Antihistamines - Health Tips
Get practical tips regarding Antihistamines to help you prepare for your appointments and manage your care from home.
The most popular over the counter medication agents are the oral antihistamines. These can be taken in liquid or pill form. Some over the counter eye drops also contain antihistamines. Antihistamines can help reduce itching, sneezing, runny nose, post nasal drip, and to a mild degree, nasal congestion. Different antihistamines contain active ingredients with different effects. The antihistamines are grouped in 2 general categories. The first generation antihistamines include diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl®), chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, doxylamine, and others. The first generation antihistamines cause drowsiness and should NOT be used with driving or operating heavy machinery.
The second generation antihistamines include loratadine (such as Claritin®, or Alavert®), cetirizine (Zyrtec®, or Allertek®), or fexofenadine (such as Allegra®). In general these agents are less sedating although cetirizine can be associated with sedation in 10% of the individuals.
The antihistamine/decongestant combinations (the above antihistamines in combination with phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine) can produce more significant relief of nasal congestion that with antihistamines alone.