What a Day.Sat i took some OTC claritin for my allergies and about 3hours later my heart rate increased and i had some sharp twinges in my neck it subsided after a few hours and i shrugged it off…my allergies were bothering me today so i decided to take another and i called the pharmacist so he could tell me i was being crazy and it was fine instead he tells me it is not a common side effect and not good so of course i start panicking cause i had just taken another one so called my dr and they called me back and said dont take it again and keep an eye out and if it gets worse or wierder than the last time go to the ER…***!!! Like I dont have enough to deal with! I was going to have an IUD put in in hopes stopping the birth control pill and having less hormones might help the dizziness but had to cancel the appt cause i need to see my PCP tomorrow instead cause sat i got a UTI AHHHH my body is falling apart and i am now worried about the antibiotic i am going to have to be on! On top of all that my daughter was terrible today and getting into everything and i stillhave a whole house to pack by the end of the month cause we are moving in with my mother in law (god help me) before the 1st cause my daughter starts kindergarten on the 3rd not to mention money issues AHHHHH…So has anyone ever had this reaction on claritin and am i panicking for nothing about the antibiotics??
I hope I am not too late responding, but I don’t think there would be anything to worry about with the claritin since I think it is a pretty common reaction to get a bit of a racing heart for a while. It is not pleasant, I know. Maybe like you had a little too much coffee. I do, however, always check with the pharmacist when I take other meds to make sure they can be mixed. Always let them know what else you are taking just in case. But if claritin is not in the same class of drugs as any of your other meds, its probably fine. I use to take prescription allegra and it would make my hair feel like it was standing straight up on end and I would get a rapid heart but then it would subside.
You have a lot on your plate right now and I’m sure the stress is not helping. Try and do something just for you if you can. Even just for a half hour or so. You need a breather. What a tough situation to be in. To have this dizzy crap to worry about plus all the other stresses. The dizziness is enough!
Take care of yourself… 
If it helps at all, I also get an increased heart rate from taking clariton, never had a problem with it agrevating my MAV.
On the flip side of the coin, another side effect clariton has on me is… how do I put it politely, makes for an exciting night with my wife after the kids go to bed.
— Begin quote from ____
On the flip side of the coin, another side effect clariton has on me is… how do I put it politely, makes for an exciting night with my wife after the kids go to bed.
— End quote
Claritin?!
I can’t believe they don’t market it for that! So you take it like, nightly, right ? :mrgreen:
— Begin quote from “Julie”
Claritin?!
I can’t believe they don’t market it for that! So you take it like, nightly, right ? :mrgreen:
— End quote
:lol:
I’ve noticed my husband sneezing a lot lately. I’m thinking maybe he should try Claritin… 
i just put an order in to drugstore.com for a boatload. i’m sure i ran them out of stock. Once this word gets out, good luck finding any on the shelves. I wonder what would happen if we both took it - hmmmm
But if they’re going to market it, they’re going to have to come up with a new name - Jen, this is where you come in, you little devil :evil:
THANKS BRIAN!!! WE OWE YA!
Brian this heading was was under **horrible day **
not HAPPY DAYS! lol :mrgreen:
Brian , I’m sure there is one here that alks about labido changes heeeee :mrgreen:
and yes your blood pressure dose go up and casue heart racing with claritine!!!
I’m sure there will be a few of our boys rushing off to swallow them down now thanks to this post brian.god love you.
I wouldnt be taking any allergy meds on top of antidepressants ever!!!
Claritine /clarytine/clarinex/ect…… **side effect for cybercondriacs **…………
6 months later took 1 Clarinex (common ingredient) which gave me no problem 6 months earlier -felt creepy/crawly all over, stings, pinching and skin burning, burning inside and out, dry eyes, nose and mouth- no amount of water helped, couldn’t sleep-jerking, anxiety, felt like I was going to stop breathing/die, breathed hot, terrible vaginal burning. 5 days later still have vaginal burning, skin has hot sensation but doesn’t feel hot, dry eyes, throat, nose, saliva makes my lips burn. I will never take Claritin or Clarinex again. F 49 1 days 7/31/2008
1 allergies My 9 year old daughter took OTC CVS Loratadine for 4 days and then experienced severe anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, bladder discomfort, back pain, loss of appetite. These reactions were dramatic and never before experienced by her. It took detective work to discover the connection with the medication. We are hopeful she will improve over time. This has been a hideous, needless experience. Why after years of knowing of these severe side affects does the packaging not reflect the accurate side affects. The CVS packaging had no warning whatsoever. This truly seems criminal. I can see no reason to have a child needlessly exposed to these side affects when other medications with less affect may be used. I further believe that the product should no longer be offered OTC or should be pulled all together. F 9 5 days 7/29/2008
3 In-door allergies stomach pain, muscle pain, headache, sleeplessness My doctor prescribed the generic Ranitidine (Zantac), the generic Loratadine (Claritin) and Singulair for acute hive-like allergic reactions to in-door allergens. Am I the only one who reacts strongly to thrift and second-hand clothes from stores—not from individuals??? Anyhow, after a week of the combo, I decided to try each separately to assess where the different side-effects were coming from. I experienced headache, stomach pain, muscle pain and sleeplessness with Loratadine. Extreme pain in shoulders and neck finally made me stop. It was worse than the pain it was supposed to treat. F 43 1 months 7/24/2008
2 allergies Uncharacteristic feelings of being irritable, no patience, feeling aggressive, anger, ringing in ears, nightmares, cough, unable to catch my breath. Took it years ago for seasonal allergies, tried it when they flared up this year. Didn’t help the allergies very much and do not like the way it makes me feel. F 43 7/15/2008
