AAAAI Allergy & Asthma Medication Guide: Allergy Medications

Last updated: November 2006

Generic name

Brand name

Class

Use

Dosage

Tips/product Link

Acrivastine

Semprex-D Capsules

Antihistamine
Decongestant
Rx

Allergic rhinitis

Age 12 and above; one capsule every 4 to 6 hours

Do not take if you have high blood pressure or narrow angle glaucoma
May cause sedation.
Pregnancy Category C

Brompheniramine

Generic
Elixir 2mg/ 5 mL
Tablet 4 mg

Antihistamine

OTC

Allergic rhinitis and other allergies

Children under 6:
0.125 mg/kg every 6 hours up to 8 mg/day
Children 6 to 12:
2 to 4 mg every 6 to 8 hours up to 16 mg/day
Adults: 4 mg every 4 to 6 hours up to 24 mg /day

This is available by itself as well as in combination with decongestants.

May cause Sedation.

Pregnancy Category C

Carbinoxamine

Palgic Tablets
Palgic oral Solution

 

Antihistamine

Seasonal & Perennial Allergic Rhinitis
Urticaria & Angioedema

Age 1 to 6: ½ tablet (2 mg) or ½ teaspoon (2 mg) every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

Age 6 and older: 1 4mg tablet or 1 tsp. every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

Do not exceed 24 mg / 24 hours in adults.

Children do not exceed 0.2 to 0.4 mg / kg / day.
Palgic Information
May cause sedation.
Pregnancy Category C

Cetirizine

Zyrtec Syrup
1 mg/ mL

Antihistamine

Rx

Seasonal Allergic rhinitis: age 2 and older;

Perennial Allergic rhinitis: age 6 months and older;

Chronic urticaria: age 6 months and older

Children:
6 to 23 months: 1/2 tsp. (2.5mg) once a day; can increase to twice a day for total of 5 mg.
23 months to 5 years: 1/2 tsp. [2.5 mg] Once or twice a day
6 to 11 years:5 or 10 mg Once a day

May cause mild sedation.

With or without food


Zyrtec Package Insert

Pregnancy category B

Zyrtec 5mg Tablet
Zyrtec 10mg Tablet
Zyrtec Chewable 5mg
Zyrtec Chewable 10mg

Antihistamine
Rx

12 and older: 5 or 10 mg once a day

Zyrtec-D 12 Hour

Antihistamine
Decongestant
Rx

Seasonal and Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

Age 12 and older:
One tablet twice daily

Combination of antihistamine (cetirazine) and a decongestant (pseudoephedrine)

Zyrtec-D Package Insert
Pregnancy Category C

Not to be used by people with high blood pressure or narrow angle glaucoma

Chlorpheniramine

generic

Antihistamine
OTC

Allergic rhinitis and other allergies

Children 2 to 6:
1 mg every 4 to 6 hours
Children 6 to 12:
2 mg every 4 to 6 hours; up to 12 mg/day
Over age 12:
4 mg every 4 to 6 hours; up to 24mg/day

This is available by itself as well as in combination with decongestants.
Formerly known as ChlorTrimeton
May cause sedation.

Pregnancy Category B

Clemastine

Generic 1.34 Tab
Generic 2.68 Tab
Generic Syrup 0.67mg/5 mL
Tavist Allergy 12 Hour Relief Tablets

Antihistamine

OTC (Syrup & 1.34 tab)
Rx (2.68 tab)

Allergic rhinitis

Urticaria

Children: 1 tsp twice a day
Adults: 1.34 to 2.68 one to three times daily

May cause sedation.

clemastine can appear as a part
of several combination products.

 

Pregnancy Category B

Cyproheptadine

 

Generic Syrup
2mg/5mL

Antihistamine

Rx

Allergic rhinitis
Urticaria

Children:
2 to 6 years old:
0.25 mg/kg/day increasing
to 2 every 8 to 12 hours.
Age 7 to 14:
Can increase to 4 mg every 8 to 12 hours

May cause sedation.

Weight gain is side-effect

Has anti-serotonin action

Pregnancy Category B

 

 

 

 

Generic tablets
4 mg

Adults:
Allergic Rhinitis 4 mg up to        3 times / day
Urticaria: 4 mg/3 times a day up to 0.5 mg/kg/day

desloratadine

Clarinex 5mg tablets

Clarinex Reditab 5mg

Clarinex Reditab 2.5mg

Clarinex Syrup (0.5mg/mL)

 

Antihistamine

Rx

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: 2 years and older.
Perennial Allergic rhinitis: 6 months and older.
Chronic urticaria:
6 months and older.

