Allergy Medicines And Hypertension
Allergy season is in full swing in many parts of the country. For some, that means battling symptoms, such as sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itching, and watery eyes. If you are among the over 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies each year, you may be headed to a pharmacy near you for relief of your allergy symptoms. Choosing allergy medication that is right for you may be tricky if you have hypertension . Read on to learn how some allergy medicines may affect your blood pressure and your blood pressure medication.
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Allergy Shots And Other Immunotherapy
You call them allergy shots. Your doctor calls it “immunotherapy.” By either name, the goal is the same: Retrain your immune system so it doesn’t go into allergy mode.
When you get allergy shots, your doctor gives you small, gradually increasing amounts of the pollens that are causing your symptoms. Over time, your body builds up a resistance to them. The shots are a long-term commitment, likely taking 3 to 5 years. After that, your doctor will see if you still need them.
Instead of getting shots at the doctorâs office, there are also under-the-tongue tablets that you can take at home. The FDA has approved three of these products: Grastek, Oralair, and Ragwitek. They work the same way as shots. The goal is to boost your tolerance of allergy triggers.
The tablets can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so you will need to take your first one at your doctorâs office to make sure itâs safe for you. Even if you donât have a reaction, you may feel itching or burning in your mouth or lips or have stomach troubles. These problems usually go away after a few days.
Show Sources
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology : âSLIT Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis Nothing to Sneeze About.â
FDA. “Itching for Allergy Relief?” News release.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital: “Allergens: Pollen.”
National Jewish Health: “Pollen Allergy.”
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: “Pollen.”
Sanofi-aventis U.S. News release.
Tips For Staying Alert
In treating allergies or a cold with antihistamines, you may experience drowsiness, a common side effect of the medication.
How does this happen? Histamine is a chemical produced by the immune system to fight off allergens and germs. When there is a threat of allergies or infection , histamine is even more active. In its search-and-destroy process, it can cause allergy or cold symptoms such as runny nose, coughing, sneezing and itch eyes. Antihistamine medications relieve these symptoms by blocking the unwanted effects of histamine.
Unrelated to the immune system, histamine is also produced in the brain, where it plays an important part in feeling awake. Antihistamines used to treat respiratory symptoms can get into the brain and interrupt this work, making you feel drowsy.
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Is Allegra Or Claritin More Effective
Allegra and Claritin are both effective at relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis compared to using no medication at all. However, Claritin has been shown to provide more overall symptom relief compared to Allegra. It has also been shown to provide overall relief faster than Allegra.
According to a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial, Claritin was found to have a 24.5 percent reduction in symptom relief scores compared to a 19 percent reduction with Allegra. The trial compared both drugs in 836 patients randomized to either therapy. Results showed that the active ingredient in Claritin produced a greater level of relief earlier than that of Allegra.In another randomized study, 688 participants with seasonal allergic rhinitis were given either Claritin, Allegra, or placebo. Results found that Allegra produced better relief of eye symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes compared to Claritin. While both drugs relieved nasal symptoms, Allegra was also found to improve the overall quality of life compared to Claritin.
Some reports say that Allegra has less sedative effects than Claritin and other antihistamines. However, one post-marketing study found that there was no significant difference in the level of sedation between Claritin and Allegra. Both drugs were found to be appropriate for workers with jobs that require some level of alertness for safety, such as flight crew.
Can I Use An Hsa Or Fsa To Buy Allegra Products
You may be able to use your HSA or FSA tax-preferred savings account to purchase certain OTC products, including Allegra® Hives. The passage of the CARES Act by Congress includes provisions to restore OTC eligibility under tax-preferred HSA and FSA accounts. Plan details vary, so save your receipt and check with your benefits or health provider for eligibility.
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How To Take Allegra Allergy
Use Allegra Allergy exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.
Always follow directions on the medicine label about giving cough or cold medicine to a child.
- Ask a doctor before giving fexofenadine liquid to a child younger than 2 years old.
- The disintegrating tablets are not for use in a child younger than 6 years old.
- The 12-hour and 24-hour forms of fexofenadine are not for use in a child younger than 12 years old.
Take this medicine only with water.
Take the disintegrating tablet on an empty stomach.
