Focus on Claritin, Astelin and Singulair

Filed in archive Allergy Medications , Asthma , Hay Fever on October 6, 2006

Marsha Raash shares her personal experience with three of the most common allergy medicines: Claritin, Astelin, and Singulair.

Like Marsha, I am also on Claritin during bouts of pollen and dust allergies. Unlike her, though, I still find it effective even through the years of intermittent use. Over the past few years, I've had relatively infrequent bouts of allergic rhinitis, and have accordingly had less antihistamine doses. So that's probably one factor accounting for the difference.

For those who are pregnant or nursing, and are seeking medical relief from their allergic rhinitis or hay fever, Astelin nasal spray may be an option. Note, though, that there have been animal studies showing that Astelin may cause serious developmental side-effects in the fetus (see Astelin's drug information). There are no studies or data from human trials, and though according to ACAAI, there have been no reports of such side-effects in humans, Astelin should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. That means that your allergies or asthma must be bad enough to justify the risks. See your doctor for further advise.

Singulair comes in tablets, chewable tablets or oral granules, meant to treat outdoor allergies in adults and children as young as 2 years, and indoor allergies in adults and children as young as 6 months. Unlike the fist two, though, this drug is not an antihistamine. According to their website:

SINGULAIR is the only indoor and outdoor allergy medicine that blocks leukotrienes, an underlying cause of indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms.

As always, it helps to read or hear about other people's experiences with allergy medications. These should, however, not replace, a doctor's, preferably an allergist's opinion. See your doctor to see which treatment options are best for you.