Age 12 and older:

  • One 5 mg tablet daily

Children 6 to 11:

  • 2.5mg daily

Children 6 months and older:

  • ½ teaspoon (1.25mg) daily

 

Non-sedating

Clarinex FDA  Information Link

Clarinex.com

Pregnancy Category C

Clarinex-D 12 Hour
Clarinex-D 24Hour

Antihistamine / decongestant

Clarinex-D12 Hour is used for the relief of nasal and non-nasal symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Clarinex-D 24 Hour: is used for allergic rhinitis

Age 12 and older:

  • Clarinex-D 12 Hour is one tablet every 12 hours with or without food.
  • Clarinex-D24 Hour is one tablet once a day

Caution with Hypertension, narrow angle glaucoma
Clarinex-D24 Hour Link

Pregnancy Category C

diphenhydramine

Generic

“Benadryl Allergy”

Antihistamine
OTC (25mg)

Rx (50mg)

Seasonal Allergic rhinitis
Urticaria
Other Allergies

Age 2 to 6:
6.25 mg every 4 to 6 hours
Age 6 to 12:
12.5 to 25 mg every 4 to 6 hours
Adults:
25 to 50 mg every 4 to 6 hours

May cause sedation.
Frequently found in combination products
Also used to treat:
Insomnia
Dystonia
Cough
Motion sickness
Pregnancy Category B

fexofenadine

allegra
30, 60, 180 mg tablets

generic fexofenadine tablets:
30mg,60mg & 180mg

Antihistamine

Rx

Seasonal Allergic rhinitis

Chronic Urticaria

Age 6 to 11:
30 mg twice daily

Age 12 and older:
60 mg twice daily;
180 mg once a day for allergic rhinitis

Non-sedating

Allegra Package Insert

Pregnancy Category C

allegra-D 12 Hour

allegra-D 24 Hour

Antihistamine
Decongestant

Rx

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

Age 12 and older:
allegra D 12 is one tablet twice a day.
Allegra-D 24Hour is one tablet

Non-sedating
Allegra-D Package Insert
Not to be used by people with high blood pressure or narrow angle glaucoma
Do not take with fruit juices.
Pregnancy Category C

Hydroxyzine

Atarax Syrup & Tablets
Generic Syrup & Tablets
Vistaril Capsules & Suspension

Antihistamine

Rx

Itching

Under 6: 2 mg/kg/day divided into 3 or 4 doses
6 to 12: 12.5 to 25 mg every 6 to 8 hours
12 and older: 25 to 100 mg every 6 to 8 hours

Very sedating

Also used for anxiety, nausea, sedation, insomnia
Pregnancy Category C

Loratadine

Alavert Tablets
Claritin Tablets
Claritin RediTabs
Claritin Syrup
Generic loratadine

Antihistamine

OTC

Allergic Rhinitis

Chronic Urticaria

Age 2 to 6:  5mg daily
Age 7 and above: 10mg daily

Non-sedating

Alavert Information
Claritin Information
Pregnancy Category B

Claritin-D 12 Hour
Claritin-D 24 Hour

Antihistamine
Decongestant
OTC

Allergic rhinitis

Claritin D12 Hour: age 12 and above, one tablet twice daily
Claritin D24 Hour: one tablet daily in the AM

These are combinations of loratadine with pseudoephedrine.
Do not take if you have high blood pressure.
Claritin-D Information
Pregnancy Category B

Montelukast

Singulair
4 mg Chewable
4 mg Oral Granules
5 mg Chewable
10 mg Tablet

Leukotriene antagonist

Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis age 2 and older.

Perennial allergic rhinitis age 6 months and older.

Age 2 to 5: one oral granule packet or 4 mg chewable tablet once a day
Age 6 to 14: one 5 mg tablet once daily
Age 15 and above: one 10 mg tablet once daily

Oral granules to be mixed with applesauce, carrots. rice, or ice cream
4 & 5 mg tablets are chewable
This is the same Singulair that is approved for asthma control.
Singulair FDA  Information Link

Singulair Information
Pregnancy Category B

triprolidine

Actifed Cold & Allergy Tablets

Antihistamine
Decongestant
OTC

Allergic rhinitis

Age 6 to 12: 1/2 tablet every 6 hours
Age 12 and above: 1 tablet every 6 hours

This is a combination of the antihistamine triprolidine and the decongestant pseudoephedrine.
People with high blood pressure and narrow angle glaucoma should not take this tablet.
Pregnancy Category  C

 



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