Precautions and Warnings With Desloratadine

There are many desloratadine precautions and warnings to be aware of. For example, people with phenylketonuria or kidney disease should see a doctor before taking the drug. You should not take it if you are allergic to any inactive ingredients it contains. A pregnant woman may take the drug only if her doctor believes the desloratadine precautions and warnings are outweighed by the benefits.

What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking desloratadine (Clarinex®) if you have:
 
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • Phenylketonuria (if taking Clarinex RediTabs®).
     
Let your healthcare provider know if you:
 
  • Are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant
  • Are breastfeeding
  • Have any allergies, including allergies to desloratadine or Claritin®.
     
Also, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 
Finally, make sure to contact your healthcare provider or 911 immediately if you experience any difficulty breathing or swallowing.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Desloratadine

Some precautions and warnings to be aware of with desloratadine include:
 
  • There are certain medications that desloratadine can interact with (see Drug Interactions With Desloratadine).
     
  • Although desloratadine causes drowsiness less often than other antihistamines, it still can make some people tired. Therefore, until you know whether desloratadine makes you tired, caution should be used before driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery.
     
  • Desloratadine is a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that it could potentially harm your unborn child. If you are pregnant, you should take desloratadine only if your healthcare provider believes that its benefits outweigh the possible risk to your unborn child. Discuss this with your healthcare provider before using desloratadine.
     
  • If you are nursing or plan to nurse, desloratadine passes through your milk. Therefore, if you are taking this drug, you should stop nursing until talking with your healthcare provider.
     

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(Precautions and Warnings With Desloratadine Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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