Shake the oral suspension before you measure a dose. Use the dosing cup provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .
Remove an orally disintegrating tablet from the package only when you are ready to take the medicine. Place the tablet on your tongue and allow it to dissolve, without chewing. Swallow several times as the tablet dissolves.
Store fexofenadine in its original package at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze.
Since allergy medicine is used when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. Skip any missed dose if it’s almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.
Is Claritin Or Allegra Better For Post Nasal Drip
Both Claritin and Allegra can treat postnasal drip and other symptoms related to allergic rhinitis. Compared to first-generation antihistamines, these drugs are both effective. However, intranasal medications like an antihistamine or corticosteroid nasal spray may offer better relief for this symptom.
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Cautions With Other Medicines
Some medicines and fexofenadine can affect each other and increase the chances of you having side effects.
Check with your pharmacist or doctor if you’re taking:
- ketoconazole, a medicine to treat fungal infections
- dronedarone, a medicine used in people who have had cardioversion to control their heart rate
- filgotinib or leflunomide, medicines to treat arthritis
- letermovir, a medicine used in people who have had a stem cell transplant
- pibrentasvir or velpatasvir, medicines to treat hepatitis C infection
- rifampicin, an antibiotic
- teriflunomide, a medicine to treat multiple sclerosis
- indigestion remedies containing aluminium or magnesium leave about 2 hours between taking fexofenadine and taking your indigestion remedy
- medicines to treat cancer
- any medicine that makes you drowsy, gives you a dry mouth, or makes it difficult for you to pee taking fexofenadine might make these side effects worse
The Interaction Between Fruit Juice And Allegra
If you’re taking prescription or over-the-counter Allegra for allergies, you should be aware that these medications can interact with fruit juices such as:
- Grapefruit juice
In fact, if you drink fruit juice or even fruit punch within an hour or two of taking your medicine, you may lose the effectiveness of the drug entirely.
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What Happens If I Miss A Dose
Since cold or allergy medicine is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure
Doctors cant always point to a reason behind hypertension, but they do know what factors place a person at higher risk for developing the symptoms. Many of these factors are reversible and when patients take care of the risk factors, the high blood pressure is reduced or controlled more easily with milder medications. These factors include smoking, obesity, poor diet, little rest and lack of exercise.
Before you agree to take Allegra make sure your healthcare provider knows your medical history, the medications you currently take, including vitamins and over the counter medications, and your symptoms. Do not take Allegra if you have had an allergic reaction, have kidney, heart or liver disease, are pregnant or are breast feeding.
While the connection between Allegra D and blood pressure is fairly clear, there are people who dont have risk factors who can take this medication to help alleviate their seasonal allergy reactions. For them, this medication is a life saver. For others who have heart disease or hypertension, this medication can cause some serious health risks.
If you would like to receive a free resource sheet to support your quest for better heart health, click the button below to receive your gift.
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Be Smart Be Aware Of Allergy Medication Side Effects
Smart use of allergy medications knowing how they treat symptoms, being aware of potential unwanted side effects and, most important, monitoring their effect on you and your health is just one step toward controlling allergy and cold symptoms. Even more important: knowing what you are allergic to and taking steps to prevent or reduce exposure.
If your allergy symptoms tend to last longer than two weeks or are not adequately controlled with over-the-counter medications, schedule an appointment with a board-certified allergist for a full diagnosis.
Antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids are intended for symptom relief. If antihistamines or intranasal corticosteroids are causing side effects such as drowsiness or other problems, there are other treatment options your doctor can offer you, such as allergen immunotherapy.
Reviewed by Dennis Williams, PharmD
8229 Boone Blvd, Suite 260,Vienna, VA 22182
What Allergy Medicines Can I Safely Take If I Have Heart Disease Or High Blood Pressure
Oklahoma Heart Institute Director of Interventional Laboratories, Dr. Wayne Leimbach, shares insights on allergies, heart disease and high blood pressure on our blog today.
Springtime brings not only beautiful weather and beautiful flowers, but it also brings high pollen counts and suffering to people with allergies. Many people often ask what allergy medicines can I safely take if I have heart disease or high blood pressure. Many allergy medications include decongestants that can raise blood pressure, create palpitations and interfere with some other heart medications.
