What Is Fexofenadine And How It Is Used For Hay Fever?

By Author: Nina Rossi
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Allegra, well-known allergy medication is based on the active substance Fexofenadine. It is a histamine receptor blocker that blocks the release of the inflammation mediators (substances) that are produced as a response to an allergen.
Different people can have different allergens, i.e. substances that promote the onset of an allergic reaction. However, the most widespread allergy all over the world is allergic rhinitis also called hay fever. It occurs as a response to the high content of pollen of different plants that occurs either in spring or summer. If an allergy is left untreated, it can significantly worsen the quality of life and contribute to the development of chronic inflammation in the sinuses. Allergic inflammation of the nose is fraught with the addition of viral or bacterial infection that would also require the use of other medicines or can become chronic and cause various complications such as brain swelling.
Allegra or Fexofenadine is the optimal medication for hay fever. The pills quickly relieve the symptoms and have minimum side ...
... effects.
How to know if you have hay fever?
The common symptoms are:
- Runny and stuffy nose;
- Frequent sneezing;
- Wet and itchy eyes;
- Headaches;
- Swelling of the face.
Note that these symptoms indicate hay fever only if they occurred in high pollen season and you don’t have high body temperature and other typical symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections.
The likelihood of hay fever is also increased if you have a family history of the disease.
How can Fexofenadine help you?
As we have already said, the medication stops the excessive reaction of the body to an allergen. Besides, it has several advantages:
- The effect develops within one hour after the pill intake;
- The effect of a pill lasts 24 hours;
- The common dosage is just one pill in 24 hours;
- The medication doesn’t cause sleepiness unlike previous antihistamines;
- The medication doesn’t cause addiction (the tests conducted for 28 consecutive days of use of the drug prove no chemically-induced dependence);
- The medication can be used for children aged 6 and older.
- The medication rarely causes adverse reactions.
Possible adverse effects of Fexofenadine
- Headaches;
- Dizziness;
- Increased fatigue;
- Nausea.
When is Fexofenadine contraindicated?
The medication should not be used:
- In known intolerance (allergy) of the drug;
- In children younger than 6 years;
- In pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Precautions
Although the medication is much less likely to cause drowsiness than the previous generation anti-allergy drugs, it is still advised to refrain from driving when you use the pills for the first time and don’t know how your body would react to them.
The medication should be cautiously used in severe liver or kidney failure.
Can Fexofenadine be used when you take other drugs?
- The medication is not biotransformed in the liver so it doesn’t interact with medicines that are metabolized in the liver.
- It should be used cautiously with erythromycin or ketoconazole because they double the level of the drug in the blood plasma and the likelihood of its side effects is higher.
- If you take medicines to reduce gastric juice acidity (heartburn medications) based on aluminum or magnesium, make sure you take them 2 hours prior or after Fexofenadine or its effect will be reduced. But it can be taken at the same time as proton pump inhibitors such as Omeprazole as they do not influence each other’s effects.
The medication is released without a prescription and is available in forms of generics that are cheaper than the brand drug Allegra. However, we advise you to consult your doctor if you have any comorbidities and take any medicines on a daily basis before starting the use of this drug.