2 Alergies (stuffy nose) Terrible headache, seeing spots, restlessness, trouble concentrating, nausea, bursts of energy followed by fatigue (then repeat). I’ve taken it occasionally for months, but no more after this. M 37 2 months 7/11/2008
3 watery eyes and congestion My six year old son was taking this and it worked great for his allergies but this is one scary drug he was having horrible dreams and hallucinating he was scarying me so bad and than two and two came together and it was claritin. This really needs to be a warning because it is so scary. It really does work great for the allergy side M 6 8 days 7/8/2008
5 nasal allergies/fluid in ear none It seems impossible, but I credit claritin for “curing” my life long battle with nasal allergies. My doctor prescribed it several years ago, and I took it daily for approximately 2 years. I ran out one day, and never got around to refilling the prescription, but neither have I ever had problems with nasal allergies again! I’m having fluid in my ears, so I’m trying it again. Let you know how it comes out this time. Sorry so many others have had side effects. F 48 2 years 6/24/2008
1 Hayfever Heart palpitations constantly, anxiety and rash. Already prone to heart palpitations so tried to ignore them but got so bad that I knew something else was wrong and discovered it was because I had just started taking Claritin, since coming off two days ago palpitations have stopped and rash going F 27 5 days 6/19/2008
2 ear infection dry mouth, nervousness, headaches, elevated blood pressure and pulse rate My doctor ordered me to take Claritin for 2 weeks for the ear infection. Prior to this my **blood pressure never went up above 110/77. **While taking Claritin, it went up to 135/89, and ever since (it has been 3 weeks since I stopped) my bp has been above 140/89. Last reading was 145/92. Any one else experienced this? Maybe I am susceptible but if I am, Claritin kicked me over to the dark side. Never going to take it again – of course now I can’t with my bp up. F 55 14 days 6/14/2008
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1 For hayfever relief I am usually a stable level-headed individual but Claritin changed all that, causing severe depression, exhaustion and paranoia by day three, which made me miss work for a couple of days whilst I came off of them, the process of which gave me a terrific headache, but I was completely back to normal once I stopped taking them. There should be some warning about depression in the packet, not just about 'anxiety.’ That’s an understatement. 5 days 6/10/2008
1 seasonal allergies Mental fogginess, bloated abdomen, heartburn, “air hunger” (couldn’t “catch my breath”),and crankiness Took the generic form. My sneezing attacks stopped, my sinuses cleared and all was well for about one month. During the second month, the symptoms of fogginess and irritability began. Then came the abdominal symptoms which made it uncomfortable to eat or even drink my beloved water! The air hunger was the last straw! Two to three days after stopping it, all symptoms resolving. F 53 2 months 6/9/2008
1 allergies After taking Claritin for just 2 weeks, I experienced muscle pain, sleeplessness & aggressive moods. Just 2 days after quitting use these symptoms subsided. Claritin did relieve my allegies. M 58 2 weeks 6/7/2008
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4 Seasonal Allergies None. Great for mild allergies but fails against more serious allergies. Doesn’t cause me any drowsiness or other side effects. Use to take every night before bed. M 25 6 months 6/3/2008
1 allergies Stupor, fatigue, somnolence(extreme drowsiness), loss of concentration, loss of motivation, black outs with sleep. I only took it for two days and I felt like I was on a strong “downer” like Klonopin. I am a very high-energy, productive person and Claritin made me pass out if I sat still for more than a few minutes at a time. When I fell asleep on several occassions, I would wake up and not know where I was or what day it was. F 25 2 days 6/2/2008
4 Allergies Have taken for 5 years and seemed to have no side effects. However, I have experienced some memory problems and early on - fatigue. In the last 3 to 6 months however, I have experienced a significant loss of sense of smell and taste. Allergies were so bad for awhile over the winter I was taking 1 pill in am and another 1/2 at 6pm. Am beginning to think the loss of sense of smell and taste is related. I really didn’t connect any memory, fatigue or smell and taste symptoms to the claritin. It’s amazing how quickly everything gets attributed to age! It definately does a great job addressing the sneezing, nasal drip, hoarseness and sniffles. I suspect, however, long term use may present problems. F 63 5 years 6/1/2008
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1 hayfever My 5 yr old son took it from 5/6/08 to 5/17/08. About 8 days after taking it, started to show signs of stuttering or stammering when talking…it got very severe very quickly to the point that he could not even say a sentence at all. It was not the same as a normal stutter that a child may have, he even started to take deep breaths before and during speaking. One side effect of claritin in children is dysphonia which is a disorder that effect your vocal cords and has similar symptoms as a stutter. Only 2 percent of patients had this in a study that was conducted in children. The day after we took him off claritin, the stuttering or stammering improved very much. Now it has been 12 days since taking it and he is almost talking normal again. Took him to his pediatrician when it was still quite bad and they did not feel it was anything to worry about because they felt it was normal stuttering. However, they did not get to hear how he sounded because he did not want to talk to the dr. Als I realize there are many who have no side effects from this but I think it is pretty important for people to know this can happen. I had not idea that something like this could be a side effect from any drug let alone an over the counter drug for children. It just amazes me that this happened. It is also scary to me because I am sure there are others out there that have this side effect and it goes undetected because who would think it could be linked to something like claritin. I only checked into it because my husband said check the internet for side effects…in a almost jokingly way. Well no joke, it happened to us. I now will not try anything else for my sons hayfever, he is going to have to suffer because I am not willing to take any more chances like this. It was very alarming and scary and we were not sure that he would even get back to talking normal again.I would not recommend this to anyone ever. F 12 days 5/29/2008
