Antihistamine Drugs: Summary of affordable alternatives
Antihistamines are widely used medicines to relieve the symptoms of hay fever (known medically as allergic rhinitis), hives, and other allergies.
They are effective and generally safe, but can be misused. You should make sure (by seeing a doctor) you have hay fever or another allergy before taking antihistamines on a regular basis. Some people who take allergy medicines do not have allergies.This report evaluates four newer antihistamines. Studies show them to be equally effective. All cause less drowsiness than the older antihistamines sold widely as nonprescription drugs (such as Benadryl Allergy, Chlor-Trimeton Allergy, and Dimetapp Allergy). However, the newer drugs are no more effective than the older ones at relieving symptoms.
The cost for the newer medicines varies from about $3 to more than $150 per month. This report shows how you could save $1,400 a year or more if you are currently taking an expensive brand-name antihistamine. Taking dosing convenience, cost, and evidence of effectiveness and safety into account, we have selected the following as Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs:
- Loratadine 10mg tablets
- Loratadine dissolving 10mg tablets
- Loratadine syrup 10mg
- Alavert tablets 10mg
- Alavert dissolving 10mg tablets
- Alavert syrup 10mg
- Tavist ND 10mg tablets
All are low-cost generics available without a prescription in drug and food stores. All are as effective and safe as the three prescription-only antihistamines [fexofenadine (Allegra), desloratadine (Clarinex), and cetirizine (Zyrtec)] at comparable doses. All contain loratadine, the active ingredient in the nonprescription drug Claritin (until 2002 a best-selling prescription drug).
Most insurers changed their policy when loratadine became a nonprescription drug. They now assume that most people will treat mild allergy symptoms just like they do a cold, the flu, or bouts of minor pain – with nonprescription medicines. Check with your insurer or health plan administrator about their policy on antihistamines.
Antihistamine Drugs: Cost Comparison and Best Buy Drugs
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| Recommendations: Antihistamine Drugs | |||||||
| CR Best Buy | Generic Name and Dose | Brand Name1 | Drug Is a Generic2 | Drug Is OTC3 | Use per Day4 | Average Monthly Cost5 | Compare Prices |
| Cetirizine chewable tablet 5mg | Zyrtec | No | No | Two | $203 |  |
|
| Cetirizine tablet 5mg | Zyrtec | No | No | Two | $200 | |
|
| Cetirizine chewable tablet 10mg | Zyrtec | No | No | One | $93 | |
|
| Cetirizine tablet 10mg | Zyrtec | No | No | One | $89 | |
|
| Cetirizine syrup 10mg/10ml | Zyrtec | No | No | One | $1237 | |
|
| Desloratadine dissolving tablet 5mg | Clarinex Reditabs | No | No | One | $104 | |
|
| Desloratadine syrup 5mg/10ml | Clarinex | No | No | One | $527 | |
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| Desloratadine tablet 5mg | Clarinex | No | No | One | $115 | |
|
| Fexofenadine tablet 30mg6 | Allegra | No | No | Four | $88 - $131 | |
|
| Fexofenadine capsule 60mg6 | Allegra | No | No | Two | $82 - $118 | |
|
| Fexofenadine tablet 180mg6 | Allegra | No | No | One | $66 - $108 | |
|
| Fexofenadine tablet 30mg6 | Generic | Yes | No | Four | $67 - $104 | |
|
| Fexofenadine tablet 60mg6 | Generic | Yes | No | Two | $67- $114 | |
|
| Fexofenadine tablet 180mg6 | Generic | Yes | No | One | $54 - $70 | |
|
 |
Loratadine dissolving tablet 10mg | Alavert | BG | Yes | One | $16 - $24 | |
| Loratadine dissolving tablet 10mg | Claritin Reditabs | BG | Yes | One | $17 - $48 | |
|
|
Loratadine dissolving tablet 10mg | Generic | Yes | Yes | One | $10 - $27 | |
|
Loratadine tablet 10mg | Alavert | BG | Yes | One | $18 - $23 | |
| Loratadine tablet 10mg | Claritin | BG | Yes | One | $17 - $33 | |
|
|
Loratadine tablet 10mg | Generic | Yes | Yes | One | $6 - $18 | |
| Loratadine syrup 10mg/10ml | Claritin | BG | Yes | One | $27 | |
|
|
Loratadine syrup 10mg/10ml | Generic | Yes | Yes | One | $21 | |
| Cetirizine/pseudoephedrine tablet 5/120mg8 | Zyrtec-D | No | No | Two | $867 | |
|
| Loratadine/pseudoephedrine tablet 5/120mg | Alavert-D | BG | Yes | Two | $30 - $547 | |
|
| Loratadine/pseudoephedrine tablet 5/120mg | Claritin-D | BG | Yes | Two | $36 - $507 | |
|
| Loratadine/pseudoephedrine tablet 5/120mg | Generic | Yes | Yes | Two | $25 - $407 | |
|
| Loratadine/pseudoephedrine tablet 10/240mg | Claritin-D | BG | Yes | One | $27 - $397 | |
|
| Loratadine/pseudoephedrine tablet 10/240mg | Generic | Yes | Yes | One | $7 - $257 | |
|
(1) “Generic�? indicates that this drug is sold as a generic.
