Should I drop Zyrtec?
June 10, 2010 3:24 PM   Subscribe

Allergy Filter: are all antihistamines basically the same? I used to take Zyrtec / cetirizine, but it's more expensive and less commonly available than other allergy medicines. Is there any reason (e.g. side effects) why I shouldn't just switch to which ever one is the cheapest?

I haven't experienced any of these nasty side effects from Zyrtec and it seems to work fine, but I wonder if others might have different side effects that it doesn't have (all I know that diphenhydramine makes you sleep, so I won't take that). I never took anything besides Zyrtec that I can remember, so I don't know if there's any reason to choose one over another.
posted by k. to Health & Fitness (21 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
IANAD, IANYD, etc., etc. You might want to try Loratadine. It is similar to Zyrtec and is less expensive in its generic form. (You can get it OTC at WalMart and RiteAid.) You don't state your age, general health or the reason you feel you need an antihistamine, so much more would be simply speculation.
posted by Old Geezer at 3:30 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


There are definitely different side effects and efficacy ratings for each antihistamine as they work in varying ways. Non-drowsy antihistamines are designs to reduce crossing the blood/brain barrier, which is what causes drowsiness. I've noticed that Zyrtec is supposed to be more functional and effective than, say, Claritin, and Claritin (loratadine) has had its efficacy called into serious question at the dosages that you need to not get drowsy.

If the one you're on now is effective and have low side effects, then I would stick with that. Try the generic and give that a shot, but Claritin is priced about the same, for instance, and might not be more effective.
posted by disillusioned at 3:33 PM on June 10, 2010


loratadine is claritin - it worked really well for me for a number of years, but recently stopped working all together. i switched to zyrtec and it works just fine now.

both in their generic forms are about the same price everywhere i go.

both are available on the cheap from amazon. loratadine and cetirizine
posted by nadawi at 3:37 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]


Loratadine has worked well for me and it's cheap OTC. I don't know about Zyrtec (never used it) but Allegra works quicker (about 20 minutes) than Loratadine (about 2 hours). I'd give it a try.
posted by MillMan at 3:42 PM on June 10, 2010


Generic Claritin (loratadine) works OK for me. It works best for me as a prophylactic, when I know there will be allergens around. It doesn't prevent a reaction, but it keeps it under control. If I take a "prescription level" dose, I get a similar effect as below.

Zyrtec works better, but it was really expensive, even in generic. But I find the side-effects to be really weird. Tired, but unable to sleep. Very unsettling.

And Benadryl is obviously the gold standard, but you can't always take it.

One thing I do is always buy the non"-D" versions. If I need decongestion, I'll take a Sudafed. But if I don't, the pseudoefedrine in the "-D" formulations ends up drying me out and making my sinuses dry and more irritable than they were to begin with.
posted by gjc at 3:45 PM on June 10, 2010


Response by poster: For some reason I didn't think about ordering it online. That's less than a fifth of the price I've seen in drugstores. Thanks!

I'm still curious, though, how all those various drugs are different, or if they're different at all.
posted by k. at 3:47 PM on June 10, 2010


They all basically work the same way, but loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are effective at lower doses than older antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl). This means they don't cause drowsiness.
posted by zsazsa at 3:53 PM on June 10, 2010


In my case Zyrtec doesn't seem to work well for me but Claritin does just fine. It is probably person-to-person. Benadryl works wonders but of course, you are then asleep for most of the benefits...
posted by occidental at 4:08 PM on June 10, 2010


I have found anecdotaly that the efficacy can very person-to-person. Zyrtec personally works great for me, but when my doctor gave me a sample of Omnaris I liked that too (although I wouldn't pay for it personally). Allegra and Claritin put me to sleep. Forget Benadryl.
posted by radioamy at 4:36 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]


Omnaris isn't an antihistamine, for what it's worth-- it's an inhaled glucocorticoid, a steroid that fights inflammation. If you don't get enough oomph out of antihistamines, your GP might also suggest inhaled steroids, but they perform substantially different functions in the body.

As far as the differences between different antihistamines, they're all metabolized slightly differently. If you look up cetirizine (Zyrtec) and loratadine (Claritin) in Wikipedia, you'll see that their chemical formulas are different and the listed rates of metabolism and so on vary to some extent. Mostly, it just comes down to figuring out which one works better on you than the others.