3 Allergies, runny nose My son’s pediatrician recommended Children’s Claritin for his non-stop runny nose. The first few days I didn’t notice a difference. Then, for several weeks the running seemed to stop until the late afternoon (he would take the pill in the morning). After about five weeks, it seems as though his nose is running all day again. We will probably stop using it. We didn’t notice any side effects with our son. I read some people commenting on children’s aggressive behavior and hallucinations with this medicine but we didn’t experience any change in our son’s behavior. M 4 5 weeks 5/28/2008
3 Seasonal allergies Depression, loss of appetite, feelings of absolute worthlessness **(almost suicidal), **lethargy, general malaise, extreme tiredness. I loved how Claritin worked on my allergy symptoms, but I’ve been so tired and irritable the last few days. I was about to go to the doctor to see if I have mono or something and considered the possibility of pregnancy (no) etc. I finally decided to take a break from the Claritin and look up side effects etc and am very glad to see that I’m not the only one with negative side effects to this drug. I won’t be taking it again, although I know many people that take it with no problems at all. F 40 6 days 5/27/2008
1 fluid in ears, allergies anxiety, bad dreams, loss of concentration I took the first dose before bedtime and within an hour started experiencing waves of anxiety. Didn’t think much of it, due to I’ve had some anxiety in the past. I also had bad dreams that night and some anxiety upon waking up, but was okay the rest of the day. Took a second dose before bedtime the second night, and experienced the bad dreams again. When I woke up the next morning, TERRIBLE anxiety. Couldn’t go to work, and didn’t want to be alone. I struggled to remember what day it was. Will not take again. F 39 2 days 5/27/2008
4 allergies Wondering if it causes, heat flashes, night sweats??? Thought I was starting menopause, but all of my adult kids,ages 27,28,29, have these symptoms too, as we all started Clartin at the exact same time . Shakiness. But it has worked! I was sneezing and had red itchy eyes that was out of control. We have a cotton wood tree that is SNOWING cotton now and it will be this way for a few weeks…All of my allergy symptoms have stopped. I have turned up the air condition and been sure to not have an empty stomach so the side effects have leveled off. F 51 2 weeks 5/22/2008
3 Seasonal allergies bad headache, ringing in my ears, sharp stomach pains like ulcer pains, light heartburn, increased anxiety (this seems odd, but I think its really due to the clariton) worked very well on the allergy symptoms. Now I take one 24 hr pill every other day to cut down on the ear ringing, sharp stomach pains and bad headaches but still get rid of some of the bad allergy symptoms. Its hard to measure how much the anxiety is changed by taking less. M 42 2 weeks 5/10/2008
1 Allergies Dizzyness!! I’ve been taking it for about 4 weeks. This last week I have been dizzy. After reading the side effects from other users now I know why! I will not take it again! F 42 4 weeks 5/10/2008
3 year round allergies Extreme Fatigue, Loss of concentration/focus, sleepy during the day…awake at night;dry mouth/excessive thirst/bad taste/occassional dizziness/feeling of heart racing/acidic stomach This worked great in drying up sinuses, but I just realized after reading comments that my symptoms aren’t pregnancy,heart problems or in my head!I’ve been to the doc for heart tests,been to the gyn for pregnancy tests…I’m wondering after 5 yrs of this med if it’s all side effects. Every day at 3pm I fall asleep at my job, but then after I get home, I’m wide awake and stay up until 1am. I wake up tired every day. I will try weening off of it, but I have no clue how to control my allergies w/o it. F 39 5 years 4/30/2008
3 Allergic sinus congestion Dizziness and vertigo, constant irregular heartbeats, anxiety, fatigue, and irritability. I began taking Claritin in the A.M. until dizziness became a problem, then I took at bedtime. The symptoms slowly increased since I started taking the medicine on a daily basis about 5 months ago. Since then, my heartbeats have become increasingly irregular to the point that it is frightening. The anxiety and irritability may be from fatigue and concern over the heart issues. I am stopping the medicine today and will post another message in a few days if the symptoms clear up. F 47 5 months 4/21/2008
1 Flu-like symptoms Severe dry mouth. I took one tablet 3 days ago. My mouth and throat are so dry that I cannot eat, talk or sleep easily. Dry mouth occurred within hours after taking the one tablet. The discomfort of dry mouth is unbearable. I would much rather be coughing and sneezing. F 44 1 days 4/20/2008
3 Seasonal Allergies dry mouth, thirsty, I have taken Claritin for seasonal allergies for 2 years as RX. I then took it when it went over the counter. It worked for for my seasonal allergies and kept me from developing more severe symptoms. I also gave it to 2 of my children for several seasons. Unfotunately we noticed a decrease in effectivenes last year and again this spring. We switched to Zytec for my kids but noticed today that my son is having terrible mood changes and temper tantrums. After reviewing the comments on the Zyrteck on this web site I will be going back to Claritin until I can check with the doctor on what other options I have. I would rather have to take the Claritin every 18 hours compared to 24 as my own doctor suggested then see my son the way he has been for the past 2 days. F 44 5 years 4/19/2008
1 Dermatographia Night Terrors, Anxiety, Severe Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Irregular Sleep, Palpitations. I’m bipolar and had a severe reaction to this medication. I felt lost and severely depressed, more so than what I’m used to and had no idea why or what was happening. I found myself confused and anxious, and experienced panic attacks and night terrors in my sleep with palpitations. I figured it out when I woke up shouting and wildly throwing punches. I can’t even recall the last time I had a regular nightmare so this was very disturbing. I had no manic moods or any mood swings while on Claritin, only severe depression and anxiety. I stopped taking this as soon as I realized these were side effects of the drug, and within 48 hours it all stopped. I was so relieved and yet my doctor seemed to not believe me. Awful. M 26 6 weeks 4/18/2008
