Desloratadine

Desloratadine is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. It is also used to treat chronic (long lasting) hives and itching.

Desloratadine belongs to a group of drugs called antihistamines. These medications work by blocking histamine release from human mast cells to help relieve sneezing, itching, runny nose, and watery eyes. 

Desloratadine is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of:

• seasonal allergic rhinitis (sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose and itching of the nose) in people 2 years of age and older.
• perennial allergic rhinitis (sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose and itching of the nose) in people 6 months of age and older.
• chronic idiopathic urticaria (long-term itching) and to reduce the number and size of hives in people 6 months of age and older.
• Desloratadine is not for children younger than 6 months of age.

Desloratadine may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Clarinex

• Clarinex-D

Desloratadine may cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions" section.

The most common side effects of desloratadine in adults and children 12 years of age and older with allergic rhinitis include:

• sore throat
• dry mouth
• muscle pain
• tiredness
• sleepiness
• menstrual pain
• Increased sleepiness or tiredness can happen if you take more desloratadine than your doctor prescribed to you.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Desloratadine may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how desloratadine works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• erythromycin (Ery-tab, Eryc, PCE)
• azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax)
• antihistamines
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Desloratadine may cause serious side effects, including:

Allergic reactions. Stop taking desloratadine and call your doctor right away or get emergency help if you have any of these symptoms:

• rash
• itching
• hives
• swelling of your lips, tongue, face, and throat
• shortness of breath or trouble breathing

Do not take desloratadine if you:

• are allergic to desloratadine or any of the ingredients in desloratadine.
• are allergic to loratadine (Alavert, Claritin).

Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you have any questions about whether or not to take this medicine.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of desloratadine there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving desloratadine.

Before you take desloratadine, tell your doctor if you:

• have liver or kidney problems.
• have any other medical conditions.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if desloratadine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Desloratadine can pass into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take desloratadine.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Desloratadine may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how desloratadine works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• erythromycin (Ery-tab, Eryc, PCE)
• azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax)
• antihistamines
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you are planning to become pregnant. It is not known if desloratadine will harm your unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. Desloratadine is excreted in human breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks to your nursing baby.

• Take desloratadine exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
• Do not change your dose of desloratadine or take more often than prescribed.
• Desloratadine can be taken with or without food.
• Place desloratadine RediTabs on your tongue and allow it to dissolve before swallowing. Desloratadine RediTabs can be taken with or without water. Take your desloratadine RediTabs right away after opening the blister.
• Take desloratadine oral solution with a measuring dropper or oral syringe that can measure 2 mL or 2.5 mL. Ask your pharmacist for a dropper or syringe if you do not have one.
• If you take too much desloratadine, call your doctor or get medical attention right away.

Take desloratadine exactly as your doctor prescribes it. Follow the directions on your prescription bottle carefully.

In adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older, the recommended dose of desloratadine is 5 mg once daily. Your doctor will probably lower the dose if you have liver or kidney problems. The recommended dose of desloratadine in children 6 to 11 years of age is 2.5 mg once daily. The recommended dose of desloratadine in children 12 months to 5 years of age is 1.25 mg once daily. For children 6 to 11 months of age, the recommended dose is 1 mg daily.

If you have taken too much desloratadine seek emergency medical attention or call your local Poison Control Center right away.

• Store desloratadine tablets and solution between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C).
• Protect desloratadine oral solution from light.
• Store orally disintegrating tablets between 68°F-77°F (20°C-25°C).