# I wondered why Claritin was such a popular but useless medication until I read this article **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 25, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138 "2014-12-25T04:09:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/21 "2014-12-25T16:54:06Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I just read it and realized that article was written in 2001, the situation is totally different now in 2014 as loratadine went generic. The last supply of loratadine I purchased was 400 10mg tablets for the price of $14. [This Consumer Reports review](http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/BBD-Antihistamines-2pg.pdf) rates four generic antihistamines as anti-allergy Best Buys. All four contain loratadine (the active ingredient in Claritin). It also notes that a given antihistamine may work for some people but not others, who should try another drug to find one that’s effective. Maybe someday there will be genetic testing to determine who responds best to a particular antihistamine. Even then it would be cheaper to try different generics to find one that’s best. Claritin was a big deal for people who were made drowsy by first-generation antihistamines. I never had that problem (Dimetapp, an ancient dinosaur of an antihistamine, worked just fine for me). ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/22 "2014-12-25T17:06:08Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I’ve been using the generic cetirizine (zyrtec) and it works well, but you pretty much have to take these _before_ you’re exposed to allergens. If you wait until symptoms actually flare up it’s too late. Not for me. I suffered from allergies my entire life until I discovered Zyrtec. It’s a miracle drug for me. Even if I forget to take it and develop symptoms, one tablet clears up all of my symptoms within a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/23 "2014-12-25T17:11:11Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [This Consumer Reports review](http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/BBD-Antihistamines-2pg.pdf) rates four generic antihistamines as anti-allergy Best Buys. All four contain loratadine (the active ingredient in Claritin). It also notes that a given antihistamine may work for some people but not others, who should try another drug to find one that’s effective. > > Maybe someday there will be genetic testing to determine who responds best to a particular antihistamine. Even then it would be cheaper to try different generics to find one that’s best. > > Claritin was a big deal for people who were made drowsy by first-generation antihistamines. I never had that problem (Dimetapp, an ancient dinosaur of an antihistamine, worked just fine for me). That’s another thing. I also never had the drowsiness or “it knocks me out” problem from the older harsh, but effective, antihistamines. Responses are apparently very differential. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/24 "2014-12-25T17:16:08Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I’ve been using the generic cetirizine (zyrtec) and it works well, but you pretty much have to take these _before_ you’re exposed to allergens. If you wait until symptoms actually flare up it’s too late. It settles me down but it takes a while. I preemptively take one every day and save myself the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/25 "2014-12-25T18:23:18Z")
> [@astro](#): > > A good question. If this were a bar bet I’d guess that to be commercially successful pharma you would want at least 70%-80% effectiveness response rates. For something to be so huge and is ineffective for 50% of users yet is still prescribed and recommended as if it’s great stuff or everyone is puzzling to me. I don’t recall a doctor every saying that a drug they prescribed works only half the time. as others have pointed out, the % effectiveness is often around 50%. And remember the placebo effect-that alone accounts for at least ⅓ of the effectiveness. So many of the drugs on the market actually chemically help relatively few people, but of course if you are the one helped, the drug can be literally a life saver. The answer to the bar bet is in effect around 20% improvement over sugar pills. And that is considered a success. And it costs the drug companies 10s of millions to achieve. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/26 "2014-12-25T18:43:33Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > as others have pointed out, the % effectiveness is often around 50%. And remember the placebo effect-that alone accounts for at least ⅓ of the effectiveness. So many of the drugs on the market actually chemically help relatively few people, but of course if you are the one helped, the drug can be literally a life saver. > > The answer to the bar bet is in effect around 20% improvement over sugar pills. And that is considered a success. And it costs the drug companies 10s of millions to achieve. 🙂 That’s an eye opener. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/27 "2014-12-25T18:46:05Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > as others have pointed out, the % effectiveness is often around 50%. And remember the placebo effect-that alone accounts for at least ⅓ of the effectiveness. So many of the drugs on the market actually chemically help relatively few people, but of course if you are the one helped, the drug can be literally a life saver. > > The answer to the bar bet is in effect around 20% improvement over sugar pills. And that is considered a success. And it costs the drug companies 10s of millions to achieve. 🙂 Where do you get that 33% number for placebo effect? I served on hospital IRBs that evaluate drug trials and that’s not what I’ve seen, in my experience. I’d be curious to learn something new. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/28 "2014-12-25T19:00:27Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Claritin has never worked in the slightest for me despite trying it a few times. I googled re Claritin’s effectiveness and ran across [this older NYT article](http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/magazine/the-claritin-effect-prescription-for-profit.html). It’s quite fascinating, Claritin is kind of (IMO) a borderline scam. In OTC strengths it’s effective for only about 40%-50% of the people who use it. **Broomstick** is right on WRT her comments. Benadryl is a considerably more effective medication, but most people can’t even tolerate a children’s dose. My allergist has told me that two Claritin during an allergic reaction to pollen is not too much. He has also said that some patients do well using Claritin in the morning, and Zyrtec in the evening (which is my usual plan of attack during spring pollen hell). And some patients need to take Claritin, Zyrtec, and Singulair. Some do better on Benadryl. And some patients don’t get relief from any of those and need steroids (oral or nasal). Does that mean that all of those medications are a “scam”? No. Claritin not working for you means that for whatever reason (your body chemistry and the strength of the allergic reaction you’re having are two possible reasons), it does not work for your body at the OTC dose. Dr. Almost-Bunny used to make me take THREE Benadryl if I had a bad pollen reaction. It worked. As an added bonus, he didn’t have to hear me complain about being itchy and sneezy, because I’d take a nice, long nap. Dimetapp liquid also works for me; it’s my last resort before going the steroid route. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/29 "2014-12-25T20:00:32Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Works like a charm for me with no side effects and it’s cheap. Love the stuff. It totally changed my life. it’s very effective for me, with no side effects. benadryl is effective too, but it knocks me on my ass and I can’t take it if I need to be awake at all. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/30 "2014-12-25T23:16:14Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > It totally changed my life. it’s very effective for me, with no side effects. benadryl is effective too, but it knocks me on my ass and I can’t take it if I need to be awake at all. Yep same here, supposedly loratadine doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier so it has no central effects like drowsiness. I’ve never experienced any side effects at all. I can’t stand older allergy meds especially the anticholinergics because they make me feel “antsy” like my skin is uncomfortable and would keep me up at night. > **[Anticholinergic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticholinergic)** > > Anticholinergics (anticholinergic agents) are substances that block the action of the acetylcholine (ACh) neurotransmitter at synapses in the central and peripheral nervous system. > These agents inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system by selectively blocking the binding of ACh to its receptor in nerve cells. The nerve fibers of the parasympathetic system are responsible for the involuntary movement of smooth muscles present in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lungs, sweat glands, and... ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/31 "2014-12-25T23:25:39Z")
Forgot to add that if anyone is currently on Clarinex which is still under patent and RX only, talk to your doctor about switching to generic OTC Claritin to save money. Clairinex is desloratadine, which is what loratadine is metabolized to in your body anyway! > **[Desloratadine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desloratadine)** > > Desloratadine sold under the brand name Clarinex among others, is a tricyclic H1 inverse agonist that is used to treat allergies. It is an active metabolite of loratadine. > It was patented in 1984 and came into medical use in 2001. It was brought to the market in the US by Schering Corporation, later named Schering-Plough. > Desloratadine is used to treat allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion and chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives). It is the major metabolite of loratadine and the two drugs are ... > [@](#): > > Desloratadine vs. loratadine[edit] > Desloratadine is the major metabolite of loratadine. There are no head-to-head randomised controlled trials of the two drugs. A survey of patients dissatisfied with loratadine published in August 2003 reported equal or better satisfaction with desloratadine,[5] concluding: > > When severity of disease was controlled for in the analysis, a pattern emerged suggesting greater levels of satisfaction amongst loratadine dissatisfied patients who converted to desloratadine. Point estimates suggest a consistent pattern favoring desloratadine patient satisfaction, with statistically significant results reported for sum of adverse effects, nighttime awakening due to symptoms, symptom severity just prior to the next dose, and overall satisfaction (p \< 0.05). > > A November 2003 article published in the journal American Family Physician about the safety, tolerability, effectiveness, price, and simplicity of desloratadine concluded the following:[6] > > Desloratadine is similar in effectiveness to fexofenadine and would be expected to produce results similar to loratadine and other nonsedating antihistamines. There is no clinical advantage to switching a patient from loratadine to desloratadine. However, it may be an option for patients whose medical insurance no longer covers loratadine if the co-pay is less than the cost of the over-the-counter product. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/32 "2014-12-26T01:01:00Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Clairinex is desloratadine, which is what loratadine is metabolized to in your body anyway! But it may be the metabolism of loratadine which is what is different in those who don’t get the effect… ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/33 "2014-12-26T01:02:37Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > It settles me down but it takes a while. I preemptively take one every day and save myself the trouble. this past spring/summer I ended up having to do that. thankfully the generic stuff at Costco is so bloody cheap there’s really no downside to taking it daily. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Claritin was a big deal for people who were made drowsy by first-generation antihistamines. I never had that problem (Dimetapp, an ancient dinosaur of an antihistamine, worked just fine for me). I’m one of those people. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and doxylamine (NyQuil) will knock me flat on my _ass._ Whatever Dimetapp used about 25 years ago would cause me to fall asleep in class in grade school. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138/34 "2014-12-26T01:15:55Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > But it may be the metabolism of loratadine which is what is different in those who don’t get the effect… Yea I admit that is possible, I remember hearing about a med possibly tramadol which doesn’t work for some people because they lack the enzyme that metabolizes it to the active drug. Also as the wiki article mentions some people with insurance might find Clarinex is the better deal if you get it at zero cost due to insurance, instead of buying loratadine OTC. I just mentioned it because for most people loratadine is metabolized into desloratadine anyway, and under twenty bucks for almost a year and half worth of a daily med is hard to beat! I was just letting people know in case they could save money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wondered-why-claritin-was-such-a-popular-but-useless-medication-until-i-read-this-article/708138.md?page=1)