this is some frigging happy drug isnt it! :mrgreen:
1 Allergies erratic heart beat, high anxiety, severe dry mouth, no appetite, dizziness, lack of concentration, cold sweats, chills I felt like I was having narcotic withdrawls! I wanted to jump out of my skin…My allergies were cleared up, but I felt like a junkie trying to kick heroin!!! I would rather have a runny nose rather than going through that again!!! F 29 2 days 4/11/2008
1 Seasonal Allergies Headaches, bloating, acid reflux, burping, sweating, fever, EXTREME tiredness, thought I was having a heart attack I will never take this again F 34 1 months 4/9/2008
1 seasonal allergies dry mouth, impotence, problems urinating I have heard it takes a while to get into your system and I started to notice my dry mouth within a couple of weeks and as time went on it got worse. Then the urination problems started and then the erectile disorders. Some people on here put on the same stuff so i’m relieved something isn’t really wrong with me. I guess impotence is a rare side effect but it can happen and that was the last straw for me. M 17 2 months 4/7/2008
2 seasonal allergies nightmares, possibly depressed mood, thirst M 33 7 days 4/6/2008
1 cough **DO NOT GIVE TO CHILDREN!! **hallucinations of bugs trying to kill her, NIGHT TERRORS, irritability!!! My daughter would wake up throughout the night screaming, crying, telling us bugs were trying to kill her. It was awful. I realized this started a week ago when she started taking Claritin, its the Loratadine as he took the generic brand also. NOT WORTH THE RISKS FOR SMALL CHILDREN!!!1 F 2 7 days 4/5/2008
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1 chronic sinusitus (most of my life) ANXIETY, NERVOUSNESS, INSOMNIA, IRRITABILTY (started mild, evolved into constant inner rage), DEPRESSION, FEELINGS THAT NO ONE UNDERSTOOD ME, LOW LIBIDO. I am normally a happy, smiling, relaxed person who sleeps easily and laughs a lot. I even laughed at drug commercials where the narrator rattles of a gazillion side effects. Laugh no more! On Claritin I was okay at first - a little anxious & nervous, but no big deal. It turned into constant anxiety, a desire to bicker over every little thing, anger at everyone & everything, and waves of despondency. I could only sleep a couple hours at a time, but I was soooo tired I could barely stand it! My poor husband, I was a walking whackjob! Plus, I had no sex drive at all - Zero, zilch! After approx 1 month of taking Claritin daily, I stopped. It’s been 10 days now, and I feel back to my normal self. I have my sinus problems again, of course, but that was expected. Claritin is the only explanation I can find to why I felt and acted differently for that month timeframe. For those people who think these side effects are simply imagined - I’m happy you are not experiencing what I did when I was on Claritin. F 43 30 days 4/3/2008
2 allergies, sensitivities Bloating, nausea, indigestion, and couldn’t stop burping after every meal. Side effect fever (100 degrees) and flu symptoms and throat infection. I finally realized it was the Claritin and saw there are a lot of people with the same reactions listed here. Allegra and Zyrtec worked better for me. F 41 8 months 4/2/2008
1 Allergys VERY aggressive behavior! Sweating, anxious. I have a developmentally disabled son with severe speech apraxia, he is usually a pretty even tempered boy of 14. After takeing Claritin for about 5 days he was sent to the nurse at school because he was soaking wet from sweat, she took his BP & temp. which were normal, she thought maybe low blood sugar so gave him juice. (he has never had low blood sugar before.) She called me, the only thing different I could think of was the Claritin. Funny thing is the box does not list any of the allergic reactions it might cause, just to call your Dr. if you have any! The next morning he woke up being very aggressive and mean. But sense he has verry little speech, he can not tell me what is going on. I quit giveing him Claritin and by the next day he was fine! I will NEVER give this to him again! M 14 5 days 3/31/2008
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4 allergies none The rest of you who say you felt paranoia or anxious or suicidal are gay. I 'm sure you all feel that with any medication you use. You probably feel that way if you try a new food you’ve never had before. Get over it! M 28 1 years 3/28/2008
5 Hay fever w severe headaches None - until I read this web site and discovered all the things I might blame on Claritin. Which aches, pains and attributes of growing older to attribute to this? Unexplained foot pain is more likely from Lipitor…still checking that. Ive been taking it daily during spring, summer, fall for 3 yrs…it is always allergy season here in swampy Washington DC. If I am late starting in March, it takes a few days to push back the headaches.And then it works wonders. Zyrtec for two days gave me the racing heart, panic etc described in other posts here. M 57 3 years 3/16/2008
1 minor alergy / breathing problems so high for 24 hours, could not work remote, could not tell what was on tv anyway, could not get off sofa, wide awake. I’m super sensitive, but I’m not the only one. Bad stuff. thank god they put it behind the counter F 53 1 days 3/15/2008
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3 Allergies Urinary problems I took Claritin from 1995-98 until I started having urinary problems and my doctor switched me to Allegra. After Allegra stopped working, I went back on Claritin in late 2005. It’s been the only OTC drug that’s kept my allergy symptoms under control. However, the urinary problems flare up after a few days or so of usage and Claritin/Loratadine is useless when I get hit by severe allergy attacks in the summer/fall months. I will probably switch to a new medication in the not too distant future. M 26 2 years 3/11/2008
3 Sneezing, stuffy nose itchy eyes Very drowsy and super sleepy!!! The box said non-drowsy but it still makes me feel like i’m about to knock out! I just close my eyes and fall asleep… that quick! F 23 5 days 3/11/2008
1 prescribed by doctor, then OTC nausea, lack of appetite, insomnia, irritability, depression prone. Much worse with Caritan-D, which made me hyperactive and annoying to my coworkers. Allegra is better. Way better. Avoid psuedo-ephedrine unless you are stuffed up. People without allergies could care less how I reacted on medication, so it affected by job performance and eventually my job reviews. M 39 3/10/2008
