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Hi Stuffynose,
I am right there with ya friend! What an allergy season this has been! Hopefully you have been talking to your doctor about the various medications and treatments available for a stuffy nose. You can read about the various medications available here in the Allergy medications database. You can read about Allegra here. Claritin (Loratadine) is a second generation antihistamine.
From the drugs database:
" Brand Names. The second-generation drugs include:
Loratadine (Claritin). Claritin is available over-the-counter and
is approved for children ages 2 and older. Desloratadine (Clarinex) is
similar to Claritin but stronger and longer-lasting. It is available
only by prescription.
Cetirizine (Zyrtec). Zyrtec is approved for both indoor and outdoor
allergies. It is the only antihistamine to date approved for infants as
young as 6 months. It is available over-the-counter.
Fexofenadine (Allegra) is also available over-the-counter.
Acrivastine (Semprex).
Ebastine, norastemizole, levocetirizine, and mizolastine are other
second-generation antihistamines under investigation in the U.S. and
Europe. Some may prove to be useful for specific populations.
For nonprescription antihistamines, some studies suggest that
cetirizine (Zyrtec) is more effective than Allegra or Claritin in
improving symptoms, including those in children. However, cetirizine
can cause drowsiness when taken at high doses.
Zyrtec and Claritin are approved for children younger than 5 years,
although most antihistamines appear to be safe in children. Zyrtec is
the only antihistamine approved for both indoor and outdoor allergies
and for infants as young as 6 months. Both are available in syrup form.
Studies with Zyrtec have reported fewer symptoms in children allergic
to dust mites, and one study reported that infants with allergies who
were given Zyrtec were much less likely to develop asthma later on than
untreated infants. Claritin, at this time, is generally the preferred
drug for young people, however, because it has the least negative
effect on concentration and learning. Women who are pregnant or nursing
should avoid these medications unless recommended by a doctor."
Hope this helps. Stay in touch and let us know when you find something that works for you!Vicki M