Clarinex 24 Hour Extended Release Tablets Review

Overall 3.50 of 5 view all 2 reviews

njchicaa
Beachwood, NJ

I am not impressed with Clarinex.

living with many animals, highly allergic to cats and dogs, allergic to pollen and dust, adult onset allergy sufferer

Pros

no drowsiness, only one pill per day

Cons

not effective, I still have symptoms with this med

MAR

2008

I need to take allergy medication every day. I am highly allergic to cats and dogs and live with many of them here in my house. I was on Zyrtec-D for a few years and was very happy with it. Unfortunately, on the day of my visit to the pulmonologists, I was nervous and having a difficult time breathing so I hit the inhaler several times... which only made my heart rate increase. The doctor decided that she didn't want me on an allergy medication that contained a decongestant because it would only put a further strain on my heart... so she switched me to plain old Clarinex.

Clarinex works by preventing histamines from reaching their receptors and also from stimulating nerve endings. It treats seasonal and year-round allergies and is supposed to prevent symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. This allergy medication is taken once a day and doesn't cause drowsiness. It can be taken with or without food.

I've been taking Clarinex since late November and have been very disappointed with it. Despite the fact that I take it religiously, my nose is consistently stuffed up and my eyes are always itchy and watery. I find myself using Visine and Afrin almost daily even though I am taking this medication daily. I had an incredible bout of sneezing the other day and nothing in this area of the country is even blooming yet. I am dreading spring and pollen season because it is not going to be pretty.

Clarinex might be good for people with mild seasonal allergies, but it just isn't effective enough for someone like me who is exposed to allergens 365 days of the year. I don't recommend it.