Claritin is an over-the-counter medication to treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies, it is also known as “hay fever”. Now the problem is is it safe if you mix alcohol with claritin? Let’s read on this article until it’s finished.
Some of the common symptoms of hay fever include:
- Sneezing
- Itching in the eyes, and
- Cold
If you consume alcohol and mix it with calritin, it can be potentially dangerous. There are certain side effects if both are consumed simultaneously. So, what is safe is that when taking a seasonal allergy symptom reliever (claritin), you don’t consume alcohol at all. Actually not limited to clritin but also all drugs that are similar to claritin.
Here we will look at how alcohol reacts when you mix it with claritin and what side effects it causes.
What do you know about claritine
Clairitin brand is a drug that is also known as loratadine. This drug is also available in a generic version. Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes, itching on the hood, mouth and throat can be alleviated with drugs containing loratadine as the active substance.
These respiratory symptoms are caused by allergens such as dust, or pollen.
When the allergen enters the body, it is possible that the immune system has detected it as a dangerous substance. So, the immune system then activates chemicals such as histamine to fight foreign substances (allergens) earlier.
One of the uses of histamine is to stimulate the immune response to expel these allergens, so you start snorting, itching and sneezing.
Also read: Levemir (Insulin Detemir), Dosage, Side Effects and Interactions
So, Loratadine is a drug that is anti-histamine. This drug works to prevent histamine from binding to receptors, this will stop allergy symptoms. There are two kinds of anti-histamines: the first generation and the second generation. The first generation of antihistamines tends to cause drowsiness when consumed, in contrast to the second generation types.
While the drug Loratadine is a second generation anti-histamine. Indeed drowsiness can be a side effect, but this is very rare for second generation anti-histamines.
Is it safe to consume alcohol and claritin?
Based on information from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol can interact with antihistamines such as claritin. So, here’s the problem, where alcohol and antihistamines are both central nervous system depressants. Then both can cause you to feel things like the following:
- Weak,
- Uncoordinated, and
- makes you sleepy
So, when the two are combined or consumed together, the side effects that occur can be dangerous to health (be careful).
This effect may be more pronounced when alcohol is combined or mixed with first generation anti-histamines such as Benadryl. consuming alcohol with second generation antihistamines is sometimes not very clear about these side effects, but that does not mean it is safe to mix. So, it is still dangerous if you drink claritin after mixing it with alcohol or drinking it for a short period of time.
Also see: What is Type 2 Diabetes? Symptoms, Complications and Treatment
The reaction of a person who consumes claritin and alcohol can vary. This difference depends on several factors such as:
- Age,
- Gender,
- and overall health condition.
Women and older people are more likely to experience serious interactions. In addition, there is also a dangerous risk for people who mix alcohol and claritin, if they experience problems such as the following:
- Diabetes,
- Alcohol use disorders,
- epilepsy,
- enlarged prostate,
- kidney disease,
- Heart disease,
- Thyroid problems, and
- liver sufferers.
In addition, alcohol also affects the body in responding to treatment. So in some cases it has been found that antihistamines are less effective in relieving your allergy symptoms.
If this is your situation, then don’t drink more calritin, but wait for the alcohol to leave your body.
Side effects due to mixing alcohol and claritin
We know that these two ingredients can slow down nerve activity, so the side effects that may occur are:
1. Dizziness
Alcohol and claritin decrease heart performance. Then this will make it more difficult for your heart to pump blood throughout the body, and you are likely to experience things like: Faint, weakness, dizziness and chances are you will have difficulty controlling your movements.
2. Drowsiness
Drowsiness is one of the side effects that occurs when you mix the two. Claritin sometimes doesn’t cause drowsiness on its own, but when it is mixed with alcohol the reaction that occurs is drowsiness.
3. Increase the risk of overdose
because the effect is the same, then when they interfere with both of them it is feared an overdose. It’s sometimes like you drink twice as much alcohol or as you consume twice as much claritin. In addition, the liver as a digestive organ will find it difficult to process these two substances. Maybe you feel an unusual hangover.
You should know that when too much alcohol builds up in your system, it will increase your potential for alcohol overdose.
Also see: 8 Side Effects of Too Much Caffeine
Does claritin interact with other substances?
In general, claritin is safe and has little risk of interacting with other drugs. So, when you buy it, talk to the pharmacist first.
Tell them if you are taking prescription or nonprescription drugs, or are taking supplements or vitamins even if you are taking herbal medicines. The pharmacist or pharmacist will help you to minimize interactions when taking claritin. Here are some drugs that are said to interact with claritin (healthline.com).
- Amiodarone (Pacerone)
- Cimetidine (Tagamet)
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Epitol)
- Dasatinib (Sprycel)
- Darunavir (Prezista)
- Ketoconazole
- Erythromycin (Erygel, Eryped)
- Midodrine (ProAmatine)
- Rifampin (Rifadin)
- Ranolazine (Ranexa)
- St. John’s wort
- Ritonavir (Norvir)
Likewise, if you are taking drugs that have drowsiness as a side effect, talk to your doctor because claritin can also cause drowsiness, lest these effects get worse.
Conclusion
Claritin is an antihistamine that contains loratadine. This drug is used in treating symptoms of seasonal allergies. The risk of drowsiness from taking this second generation antihistamine is lighter and lower. However, this does not mean that it is safe to mix with alcohol.
In addition, claritin can irritate and make it difficult for the liver to process alcohol. So it is feared that it could worsen the effects of drowsiness or an overdose could occur.
For various reasons we have already mentioned, Mix Claritin and Alcohol is dangerous and you should not approach alcohol when consuming claritin.