If none of them are that great, you should see your GP and let them know so that they can prescribe something different or refer you to a specialist.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 4:54 PM on June 10, 2010


I'm still curious, though, how all those various drugs are different, or if they're different at all.

I think it depends on your body. For example, Allegra worked for a while then stopped having any effect, Claritin was always consistently mediocre, but Zyrtec works like a charm.

I have been taking it for years, every single day, and it is still effective for me. FYI, at BJs and Costco, 300 tablets of the generic is 15 bucks.
posted by crankylex at 4:55 PM on June 10, 2010


I constantly have allergies on top of spending a lot of time at the girlfriend's house, and she has a cat I'm allergic to.

I take zyrtec and generic allegra, and generally have no problems, and endorse both. Generic allegra should be easy to get a prescrption for, just walk in and ask and they should give it to you, and the generic is quite cheap.

Honestly from my perspective you're getting off cheap only paying for zyrtec!

A lot of people I know, some in the medical profession, swear by some nasal stuff, maybe flonase, but I haven't had the need to get it (yet). Also other I know are swearing by allergy shots these days, my sis takes them for cat allergies and her issues disappeared with them.
posted by BurnMage at 5:05 PM on June 10, 2010


IANAD. I do have allergies, though, and take an OTC when it gets to be That Season for me (twice a year or so).

Loratadine is what I started taking for my allergies. I can say it MAY sort of depend on what you're taking -- the generic store brand L was not as effective as the name-brand stuff I was taking (Alavert). Haven't tried Claritin so I can't speak on that.

I didn't get any side effects with either version of L that I took. I did have to take it regularly for about two or three days before the full effects kicked in, but after that it was smooth breathing after that.

Good luck, and happy breathing.
posted by Heretical at 5:13 PM on June 10, 2010


There are absolutely differences. This allergy season was particularly awful for me - CostCo was pretty sure I was starting a meth lab with all of the pseudoephedrine I was buying. I finally went to the doctor, and she gave me a scrip for Allegra - that stuff saved my ass. Some seasons, though, it doesn't work, which is why I didn't go ask for it right away.

For me, the effects change even year to year. If you have something that works, keep at it.
posted by SNWidget at 5:15 PM on June 10, 2010


I got a year's supply of Allertec (Costco's OTC version of Zyrtec) for about $16. It works much better for me than prescription Claritin ever did.
posted by candyland at 5:32 PM on June 10, 2010


I took zyrtec for two months and cursed it forever when I decided to forgo it, and subsequently got my mind and energy back. I take generic loratadine every day and it contains my allergies, except on the very heavy pollen days. Even then it is manageable. No energy or brain fog.
posted by chookibing at 5:47 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]


I can't explain the science behind it, but my doc is convinced that some allergies respond better to inhaled corticosteroids, and others to pills. Pills, Zyrtec or otherwise, don't do a darned thing for me. Nasonex or Flonase both work wonders, with no drowsiness or side effects, and cost a little less per month than generic OTC Zyrtec, since my insurance covers most of it.
posted by chez shoes at 6:29 PM on June 10, 2010


Piggyback question, maybe related to chez shoes' response: Zyrtec advertises for indoor/outdoor. Is that drug unique to that? Claritin hasn't worked for me in the past and I currently do generic Zyrtec plus generic Flonase, which so far has been the most effective combo.

Is that just advertising or is there something to it? I have exclusively indoor allergies (dust, mold, cats, some dogs).
posted by Pax at 8:16 PM on June 10, 2010


Claritin works better for me than Zyrtec, which works better than Allegra. For me. None of them work that well, but they are all better than Sudafed which more or less makes me comatose.

I pretty quickly work up a resistance to claritan and need to either up the dosage or switch to something else for a while.

So, I usually rotate between Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra. But they all make me kinda foggy and droopy, and it gets worse as I up the dosage. I get irritable and grumpy, too.

Air conditioning and HEPA filters...

I hate allergy season. I'm moving to the desert the first chance I get.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:47 PM on June 10, 2010


In my years of allergy experience, I've found I become immune to a medication over time and need to switch. Eventually I'll need to switch again, possibly back to the first one. If you are seeing a doctor, they'll have a large array of options available that you probably didn't even know about, like Astepro.
posted by chairface at 12:41 PM on June 11, 2010


Pogo, I lived in the desert for 2 years - allergies are just as bad, if not worse there.
posted by luciddream928 at 7:59 PM on April 19, 2011


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