Thursday, May 31, 2012

Friday, January 30, 2009 silvia asks

Q: To what allergy medication over-the-counter is Levaquin compatible?

I have been prescribed Levaquin for a urinary track infection, in the meantime, I am getting severe allergy symptoms such as heavy sinus congestion, runny nose, sneezing and cannot sleep at night, those symptoms have nothing to do with use of Levaquin but mainly due to the change in weather. I was wondering what kind of allergy medication available over-the-counter I could take. I know Levaquin has bad side-effects with corticoid drugs and do not want to use something in conjunction with it that will make me sicker. Can I use antihistamine? what are the component I should NOT use with Levaquin?

Thank you!!

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Answers (1)
2/ 2/09 3:31am

According to information I found at Levaquin.com, this medicine does not interact negatively with antihistamines. So it seems likely that you could safely take one. Common over the counter antihistamines include Claritin and Zyrtec. There may be others such as Benadryl and Chlor-tri-meton, but they are more likely to cause drowsiness and other side effects than the first two I mention. There are also antihistamine nasal sprays available, which you might want to consider. They work only in the nose and are unlikely to get into your bloodstream in any quantity that could interact with the Levaquin anyway.

 

However, I want to encourage you to talk with your personal physician and possibly your pharmacist about this. They are the ones who will best know your condition and your medication regime. Levaquin may cause a number of risky and severe side effects on its own, so it's not a good idea to add other medicines without talking with an expert first.

 

To your health,

Kathi

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By silvia— Last Modified: 11/17/10, First Published: 01/30/09