Can You Take Benadryl and Claritin at the Same Time
Oct 22, 2017
Arlene asked
Can I accept Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Claritin (Loratadine) together? I want I have bad allergies and need more relief.
At a glance
- Benadryl and Claritin are antihistamines and take the same machinery of action. Benadryl causes significantly more sedation and only lasts 4 to vi hours while Claritin is non-sedating and lasts 24 hours per dose.
- Your doctor may recommend to take Claritin and Benadryl together in sure situations, such as if you are having an allergic reaction.
Answer
In about cases, it is non recommended to have Benadryl and Claritin together...but there are some exceptions which we hash out below.[1]
How Benadryl And Claritin Work
Both Benadryl and Claritin are antihistamine medications and piece of work the same way mechanistically in the trunk.
They both work by blocking what is known equally the histamine-1 receptor. This prevents histamine from binding to it and producing the allergy symptoms we are all very familiar with (runny nose, stuffy nose, mail-nasal baste, etc...).
While they both piece of work the aforementioned manner, they do take different characteristics. Benadryl is a "offset-generation" antihistamine when Claritin is a "second-generation" antihistamine.
Offset-generation antihistamines are known for their sedative effects and brusk duration of action. On the other hand, 2nd-generation antihistamines generally last 24 hours per dose and are not-sedating.[two]
Don't Take Together?
Due to the duplicative and additive nature of Claritin (loratadine) and Benadryl (diphenhydramine), the employ of both together is non recommended.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) by itself causes pronounced sedation and this sedation can be somewhat enhanced when combined with Claritin (loratadine), although Claritin is considered essentially non-drowsy.
Other condiment side effects that are possible include:
- Dry mouth
- Dry out optics
- Constipation
- Urinary retentivity
When To Combine
Having said all of the above, there are cases when both are used together.
The interaction we are worried about is the condiment drowsiness when both are taken together. Although as mentioned above, Claritin (loratadine) is not-drowsy, combining it with another antihistamine that works the same way could perhaps cause an condiment outcome of the 2.
In improver, y'all probably would non get any additional do good from taking Benadryl and Claritin together.
Each drug on their own does a pretty good of blocking the histamine receptor and taking the two at once would not produce whatever appreciable difference from just taking 1.
Nosotros are not really worried nigh both drugs mixing in the body and causing serious side effects.
I situation where it may be okay to accept both close to each other is if you are having an allergic reaction.
It is idea (and multiple studies have reported) that Benadryl is slightly more effective at stemming an allergic reaction (such as to a bee sting) than second-generation antihistamines similar Claritin.[3]
If you take Claritin (loratadine) on a daily basis for your seasonal allergies and were in a state of affairs where y'all were having a serious allergic reaction, Benadryl (diphenhydramine) may be an advisable choice to add on before you arrive to the hospital.
In a instance like this, I would say it would be OK to take both close together and your doctor may recommend it for you.
Lastly, Benadryl is oft used as a slumber aid due to the sedative effects of the drug.
Your doctor may recommend intermittent use of the drug to help you lot slumber, just on a brusk term, "equally needed" basis fifty-fifty when using Claritin daily for allergy prevention.
Summary
- Taking both Claritin and Benadryl together increases the risk of side furnishings. Yous besides will not experience meliorate allergy relief when taking both together in near cases.
- All the same, studies indicate that Benadryl may be more than constructive to treat an allergic reaction, and may exist prophylactic and benign to take if yous are experiencing one, even if you are already taking Claritin.
- Benadryl is sometimes recommended every bit a sleep assist to be used intermittently, even if you already take a daily antihistamine like Claritin.
References
- ^ Elsevier ClinicalKey Drug Interaction Written report. ClinicalKey (Subscription Required)
- ^ H1 Antihistamines: Electric current Status and Hereafter Directions.PubMed
- ^ Diphenhydramine versus nonsedating antihistamines for acute allergic reactions: a literature review. PubMed
Source: https://walrus.com/questions/taking-benadryl-with-claritin
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