3 “seasonal” allergies none It works well as a year-round allergy pill (there’s always something in the air), but in the spring when allergies are especially bad, it doesn’t work then. F 35 2 years 3/9/2008
3 Allergies. Stuffed nose, itchy eyes I was sitting at work, having my lunch, when I experienced heartburn (I never get hearburn). All of a sudden I experienced what felt like a panic attack (heart racing, out of body feeling, dizzy). Thought I was going to have to call the fire rescue. Went away after a couple of minutes. Very odd as I don’t take it everyday, only when my allergies become too bothersome, and I usually have no side effects (been taking it occasionally for a couple of years). F 31 3 years 2/21/2008
2 indoor & outdoor allergies At first,** racing heart,** would put me to sleep then I would wake up an hour later with racing heart and thoughts. After taking for a few days, bloating of face and abdomen, gas. I first tried Claritin-D several years ago but stopped due to feeling foggy. I tried it again as an OTC beginning in October 2007 and after a week or so noticed I felt “puffy.” I didn’t seem to put on pounds but my clothes were definitly tighter and my face noticably bloated. I switched to Zyrtec this week (Feb 2008) and my face and abdomin went back to normal within about 48 hours. The change was drastic enough that my friends,family, and co-workers noticed a difference immediately. Although Claritin-D did decrease my allergy symptoms, the effectiveness was not worth the side effects. I am also concerned about the long term effects on my heart of a daily dose of 240mg of Pseudoephedrine sulfate. I have opted instead to use Zyrtec and take pseudoephedrine separately only as needed. F 39 4 months 2/18/2008
3 Allergies After 5 months I started to notice continuous dizziness, sleepy mode all the time during the day, some unexplained feelings of anger, restless body with somehow stupid feelings, nightmares at night, my blood pressure got higher than normal, fast heart beats with short breaths, confusion and short memory, I think I’m going to quit this medicine eventhough it worked up to my satisfaction in the first 4.5 months. I think this medicine is good for some time but becareful because you may lose the ability of taking a rational decision of when to stop the medicine before you get over the edge. M 28 5 months 2/15/2008
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1 hay fever and cat allergies A few hours after taking my first 24hr dose I experienced paranoia, short temper, jitters, feelings of impending doom, uncontrollable bad mood, and even thoughts of suicide (not to mention chapped lips). Prior to taking Claritin, I never experienced these types of overwhelming negative feelings. I’m back to my normal cheery self after getting off the stuff. I only took two 24 hour doses of Claritin over two days, and it had a major affect on my emotional stability and well-being. I threw the bottle in the trash and will never touch the stuff again. M 32 2 days 2/15/2008
4 Allergies I never experienced any side effects with Claritin/Loratidine, but I did find that Claritin D made my heart race, which in turn made me very anxious (I hate pseudophedrine). Just plain Claritin has been great for my allergies. Now that I’ve stopped taking Claritin, I’ve been having anxiety attacks and insomnia. It only occurred to me today that these anxiety issues could be linked to discontinuance of a drug that sometimes makes other people sleepy (my boyfriend, for instance). F 35 4 years 2/1/2008
1 allergies This medication was given to my 15 year old son to relieve allergy symptoms. We didn’t notice the effects until several months later. He became mean and uncontrollable. This is a medication that needs to be watched over carefully. The corolation isn’t direct so you don’t even see it coming. My 37 year old brother was affected the same way by Claritin. After getting off the drug, my son becaame the somewhat lovable teenager he was before this drug. Take great care with children. F 46 60 days 1/17/2008
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2 allergic reaction to chemicals 5-6 hours after taking medication, my heart rate would reach 150+, causing me to feel dizzy and light-headed, feverish, “heightened” all over, barely could stand, chest pounding, skin flushing–red blotches on face, panicky, miserable. Would subside in a few hours, and then had pains in shoulder blades, hips and other joints; lack of appetite; drowzy; unhealthy feeling The Claritin did subside the allergic reaction I was having to the cleaning chemicals (swollen hands and feet); but by the 3rd day I was predicting the reaction. My Dr. still doesn’t think it’s the Claritin that caused all of that. I think if you naturally have a high resting heart rate (mine around 85-90), then Claritin will make your heart rate go through the roof! Be careful. F 37 6 days 12/11/2007
3 Seasonal and Indoor Allergies Insomnia, Anxiety, Loss of Libido After receiving an allergy test, I found out why I had so many colds year round, my doctor said to take Claritin and there were virtually no side effects. After a month and a half I have no libido, have trouble falling asleep (used to be in bed by 9pm or 10pm, now its more 12am-2am… and up at 5am no matter what!) The only change in the month that can be attributed to this is the claritin. I used to take it occasionally, and I started taking it once daily, have never haad such problems before. It worked ok for daily minimal exposures, dust, mold, and pollen… but with contact to cats or dogs I needed to take both claritin and benadryl to be able to feel sufficient relief of symptoms. I am stopping taking the medicine starting tomorrow, as recommended by my doctor, and am hoping the symptoms subside within a week (apparently these symptoms have been seen in small groups in clinical trials, but theres only one way to find out for yourself). F 23 1.5 months 12/10/2007
4 hay fever and cat allergy Some anxiety, but it is easily controlled with valium Works well for allergies, but I still don’t want to get close to cats. It does not last 24 hours, more like 16 hours. Experienced some anxiety, but 5-10 mg valium takes care of that. So, all-in-all pretty good. F 39 4 weeks 12/9/2007
