Both medications are used to treat the same symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy throat, and hives. In a clinical trial, both medications appeared to be equally effective in treating allergy symptoms.
There are three strengths of fexofenadine tablet available - 30 mg, 120 mg and 180 mg. The 30 mg strength is for treating hay fever in children aged 6-12 years; the 120 mg strength is for treating adults with hay fever; and the 180 mg strength is for chronic urticaria.
Zyrtec (cetirizine) is the strongest of the second-generation antihistamines, says Dr. Garcia-Ibáñez. And because there is less chance of toxicity with this medication, the dosage can be increased substantially, at the discretion of your doctor, he says. Zyrtec is an effective treatment for allergy symptoms and hives.
Telfast 180 mg is used in adults and adolescents of 12 years and older to relieve the symptoms that occur with long term allergic skin reactions (chronic idiopathic urticaria) such as itching, swelling and rashes. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Telfast if: you have problems with your liver or kidneys.
Telfast 180mg is the highest strength of Telfast available — it contains 180mg of the active ingredient fexofenadine hydrochloride (HCl). Fexofenadine HCl acts quickly (within 1 hour) without causing drowsiness to help relieve the symptoms of hayfever allergies by blocking histamine receptors in the body.
Can be taken once a day or twice a day. The dosage for adults for once-daily formulations is 180mg once daily (maximum is 180 mg/day) and the dosage for twice-daily formulations is 60mg every 12 hours (maximum 120mg/day). For chronic urticaria, the dosage range has been reported as 20 to 240mg twice daily.
A nonprescription oral antihistamine, such as loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy, others) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy, others), may help relieve itching. Consider whether you might prefer a type that doesn't cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about options.
Second- and third-generation antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness. Of these, cetirizine works the fastest but has a higher chance of making you feel drowsy. Fexofenadine is the least drowsy option.
The recommended dose of fexofenadine hydrochloride for adults is 180 mg once daily taken before a meal. Fexofenadine is a pharmacologically active metabolite of terfenadine.
Fexofenadine is generally very safe. Taking more than your usual dose is unlikely to harm you. If you take an extra dose, you might get some of the common side effects. If this happens or you're concerned, contact your doctor.
Telfast, and other prescription-only antihistamine tablets, work in the same way as over-the-counter antihistamines, but are stronger and intended to help with more severe symptoms. You can request Telfast through our online service, without having to see a doctor face to face.
“Zyrtec is found to be more potent, or stronger, in laboratory studies, compared with Claritin,” says Dr. Kung. “It also reaches a higher concentration in the skin, which can be more helpful for skin-related allergies. However, Zyrtec has a greater chance of making you sleepy while taking it.”
Sandoz issued a voluntary recall of 1,023,430 units of Zyrtec (10 mg) capsules as a result of failed impurities and a specification being reported for impurity at the 21-month stability time point, according to an FDA Enforcement Report.
How quickly does Telfast start working? Telfast works within 1 hour of taking the recommended dosage.
Louis report that allergens in the environment often are to blame for episodes of acute itch in eczema patients, and that the itching often doesn't respond to antihistamines because the itch signals are being carried to the brain along a previously unrecognized pathway that current drugs don't target.
Short-term use of nonprescription corticosteroid cream may offer short-term relief of itchy, inflamed skin. Or try calamine lotion or creams with menthol (Sarna, others), camphor, capsaicin, or a topical anesthetic, such as pramoxine (adults only).
Most patients avoid first-generation oral antihistamines (eg, diphenhydramine [Benadryl], chlorpheniramine [Chlor-Trimeton]) because of their propensity to cause drowsiness.
Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies. However, as with all medications, there may be some side effects. Loratadine—present in Claritin—may not be safe for people with severe liver conditions.
Although most people will not experience any, some of the side effects that may occur with Telfast are: headache. tiredness. nausea.
You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. If you take too much Telfast, you may feel dizzy, drowsy or have a dry mouth.
Conclusions: These two long-term studies demonstrate that fexofenadine, at doses up to 240mg once daily for up to 12 months in healthy volunteers, is safe and well tolerated.