Desloratadine

What is Desloratadine?

• Desloratadine (Clarinex; Clarinex Reditabs) is a histamine-1 (H1) receptor antagonist, used to treat allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion and chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives).

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Desloratadine

Desloratadine 3D ball-and-stick

What are the uses of this medicine?

Desloratadine (Clarinex; Clarinex Reditabs) is used to help control the symptoms of:

• seasonal allergic rhinitis (sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose and itching of the nose) in people 12 years of age and older.
• perennial allergic rhinitis (sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose and itching of the nose) in people 12 years of age and older.
• chronic idiopathic urticaria (long-term itching) and to reduce the number and size of hives in people 12 years of age and older.

How does this medicine work?

• Desloratadine is a long-acting tricyclic histamine antagonist with selective H1-receptor histamine antagonist activity.
• Desloratadine inhibited histamine release from human mast cells in vitro.
• Loratadine and desloratadine are second generation antihistamines (H1 receptor blockers) that are used widely to treat allergic symptoms associated with hay fever, seasonal allergies, urticaria, angioedema and atopic dermatitis.
• Like other second generation antihistamines, loratadine and desloratadine are considered to be nonsedating, and prospective studies have shown that sedation is less common with them than first generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine.
• Loratadine and desloratadine belong to the piperidine class of antihistamines (similar to fexofenadine).
• The two agents appear to have a similar spectrum of activity and side effects, although some patients are found to prefer one over the other.

Who Should Not Use this medicine ?

This medicine cannot be used in patients with:

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

What drug interactions can this medicine cause?

• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Be sure to mention any of the following:

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

Is this medicine FDA approved?

• It was patented in 1984 and came into medical use in 2001.

How should this medicine be used?

Recommended dosage: Adults and Adolescents 12 Years of Age and Over:

• The recommended dose of desloratadine tablets is one 5 mg tablet once daily.

Adults with Hepatic or Renal Impairment:

• In adult patients with liver or renal impairment, a starting dose of one 5 mg tablet every other day is recommended.

Administration:

• Desloratadine comes as a tablet, oral solution (liquid), and an orally disintegrating tablet to take by mouth.
• Take desloratadine tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
• Do not change your dose of desloratadine tablets or take more often than prescribed.
• Desloratadine tablets can be taken with or without food.
• If you take too many desloratadine tablets, call your doctor or get medical attention right away.
• It is important to use a measuring device to accurately measure the correct amount of solution for each dose; do not use a household spoon.
• To take the orally disintegrating tablet, use dry hands to peel back the foil packaging.
• Immediately take out the tablet and place it on your tongue.
• The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed with saliva.
• Orally disintegrating tablets may be taken with or without water.

What are the dosage forms and brand names of this medicine?

This medicine is available in fallowing doasage form:

• As Desloratadine tablets - 5 mg

This medicine is available in fallowing brand namesː Clarinex; Clarinex Reditabs

What side effects can this medication cause?

The most common side effects of this medicine include:

• sore throat
• dry mouth
• muscle pain
• tiredness
• sleepiness
• menstrual pain

Less common, but serious side effects may include: Allergic reactions:

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

• Although considered to be nonsedating antihistamines, loratadine and desloratadine can cause mild drowsiness particularly at higher doses. Antihistamines can worsen urinary retention and glaucoma.

What special precautions should I follow?

• Hypersensitivity reactions including rash, pruritus, urticaria, edema, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis have been reported after administration of desloratadine. If such a reaction occurs, therapy with desloratadine should be stopped and alternative treatment should be considered.
• Loratadine and desloratadine have been linked to rare, isolated instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.
• Desloratadine passes into breast milk. There are not sufficient data on the effects of desloratadine on the breastfed infant or the effects of desloratadine on milk production.
• Patients should be instructed to use desloratadine tablets as directed.
• As there are no food effects on bioavailability, patients can be instructed that desloratadine tablets may be taken without regard to meals.
• Patients should be advised not to increase the dose or dosing frequency as studies have not demonstrated increased effectiveness at higher doses and somnolence may occur.
• If you have phenylketonuria (PKU, an inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent mental retardationdamage to your brain that can cause severe intellectual disability), you should know that the orally disintegrating tablets may contain aspartame that forms phenylalanine.

What to do in case of emergency/overdose?

Symptoms of overdose may include:

• somnolence
• drowsiness

Management of overdosage:

• In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline of your country. In the United States, call 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose related information is also available online at poisonhelp.org/help.
• In the event that the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services. In the United States, call 911.
• In the event of overdose, consider standard measures to remove any unabsorbed drug. Symptomatic and supportive treatment is recommended. Desloratadine and 3-hydroxydesloratadine are not eliminated by hemodialysis.

Can this medicine be used in pregnancy?

• It is not known if desloratadine tablets will harm your unborn baby.
• Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Can this medicine be used in children?

• The safety and effectiveness of desloratadine tablets have not been demonstrated in pediatric patients less than 6 months of age.

What are the active and inactive ingredients in this medicine?

• Active ingredient: desloratadine
• Inactive ingredients: corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, meglumine, pregelatinized maize starch, sodium starch glycolate and sodium stearyl fumarate, coating material consisting of hypromellose, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80 and FD&C Blue #2 Aluminum Lake.

Who manufactures and distributes this medicine?

Manufactured by:

• Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
• Halol-Baroda Highway,
• Halol, Gujarat, India.

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

• Store desloratadine tablets at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F).
• Desloratadine tablets are sensitive to heat.
• Do not store above 86°F (30°C).
• Protect desloratadine tablets from moisture.

First Generation Antihistamines

• Brompheniramine
• Carbinoxamine
• Chlorcyclizine
• Chlorpheniramine
• Clemastine
• Cyclizine
• Cyproheptadine
• Dexbrompheniramine
• Dexchlorpheniramine
• Dimenhydrinate
• Diphenhydramine
• Doxylamine
• Hydroxyzine
• Meclizine
• Phenyltoloxamine
• Promethazine
• Triprolidine

Second Generation Antihistamines

• Acrivastine
• Cetirizine
• Fexofenadine
• Levocetirizine
• Loratadine
• Desloratadine

• Dailymed label info on Desloratadine
• FDA Desloratadine

Desloratadine Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia

First Generation Antihistamines

• Brompheniramine
• Carbinoxamine
• Chlorcyclizine
• Chlorpheniramine
• Clemastine
• Cyclizine
• Cyproheptadine
• Dexbrompheniramine
• Dexchlorpheniramine
• Dimenhydrinate
• Diphenhydramine
• Doxylamine
• Hydroxyzine
• Meclizine
• Phenyltoloxamine
• Promethazine
• Triprolidine

Second Generation Antihistamines

• Acrivastine
• Cetirizine
• Fexofenadine
• Levocetirizine
• Loratadine
• Desloratadine