Desloratadine

Why is this medication prescribed?

Desloratadine is used to relieve hay fever and allergy symptoms, including sneezing; runny nose; and red, itchy,
tearing eyes. It is also used to treat hives. Desloratadine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It
works by blocking histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.

How should this medicine be used?

Desloratadine comes as a tablet, oral solution (liquid), and an orally disintegrating tablet to take by mouth. It is
usually taken once a day with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and
ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take desloratadine exactly as directed.
Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

To take the orally disintegrating tablet, use dry hands to peel back the foil packaging. Immediately take out the
tablet and place it on your tongue. The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed with saliva. Orally
disintegrating tablets may be taken with or without water.

Other uses for this medicine

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking desloratadine,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to desloratadine, loratadine (Claritin), or any other
medications.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional
supplements, and herbal products you are taking.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease or phenylketonuria (for orally
disintegrating tablets).
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become
pregnant while taking desloratadine, call your doctor.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the
missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Desloratadine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or
do not go away:

headache
upset stomach
dizziness
sore throat
dry mouth
muscle pain
extreme tiredness
 painful menstruation

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptom is uncommon, but if you experience
it, call your doctor immediately:

difficulty breathing

Desloratadine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this
medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online
(http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room
temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people
cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to
dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your
local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe
Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-
back program.

In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not
breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

What other information should I know?

Keep all appointments with your doctor.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your
prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter)
medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You
should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also
important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

Brand names
Clarinex
Clarinex Reditabs

Desloratadine
Pronunciation

Generic Name: desloratadine (DES-lor-A-ta-deen)

Brand Name: Clarinex
 Overview
Side Effects
Dosage
Interactions
Professional
Pregnancy
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Desloratadine is used for:

Treating allergy symptoms and chronic hives. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your
doctor.

Desloratadine is an antihistamine. It works by blocking the action of histamine to relieve allergy symptoms,
such as sneezing, runny nose, and itchy or watery eyes, and to relieve itching and rash due to chronic hives.

Do NOT use desloratadine if:

you are allergic to any ingredient in desloratadine or to loratadine

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

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Before using desloratadine:

Some medical conditions may interact with desloratadine. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any
medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding

if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
if you have kidney or liver problems

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with desloratadine. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any
other medicines, especially any of the following:

Amiodarone because the risk of fast or irregular heartbeat may be increased

Other antihistamines (eg, diphenhydramine), azithromycin, cimetidine, erythromycin, fluoxetine, or
ketoconazole because they may increase the risk of desloratadine's side effects
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if desloratadine
may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or
change the dose of any medicine.

How to use desloratadine:

Use desloratadine as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

An extra patient leaflet is available with desloratadine. Talk to your pharmacist if you have questions
about this information.
Take desloratadine by mouth with or without food.
If you miss a dose of desloratadine and you are taking it regularly, take it as soon as possible. If it is
almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do
NOT take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use desloratadine.

Important safety information:

Desloratadine may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol
or certain medicines. Use desloratadine with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe
tasks until you know how you react to it.
Do not change your dose or take desloratadine more often than prescribed without checking with your
doctor. Drowsiness may occur if you take more of desloratadine than prescribed.
Desloratadine may interfere with skin allergy tests. If you are scheduled for a skin test, talk to your
doctor. You may need to stop taking desloratadine for a few days before the tests.
Desloratadine should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 12 years old; safety
and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need
to discuss the benefits and risks of taking desloratadine while you are pregnant. Desloratadine is found
in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking desloratadine.

Possible side effects of desloratadine:

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor
if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; menstrual pain; muscle pain; nausea; sore throat; tiredness; upset stomach.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth,
face, lips, throat, or tongue); dark urine; fast or irregular heartbeat; pale stools; seizures; yellowing of the skin or
eyes.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact
your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the
appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.

If OVERDOSE is suspected:
Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control
center, or emergency room immediately. Symptoms may include drowsiness; fast or irregular heartbeat.

Proper storage of desloratadine:

Store desloratadine at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F
(15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Avoid storage at or above 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). Store away from
heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep desloratadine out of the reach of children and
away from pets.
General information:
If you have any questions about desloratadine, please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health
care provider.
Desloratadine is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other
people.
If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
Check with your pharmacist about how to dispose of unused medicine.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take desloratadine or any other medicine. Only
your health care provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for you. This
information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health
condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about desloratadine. It does NOT include all
information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that
may apply to desloratadine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information
you receive from your health care provider. You must talk with your healthcare provider for complete
information about the risks and benefits of using desloratadine.

Review Date: June 6, 2017

Disclaimer: This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other
medicine. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right
for you. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient
or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT
include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects,
or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace
information you receive from your health care provider. You must talk with your healthcare provider for
complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine.

Allergies

Allergies

Indications for CLARINEX SYRUP:

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (for patients 2yrs old). Perennial allergic rhinitis, chronic idiopathic urticaria (for
patients 6 months old).

Adults and Children:

<6 months: not recommended. 6 months11 months: 1mg (2mL). 15yrs: 1.25mg (2.5mL). 611yrs: 2.5mg
(5mL). 12yrs: 5mg (10mL). All: once daily.

Warnings/Precautions:
ODT: Phenylketonurics. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.

See Also:
CLARINEX

Desloratadine ODT
Pharmacological Class:
Antihistamine.

Adverse Reactions:
Pharyngitis, dry mouth or throat, myalgia, fatigue, somnolence, dysmenorrhea, headache, nausea, dizziness.
Children: fever, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, irritability, coughing.

Note:
Formerly known under the brand name Clarinex ODT.

Generic Availability:
Tabs (YES); syrup (NO)

How Supplied:
Tabs100, 500; Syrup4oz, 16oz; ODTcontact supplier