickness can also be purchased over-the-counter. So, mixing the two together increases the likelihood of overdose on either substance. Older adults are also more likely to experience problems, as the ability to clear both alcohol and drugs from the body is reduced with age. If you lie about the amount of alcohol you consume on a regular basis, your doctor can’t accurately judge the risks and benefits of prescribing a particular medication.
Geriatric patients are especially susceptible to the anticholinergic side effects, such as dryness of mouth and urinary retention , of the antihistamines. If these side effects occur and continue or are severe, medication should probably be discontinued. A paradoxical reaction characterized by hyperexcitability may occur in children taking antihistamines 11. You should always speak with your healthcare provider before making any changes in your medication. It is important to consider the benefits of treating allergy symptoms during pregnancy.
However, the dose administered was four times greater than the usual dose of the drug, so a total dose of about 3 mcg would be expected with a 10 mg alcoholism treatment & alcohol rehab dose. Claritin is also available in combination with pseudoephedrine . This monograph only includes information about the use of Claritin alone.
The same rule goes for other first-generation allergy medications such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine and hydroxyzine . Some people may be at greater risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, which is why some can drink in moderation, while others struggle with drinking. Taking Claritin with alcohol can cause excessive drowsiness4. Further, because Claritin is dosed once or twice daily, it can last in your system a long time.
