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Antihistamine-Decongestant

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Antihistamine-Decongestant

  • See Also
  1. Antihistamine
  2. Non-Sedating Antihistamine
  3. Decongestant
  4. Allergic Rhinitis
  5. Upper Respiratory Infection
  • Precautions
  • Author Note
  1. Pharmacy shelves in the U.S. are filled with combination Antihistamine, Decongestants (often with other agents)
  2. Rarely if ever, do I find these useful, when recommending symptomatic management to patients
    1. See specific conditions (e.g. Allergic Rhinitis, Upper Respiratory Infection) for alternative recommendations
    2. Pharmacies would do the best for their patients well to empty their shelves these combination agents
  3. Systemic Decongestants in particular are rarely indicated (low efficacy, adverse effects)
  4. Listed below are examples of combination products that in general are not recommended
    1. A complete list would require minutes to hours of scolling and would waste the authors time compiling
    2. The names on this list will be rebranded or go extinct, only to be replaced by similar drugs
  1. Actifed Cold and Allergy (Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine)
  2. Benadryl-D (Diphenhydramine and Phenylephrine)
  3. Dimetapp Cold and Allergy (Brompheniramine and Phenylephrine)
  4. Triaminic Cold and Allergy (Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine)
  1. Allegra-D (Fexofenadine with pseudophedrine)
  2. Claritin-D (Loratadine with pseudophedrine)
  3. Zyrtec-D (Cetirizine and Pseudoephedrine)
  • Resources
  1. Why-are-ineffective-oral-Decongestants-still-on-store-shelves (Harvard Gazette)
    1. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/09/why-are-ineffective-oral-decongestants-still-on-store-shelves/
  2. The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (Science)
    1. https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/uselessness-phenylephrine