Instructions for use
The dosage of the drug will depend entirely on the general well-being of the patient, his age, and the presence of chronic/recurrent diseases.
note
Claritin syrup is prescribed to children. The daily dosage is selected taking into account the child’s weight and age. Claritin tablets are prescribed to adult patients
If the child is over 12 years old, he can also be given tablets in the “adult” daily dose of 10 mg. For patients with liver and kidney problems, the dosage is adjusted - 10 mg is taken every other day. The medicine must be taken with plain water.
Claritin tablets are prescribed to adult patients. If the child is over 12 years old, he can also be given tablets in the “adult” daily dose of 10 mg. For patients with liver and kidney problems, the dosage is adjusted - 10 mg is taken every other day. The medicine must be taken with plain water.
Prescription of Claritin and dose adjustment for patients with liver and kidney diseases should be based on laboratory tests performed (Rehberg test). The dosage regimen changes as follows: 10 mg of the drug is taken on the first, third, fifth and subsequent days. You can divide the dosage into two and take it daily – i.e. 5 mg of the drug once a day, regardless of the time of day.
For a child, the dosage is selected taking into account his weight: less than 30 kilograms - the daily dose in one dose will be 5 mg. For young patients, treatment with syrup is preferable. The liquid form will allow you to accurately measure the dose. With a body weight of more than thirty kilograms - a dose of 10 milligrams of the drug, i.e. 1 tablet or two spoons (10 ml).
Overdose
Claritin has side effects if the dosage regimen is not followed. If the dose in one dose is increased, undesirable symptoms may appear, expressed in increased fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, migraine, and increased blood pressure. In childhood, overdose is manifested by characteristic symptoms:
- tachycardia;
- weakening of muscle tone;
- slow flexion of the hands and fingertips;
- the appearance of asymmetry in the face;
- lip tremor;
- nervous tics;
- shaking of the head and parts of the body.
In no case should the occurrence of side effects associated with a drug overdose be ignored! If any symptoms indicating an overdose occur, you should immediately seek medical help, where a set of measures will be carried out aimed at gastric lavage followed by taking absorbents.
Pharmacodynamics
Claritin tablets (the price of the drug is affordable for most consumers) belong to the pharmacological group of tricyclic antihistamines, which have selective activity towards H1 receptors.
The pharmacodynamic feature of the drug is that if the recommended dosage is observed, sedation and suppression of psycho-emotional reactions do not develop. Claritin does not interfere with the absorption of norepinephrine and does not have a negative effect on the functions of the cardiovascular system.
Clinical studies with the introduction of skin tests for sensitivity to histamine showed that when using 10 mg of loratadine, the therapeutic effect occurred after 1 hour. The maximum concentration of the active substance in the blood serum was recorded after 8 hours from the start of taking the drug.
Preservation of the pharmacological properties of Claritin continues over the next 24 hours. Taking the medication for 28 days does not cause addiction to histamine receptors in relation to loratadine.
Laboratory studies of the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug have shown that the active substance Claritin is quickly absorbed into the intestinal wall, spreads throughout the body and binds to blood proteins. Taking the medication with food may result in slower absorption of loratadine, but in general this does not affect the final therapeutic effect.
Metabolism of the antihistamine occurs in the liver tissue, and its half-life is 1-2 hours. The main metabolite of Claritin is the substance desloratadine, which is considered pharmacologically active and is responsible for the onset of the therapeutic effect.
Claritin tablets (the price of the medicine ranges from 216 to 230 rubles) must be taken during the therapeutic course established by the doctor. After completion of the half-life, about 40% of the drug’s metabolites are excreted in the urine, and 42% of the substances are disposed of in the feces.
The average duration of complete tissue cleansing from Claritin is 10 days. In patients with impaired renal and liver function, the half-life of the drug lasts 2 times longer. The use of hemodialysis for artificial blood purification does not affect the pharmacokinetics of loratadine, as well as its main metabolites.
Claritin or Zyrtec - which is better?
Both Zyrtec and Claritin are representatives of the second generation of antiallergic medications. Despite one generation, the drugs differ in a key characteristic - composition.
The active ingredient in Zyrtec is cytirizine. The drug is available in tablet form, as well as drops for internal use.
If the patient wants to use syrup, then preference should be given to Claritin. Tablets are recommended from 6 years of age, and drops from 12 months.
Zyrtec is suitable if it is necessary to treat children from 1 year of age, while Claritin is indicated only from 2 years of age.
The medications are interchangeable: if you are intolerant to ceterizine, you can try taking loratadine, and vice versa.
According to the results of clinical studies, the use of cetirizine provokes the development of drowsiness and impaired concentration several times more often than loratadine.
Therefore, during the selection process, patients whose professional activities require increased attention are recommended to discuss with their doctor and consider the possibility of using Claritin.
In this case, the effect of Zyrtec develops during the first 60 minutes after administration, while Claritin may take several hours.
Both drugs demonstrate pronounced antiallergic properties and effectively relieve symptoms of hay fever and year-round allergies.
The selection of a suitable medicine is carried out taking into account a number of factors: age, characteristics of professional activity, the presence of concomitant diseases (liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction).
