A year or so ago, whenever my allergies were acting up, I’d take one of the Claritin D tablet that mt doctor prescribed. It was one of the few things that worked for my allergies; in a few hours, my sneezing, congestion, and runny nose would vanish.
Since Claritin D went OTC, though, the pill now seems to have the same effect on my allergies that other medicines like Sudafed, Tavist and Contac have … that is, it’s like taking a placebo pill. It does almost nothing for my allergies.
Was Claritin watered down when the FTC authorized OTC sales of the drug?
I can’t answer your question, but maybe this will help. When claratin became OTC, my pharmacist suggested that I substitute a medication that is still through perscription only. My insurance won’t pay for it, but it is less expensive that OTC claratin!
I’ve noticed that OTC meds that were once prescription have their dosages cut in half when put on the market. A normal prescription dose of Zantac is 150mg, while the Zantac OTC is 75mg recommended dose. the OTC dose for Pepcid is cut in half as well.
Maybe Claritin is the same way? I don’t know the prescription dose of Claritin, but if you check on one of your old bottles or confirm the prescribed dose you were taking, you could take the OTC pills and take two instead of one (or whatever the equivalent is). Since you have had Claritin prescribed for you and these symptoms before, this would be a safe thing for you to do.
SuperLorie, I’ve noticed that about OTC meds too. I used to have to take a lot of heartburn meds, and I’d just take enough tablets of (e.g.) OTC Pepcid that would equal the prescription dose I used to take.
This is probably something folks should check with their doctors about though, just to be safe.
According to the 2002 PDR (when Claritin was still prescription), it contained 10 mg loratadine. OTC Claritin contains 10 mg loratadine. Rx Claritin-D contained 5 mg loratadine. OTC Claritin-D same thing. So no, it hasn’t been watered down. I took Claritin for about 2 years then it stopped working. I now take Allegra-D and things are back under control. You might want to talk to your doctor about switching to another allergy med.
For someone that knows about things medical: Is this the type of drug that a body can build up a tolerance to, so that the same dose will have less effect as time goes on?
Checking my box of Extra-Strength Claritin here in Canada, I find that the dosage is 5mg of loratadine and 120 pseudoephedrine sulphate. IIRC, the only difference from Regular Strength Claritin tablets is the amonunt of pseudoephedrine!
At least, that’s the way of things here in Canada…
Now, a minor beef…
Since Claritin went OTC in the USA, I have been completely unable to find the magic elixir of Claritin nasal mist on any pharmacy shelf here in British Columbia (about six months now), and merely get the runaround tale of “it’s on backorder” from whitecoated lackeys.
I suspect that the demand from south of the border is so great that all supplies from Canada are being diverted there for sales, leaving us to sniffle in the dark! Do other Canuck Dopers have trouble finding the spray?
If your Claritin nasal spray is being diverted, I doubt it’s to the States. I’ve never seen or heard of the stuff in spray form, and believe me, I watch the OTC allergy med market here like a hawk.
I don’t know anything about the medical side, but Claritin has never worked for me. In fact, very few OTC allergy medications seem to make any difference at all. Right now I’m taking Reactine Allergy + Sinus and its working marvelously.
For what it’s worth, once upon a time I was peripheral to project that was either looking at Claritin or the key ingredient (the shorthand term used was “Claritin,” but I can’t remember if that was the official subject.)
Bottom line, very little effect on most people, even people who were reporting glorious effects. No one seemed to find this unusual, but I guess people who spend their days sticking tiny cameras up nostrils have an unusual view of the rest of the world.