Medications that often can be safely used by people with significant allergies include nasal corticosteroids. In addition, antihistamines are very effective. The antihistamines include fexofenadine , cetirizine , loratadine and diphenhydramine .
Often manufactures will include a decongestant with the antihistamines in order to provide additional control of the runny nose often seen with allergies. Manufacturers will often indicate which of the antihistamines also contain a decongestant by adding the letter D to the name of the medicine. These decongestants can be phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline.
Therefore, advertised medicines such as Allegra, Zyrtec, or Claritin should be safe for most patients with heart disease and allergies however, Allegra-D, Zyrtec-D, Claritin-D could cause problems for patients with allergies and heart disease.
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Does Allegra Raise Blood Pressure
Antihistamines like Allegra donât typically affect blood pressure. However, products like Allegra-D or Claritin-D may affect blood pressure. These products contain pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine which can raise blood pressure. Consult a doctor if you have high blood pressure and allergic rhinitis.
Can Allegra Keep You Awake
Antihistamines help with itching and sneezing, but alone do nothing to help the congestion that keeps you up at night. Decongestants are the D part in allergy medications like Allegra-D®, but they can have a stimulant effect that disrupts sleep in some people.
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Here Are A Few Tips To Help Allergy Sufferers Enjoy The Beautiful Spring Weather:
Oral allergy medications
Oral medications are especially useful for mild allergy symptoms, and many are available over the counter.
Nonsedating antihistamines can relieve itching, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. Options include:
- Loratadine , cetirizine , levocetirizine and fexofenadine all are available without prescription.
- Oral decongestants, like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can ease stuffiness, and pseudoephedrine is often combined with an antihistamine. These medications are generally well-tolerated, with minimal side effects.
Common side effects
Oral decongestants cause insomnia and elevated blood pressure for some people, and antihistamines can cause drowsiness. If you find that one brand of antihistamine makes you sleepy, try a different one to see if you tolerate that better.
Older antihistamines, like diphenhydramine , are more likely to cause drowsiness compared to the newer antihistamines. Be careful about driving or working around heavy machinery if you take diphenhydramine.
Nasal steroid sprays
For more persistent allergy symptoms, nasal steroid sprays often are the best treatment option. Nasal steroid sprays block inflammation and swelling caused by airborne irritants and allergens, and prevent allergy symptoms.
Over-the-counter steroid nasal sprays include:
Eye drops
Inhalers
Allergy shots
However, you may first want to know more details about allergy shots before considering:
Richard Crockett, M.D., is an allergist in Mankato, Minnesota.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Allergy Medicines
Weve already addressed some of the possible side effects of allergy medicines, but they bear repeating.
Of the three antihistamines, cetirizine is most likely to make you drowsy , with loratadine in second . If you want to be sure your allergy medication wont impair your everyday functioning, take it at night before you go to bed or take fexofenadine , which is the least likely to make you drowsy.
And you shouldnt take decongestants for more than a week or two in a row, or you put yourself at risk for heart issues.
What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication
Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.
The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.
Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.
- trouble sleeping
Although most of these side effects listed below don’t happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
- fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:
- signs of a serious allergic reaction
- signs of high blood pressure
- signs of taking too much medication
- difficulty breathing
Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.
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Be Careful With Allegra D
The real issue isnt with Allegra, but rather Allegra D. Allegra has the medication fexofenadine, which is the antihistamine to decrease the effects of histamine in the body. However, some people also suffer from nasal congestion and want relief from that as well. To address this, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturers of Allegra, designed a medication that also contained a decongestant. That decongestant is pseudoephedrine.
Pseudoephedrine works by restricting blood vessels, which decreases the amount of congestion in the nose. Unfortunately the medication is not specific to the vessels in the nose alone and restricts many blood vessels. This can lead to one of two problems. In people who have borderline hypertension, it can raise their blood pressure to high levels. With continued use this can cause cardiac and peripheral vascular problems.
In others, the pseudoephedrine will counteract the effects of the antihypertensive medications that the patient is already taking, such as with Aldomet. In these cases patients who are taking this drug to control high blood pressure will be left without control or protection against the dangerous effects. Not only is protection gone but the pseudoephedrine can also cause a rise in blood pressure.