1 Allergies Severe bladder infection, and extreme back pain It took multiple rounds of Macrobid to get rid of the bladder infection, and my Doctor told me that serious bladder infections and back pain are known side effects of this medication. Many of her patients develop these symptoms when put on Claritin so she no longer prescribes it. F 39 4 days 11/26/2007
3 allergic rhinitis Restlessness, heart palpatations, now after taking it for about 2-3 weeks horrible vivid nightmares, decreased concentration. It did work on allergies, but I don’t think it’s worth the side effects F 37 3 weeks 11/23/2007
1 runny nose/allergy Our 2 and a half year old son was prescribed liquid loratadine (5 mg once a day) by our GP. After 3 days of taking this medicine my wife noticed he was quite cranky and aggressive during the day. On the last night we gave him some of this he totally freaked out within 30 mins of having his dose. Basically went totally out of control, shouting aggressive fighting, bright red, absolutely beside himself running into the corner of any room he was in, looking around everywhere, saying there was something in his nappy, ripping it off. Very anxious. He was so strong and uncontrollable. Couldn’t believe how worked up and red he was. Fighting every attempt to calm him down. Haven’t seen anything like it. Now a bit concerned about whether he should’ve been prescribed it and will be taking him to a new GP this week. Will not be giving this to him again. M 2 4 days 10/27/2007
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2 allergies jittery at first, then later aching back and neck (like the flu) and headache, dry mouth It did completely relieve my runny nose and sneezing (due to Santa Ana winds and wildfire smoke) but I felt so mentally strung out that I didn’t feel I could safely drive. I won’t take it again. F 27 1 days 10/23/2007
3 Allergies Heart Pounding so hard, and would not stop. Went to the hospital, where they thought I was having a heart attack. I cannot take this medication. My husband takes it all allergy season with no problems. That is why I rated it somewhat satisfied. F 51 2 days 10/17/2007
3 allergies I’ve had nightmares about an hour after I go to bed every night I wake up an hour later wide awake scared to go back to sleep from such vivid dreams. I’ve noticed this a month after I started taking claritin. Claritin has helped with my allergies though I dont have any allergy symptoms, but I dont like the negative side effects and so I’m taking the medicine in the morning now to avoid the nightmares. F 40 30 days 10/14/2007
1 seasonal allergy had been lying down and 2-3 mins after standing up I felt dizzy and then felt like my heart stopped beating. I became more dizzy with ringing in my ears,and started sweating profusely. My heart then started beating very fast. By then I was lying down on floor. I had had diarrhea and a headache since AM. I had taken dose at 9PM and this occurred the NEXT DAY at 3 PM. My allergy syptoms were gone but not worth the side effects. I’ll stick to Benadryl from now on… This should be a prescription drug!!! F 50 1 days 10/6/2007
2 allergies, year round off and on **Fast headbeat, pounding head, can not sleep, angry or rage,little to no patience, **hiper feeling, but it does clear up allergic reactions and I have bad allergies. M 7 years 10/5/2007
4 Cat allergies Usually, the claritin gets rid of my allergies quickly, my eyes and throat stop itching and it clears up my congestion. Today, I have never felt so terrible after taking it. I woke up with a headache, the chills, no appetite, feeling nauseous and like I might faint. I’ve never taken it so close to bedtime, so I think thats why I had such a bad reaction. I also agree some of the other comments here that explain the high you feel on it, but thats only if i take it in the afternoon or during the day. I will never take this again so close to bed time, but will take it again earlier in the day for my congestion. F 27 3 years 9/20/2007
1 Seasonal Allergies 12 year old daughter developed extremely dry, chapped lips. Her top and bottom lip peeled completely, this was quite painful and very embarrassing for her. We had no idea this could be a side-effect. It took two separate, one week doses for me to realize what was happening. Thanks to some research and this board for helping us connect the dots. We will never use Claritin again, back to Zyrtec for us! F 12 7 days 9/20/2007
1 allergies Rapid heart rate, dizziness, dry mouth, shaking, sweating, anxiety, out of body feeling, blurred vision. I took claritin D for 9 days straight for allergies. I usually take regular Claritin, but I was getting sinus headaches. I will never take this again. I was at the doctor having all sorts of tests ran. I couldn’t even go to work because it was causing me so much anxiety as I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I will stick to regualr Claritin. Oh yeah, it took a good 72 hours to get out of my system. F 33 9 days 9/20/2007
1 flu symptoms I had chest pain, heart palpations, head ache, extreme thirst, I was rushed by ambulance after taking this product because it caused me to have a heart attack. HORRIBLE PRODUCT It also had no side effects listed on the box anywhere or I would never had taken this. I now have permanent damage to my heart. It cause my blood pressure to increase to a dangerous level and put my heart into arrythmia damaging the heart. Does anyone know of a attorney taking on claritin clients? I am outraged about the damage to my heart and the lack of labeling on the box. Does anyone else have similar problems with this? The hospital said it was a allergic reaction to the medicine and cause damage to the heart. When the ambulance took my BP it was 190/110 F 47 1 days 9/13/2007
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1 Allergies heart palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches, memory loss, sensitivity to sugar and caffeine, anxiety, brain zaps, literally thought I was having a heart attack. F 55 2 weeks 9/10/2007
1 bad cough and post nasal drip upset stomach, dry mouth, headache, tiredness, just not feeling well. I was taking Loratadine, the generic for Claritin. It worked great the first time I took it, my cough was gone. But the second day my cough and post nasal drip were back, but not as severe. I am glad that I found this website because I don’t think the side effects are worth it, and I am not going to continue to take it to see if they get worse. In my opinion, don’t take Claritin or Loratadine if something else works for you with no side effects. F 65 5 days 9/9/2007
