Hi Ben,

Good news... there are lots of allergy medicines that don't have loratidine in them, which is the chemical name for Claritin. Other similar "second-generation" (mostly non-sedating) antihistamines include Allegra (fexofenadine) and Zyrtec (cetirizine). Allegra is only sold by prescription; Zyrtec is available over the counter.

Other prescription choices include nasal steroid sprays (such as Nasonex, Flonase, Veramyst or Rhinocort Aqua), which also have less body-wide side effects, since they work right in your nasal passages. Astelin and Atrovent Nasal are two other types of prescription nasal sprays that work well for some people. DO avoid nasal decongestants though, as they can only safely be used for a few days at a time and may cause rebound side effects.

Another possibility is Singulair, a prescription oral medicine that is a leukotriene-blocker. Singulair can control both allergy and asthma symptoms.

I'd encourage you talk with your doctor and/or pharmacist about your choices for treating allergies, as one of them will know better what else you are taking and what medical conditions need to be considered in making a medicine choice.

To your health,

Kathi