People with
allergies may benefit from loratadine (
Claritin®), an antihistamine product. The medication is used for treating common
allergy symptoms (such as sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, runny nose, and nasal or throat itching), as well as itching due to hives.
There are several different forms of loratadine: oral tablets, chewable tablets, syrup, liquid-filled capsules, and orally disintegrating tablets. While loratadine oral tablets are typically used in adults and older children,
loratadine syrup and chewable tablets are approved for use in children as young as two years old.
This drug works by blocking the effects of histamine, which is responsible for many of the symptoms of allergies and the formation of hives. Although loratadine was once available by prescription only, it can now be purchased over the counter.
(Click Loratadine for more information on how loratadine works, when and how to take the medicine, and what side effects may occur with the use of this product.)