4 Allergies, Itchy Hands None that I’ve noticed. This is a great drug. I take it everyday, otherwise, my hands start to itch again (no idea why I have this problem, but it has plagued me since I was very young - BEFORE claritin). I used to have to take Hydroxyzine HCL, which would knock me out. Claritin has been a lifesaver - even better when it was changed to OTC. It also helps minimize my seasonal allergies, though not quite as good as benedril, or something like that. But who cares about not sneezing if you can’t stay awake? M 44 10 years 8/30/2007
5 Severe Allergy Symptoms In 4 years of taking Claritin I haven’t noticed any certain side effects. I’ve been looking to see if anyone using claritin regularly for this long has experienced a loss of the sense of smell which began this year. I’ve also had some dryness issues that began this year only. I’ve been off of the claritin a week now and neither of these symptoms have gone away and I am more dehydrated. Other than the severe dehydration I haven’t noticed anything like withdrawal symptoms either. I’m not sure if my loss of ability to smell is related to the claritin or not. Claritin has been a life saver for me. I had severe itching, watery eyes, sneezing, sometimes hives and claritin would clear all of this up with the possible exception of the very peak of the allergy season. Then some nights I would supplement with benedryl. I never had any side effects that I have noticed until perhaps this year. M 43 4 years 8/26/2007
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4 Outdoor, indoor and pet allergies None thus far I was taking Allegra for awhile, and for some reason it became less effective over time. As well, it is 12 hr doses. After I ran out of Allegra, I bought Claritin, and it has worked much better than Allegra thus far. Cats don’t bother me, and outdoor allergies are much less intense, if they act up at all. I suppose it depends on the person which is better. Good Claritin experience thus far. M 33 5 days 8/24/2007
2 sneezy nasal congestion itchy eyes Headache in the mornings, grumpiness, decreased libido and erectile difficulties (incidentally, i believe the same happened as a result of taking Singulair prior to this). All this within two days of taking the drug. I will stop taking Claritin. Although it worked very well to control my allergy symptoms, I would rather have those than the side effects! M 34 2 days 8/18/2007
1 Very bad seasonal allergies Short term memory loss. My father also showed short term memory loss on Claritin (took a long time to convince him he was having the problem - he kept forgetting we had the conversation). Took Claritin for a couple years before we realized what was going on. My husband would tell me something, and a few minutes (or days) later, I would snap at him for something I could swear he didn’t tell me (but he had. We would actually argue about “you didn’t tell me that” scenarios all the time. We finally read the side effect insert and it shows short term memory loss as a known side effect. It sounds funny, but was very frustrating to argue with my husband because of a drug! It was very eye opening after I went off it to watch my Father, who was still on it. I got to see what my husband saw when I was on it. F 39 2 years 8/15/2007
5 Meniere’s Disease and Allergies None This drug works so well to keep my allergies under control, which thus keeps the dizziness caused by Meniere’s under control. I am not sure it lasts the full 24 hours for me (sometimes I have to take another dose at 18 to 22 hours, which my doctor says is ok). I do NOT take Claritin with decongestant, as the doctor said it would make the ringing in my ears worse. After a recent bout of Menieres (dizziness, ear pain, ringing, etc.) I made the mistake of going off the Claritin and taking Antivert only, which prolonged the Meniere’s symptoms after the initial severe dizziness. My ears were really bothering me, the ringing was terrible, and my balance was awful. On the doctor’s advice, I stopped the Antivert and went back on Claritin. I felt better immediately. Other antihistamines I’ve taken in the past make me too drowsy, cause too many side effects, and wear off in a few hours. Claritin has made a big difference for me and I plan to keep taking it. F 56 3 years 8/14/2007
4 Allergies zero. I am surprised that anyone has experienced side effects from Loratadine. Take it everyday to “build up” defense against allergy attacks. If you do not take it every day, then experience an allergy attack and then take Loratadine it will not be very effective at all. M 37 10 years 8/10/2007
4 hives, seasonal allergies Rapid heart rate, jittery, sweaty, thirsty, kind of dizzy. Only noticed symptoms by hour 12, before that no symptoms at all. This really helped my allergies. My hives were really bad and this kept it under control. I wasn’t sneezing anymore and all my other symptoms were gone. I took claritin in the morning at about 8am every day and by 8pm I was majorly wired. It reminded me of when I used to take mini thins and drank triple shot mochas. I felt really energetic but jittery. I also was really thirsty about 12 hours after taking it. I was breastfeeding and didn’t notice too much of an effect on my baby. She seemed to be sleeping just fine. Maybe a little bit less than usual. You can certainly tell that you’ve taken the medicine. The side effects were pretty obvious for me. I was fine until about 12 hours into it. I would not recommend this to those who are sensitive to caffeine or have bad reactions to diet pills. This makes you feel like you’ve been drinking coffee all day and maybe a few lines of coke with it. WOW- great for allergies, though. F 25 10 days 7/19/2007
1 Season allergies Diarrhea, Nausea, imaginary rapid heartbeat when my heart beat was normal, loss of sleep, irritability, hunger (while nauseas), gas, muscle spasms. I took claritin starting in May of this year, and I got sick and I didn’t know why. But then I stopped for a while and felt better again, but then my allergies returned and I took claritin again, so the symptoms came back. Then I came to this website and read about the symptoms other people had, so it occurred to me that this medication was the culprit. I’ll never take claritin again. M 18 1 months 7/13/2007