(2) “Yes�? means it is a generic, sold under the chemical name. “BG�? means it is a branded generic, which is a generic copy of an original drug but one given a special name by its generic manufacturer. In this table, for example, Claritin and Alavert are branded generics. “No�? means it is a brand-name drug not yet available as a generic or a branded generic.
(3) OTC stands for over-the counter; “yes�? means it is a nonprescription OTC drug. Price ranges are given for OTC drugs because prices in drug, food and discount stores vary so widely.
(4) Frequency of use reflects usual frequency for adults; children would be prescribed lower doses. Some of these medicines may be prescribed for use more or less frequently than indicated here. Follow your doctor’s directions and those on your pill bottle.
(5) For drugs available by prescription only, monthly costs reflect nationwide retail average prices for September 2006, rounded to the nearest dollar. Information derived by Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs from data provided by Wolters Kluwer Health, Pharmaceutical Audit Suite, except where noted for Allegra and generic fexofenadine. For drugs available OTC, monthly costs reflect prices obtained in late October 2006 from four online pharmacies and one small independent pharmacy in Maryland. Price ranges are given for OTC drugs because prices vary widely for these products.
(6) Prices for Allegra and its generic equivalent fexofenadine, which became available in October 2005, have been in flux. The monthly cost ranges presented here reflect data from Wolters Kluwer Health as cited above but also from three online pharmacies. The online pharmacy prices were obtained on November 2, 2006.
(7) We could not obtain an updated price for this product. Cost presented is from December 2005.
(8) Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant. Such products should be used with caution by people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, glaucoma, or prostate disease.
(2) “Yes�? means it is a generic, sold under the chemical name. “BG�? means it is a branded generic, which is a generic copy of an original drug but one given a special name by its generic manufacturer. In this table, for example, Claritin and Alavert are branded generics. “No�? means it is a brand-name drug not yet available as a generic or a branded generic.
(3) OTC stands for over-the counter; “yes�? means it is a nonprescription OTC drug. Price ranges are given for OTC drugs because prices in drug, food and discount stores vary so widely.
(4) Frequency of use reflects usual frequency for adults; children would be prescribed lower doses. Some of these medicines may be prescribed for use more or less frequently than indicated here. Follow your doctor’s directions and those on your pill bottle.
(5) For drugs available by prescription only, monthly costs reflect nationwide retail average prices for September 2006, rounded to the nearest dollar. Information derived by Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs from data provided by Wolters Kluwer Health, Pharmaceutical Audit Suite, except where noted for Allegra and generic fexofenadine. For drugs available OTC, monthly costs reflect prices obtained in late October 2006 from four online pharmacies and one small independent pharmacy in Maryland. Price ranges are given for OTC drugs because prices vary widely for these products.
(6) Prices for Allegra and its generic equivalent fexofenadine, which became available in October 2005, have been in flux. The monthly cost ranges presented here reflect data from Wolters Kluwer Health as cited above but also from three online pharmacies. The online pharmacy prices were obtained on November 2, 2006.
(7) We could not obtain an updated price for this product. Cost presented is from December 2005.
(8) Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant. Such products should be used with caution by people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, glaucoma, or prostate disease.
Related Conditions
Learn more about conditions treated with Antihistamine Drugs.