2 allergies Jitters, light headedness and slight blurred vision. I felt as though some thing was squezzing on my head causing my vision to become blurry almost to the point of double vision. It does not relieve the vast majority of my symptoms and does nothing for the extreme headaches I get from my allergy attacks. I used to take this regularly but stopped because I need the decongestant and pain relief. A doctor recommended I try again and this reminded me of why I stopped the first time. As with all drugs check out the side effects before you start. Some are not worth the pain. I was recommended to put my son on this but after reading the reviews I will not. He has ADHD and there is no way I am going to mix this with his already unpredictable behavior. M 42 4 months 6/27/2007
2 Allergies - I think hoarseness, headache, spacy feeling, slight jittery feeling, inability to concentrate, some weird restless sleep. I had never suffered from seasonal allergies before, so I wasn’t sure that was what was causing my onslaught of mucus. A friend recommended Claritin. I took it for four days and felt at least as bad, if not worse, than when I started. The congestion moved up into my sinuses, rather than expressing as post-nasal drip. F 43 4 days 6/27/2007
5 seasonal allergies None. This really works for me. It eliminates anywhere from 75-95% of my symptoms. Usually between mid-May and early July I have allergies that produce very itchy eyes, sneezing, itching in my mouth and throat and ears, sneezing, and severe congestion. Claritin eliminates the vast majority of that stuff. It takes a few days to start working though. When I start it in any given year, I have to take it 4 or 5 days before it clears up the allergies. The generic seems to work fine too. F 50 45 days 6/24/2007
4 allergies slightly dry mouth, increased thirst helps me breath, helps with itchy eyes and sneezing. This season was really bad, though, and I still have a little PND that gags me. I’m going to try another med, but if it doesn’t work out, I have no problem going back to claritin. F 42 3 years 6/22/2007
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1 Allergies Joint pain, diarrhea, feeling of exhaustion I dont take anything other than over the counter allergy medicine. I ran out of Drixoral and Claritin was what was left here. It cleared my allergies but I had stomach aches and diarrhea every day I took Claritin. My joints started hurting as well (could be from dehydration) Almost went to the doctor (I never go) but thought about it and remembered I had been taking Claritin instead of Drixoral. I stopped taking it and 24hrs later all the symptoms went away… Next time I’ll pay closer attention when trying a new medication M 24 5 days 6/22/2007
FEELING HORNY YET BRIAN? :mrgreen:
I love this forum every body has fun !
its a good place hey?
Thanks Jen, i knew you would give us some useful information 
Hey, i’ve come up with a marketing name, Claritin just wouldn’t do it, but what about:
CLARIMAX
:mrgreen:
BTW Brian, i hope your wife has recovered, from her GB surgery, that is
Ladies now, now. :lol:
I think that this is just a rare side effect otherwise we probably would have heard more about it. :mrgreen:
Oh, I see that Jeeny hit the nail on the head already, I need to read these threads better.
BTW, I wanted to apologize for being the one to hijack a thread this time.
heeeee CLARIMAX :mrgreen:
and Brian don’t be so HARD ON yourself. 8)
jen
— Begin quote from ____
I actually have to be taking a couple of other OTC’s (all of which create the same side effect in me for some reason) before I get the full side effect. It is actually something I try to avoid. If it helps, you all, the side effect isn’t like viagra, it is more a mental state of mind where I can’t stop thinking about my wife and things that I would like to do with her after the kids go to bed.
— End quote
Okay Brian, it may not be that you’re such a rare bird, but that you have hit on a unique cocktail and WE WANT IT!
No holding out on us!! there may be some desparate housewives out here! :mrgreen:
I’m taking hubby on a shopping trip…to Walgreens!!!
— Begin quote from “Julie”
Okay Brian, it may not be that you’re such a rare bird, but that you have hit on a unique cocktail and WE WANT IT!
No holding out on us!! there may be some desparate housewives out here! :mrgreen:
— End quote
OK, since I am not a doctor, I don’t know what the long term effects are but the cocktail I ran into several years ago involves the real sudefed that you have to sign for now or clariton or both, and any type of OTC pain meds I have found tylenol works best, and last is some caffiene.
I originally ran into this back before any of my balance problem kicked in, trying to treat my frequent headaches. Yes I now know that this cocktail may have been agrevating or causing some of my headaches, but I didn’t then. It usually worked nicely back then for the headaches. It wasn’t until later on when I started taking clariton that I found that worked as well as sudefed for this particular side effect.
I don’t know if this cocktail has the same effect for other men, but my wife can usually tell when I have been having problems with headaches earlier that day. :mrgreen:
Bless You, Brian
Julie,
BTW, I discovered this combo by taking Tylenol cold and drinking lots of Mountain Dew. That is before my symptoms kicked in, and before they removed the realsudefed out of Tylenol cold.
Brian,
So Mountain Dew is where you got all the caffeine. You were taking Tylenol Cold because you had cold symptoms. You were taking Claritin because you had allergy symptoms. It all makes sense to me except for one thing - the Mountain Dew. Why on earth were you drinking lots of Mountain Dew?
If i’m being obnoxious, feel free to ignore me, or PM me and I’ll gladly delete this and every other of my posts
Julie
— Begin quote from “Julie”
Brian,
So Mountain Dew is where you got all the caffeine. You were taking Tylenol Cold because you had cold symptoms. You were taking Claritin because you had allergy symptoms. It all makes sense to me except for one thing - the Mountain Dew. Why on earth were you drinking lots of Mountain Dew?
If i’m being obnoxious, feel free to ignore me, or PM me and I’ll gladly delete this and every other of my posts
Julie
— End quote
The clariton thing is only recent. I discovered the Mountain Dew with Tylenol cold several years before I had any type of balance problems. I will say that back then I used to drink around a gallon of Mountain Dew a day. :oops: I was in my twenty’s back then and drank a lot of pop, preferably Mountain Dew. The Tylenol cold was mostly becuase of sinus headaches that I used to get frequently, but from my current readings, those may have been actually migraine related headaches as well.
Obnoxious? No, you aren’t being obnoxious, you just didn’t realize the time frame.
Brian