Correction
Am Fam Physician. 2000 May 15;61(10):2972.
An item in “Tips from Other Journals,” entitled “Overview of Methods for Treating Allergic Rhinitis” (January 1, 2000, page 207), contained dosage errors in the accompanying table on second-generation antihistamines. The dosage approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cetirizine is 5 to 10 mg once daily; the approved dosage for loratadine is 10 mg once daily and the approved dosage for loratadine with pseudoephedrine is 10 mg/240 mg once daily. The half-life of claritin was misstated; it is 28 hours. The corrected table is reprinted below.
Second-Generation Antihistamines
| Generic | Brand | Onset of action | Half-life | Usual dosage | Cost* | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cetirizine | Zyrtec | 15 to 30 minutes | 7 to 9 hours | 5 to 10 mg daily | $55.80 | Also available in syrup (5 mg per 5 mL); may cause drowsiness |
Fexofenadine | Allegra | 1 hour | 14 to 18 hours | 60 mg twice daily | 59.65 | |
Fexofenadine/Pseudoephedrine | Allegra-D | 60 mg/120 mg twice daily | 66.71 | Active metabolite of terfenadine; devoid of cardiotoxic risk | ||
Loratadine | Claritin | 1 to 3 hours | 28 hours | 10 mg daily | 65.66 | Also available in syrup (5 mg per 5 mL) and rapidly disintegrating tablets |
Loratadine/Pseudoephedrine | Claritin-D 12 | 5 mg/120 mg twice daily | 74.00 | |||
Claritin-D 24 | 10 mg/240 mg daily | 73.49 | ||||
Azelastine | Astelin | Within 1 hour | 22 to 25 hours | 2 sprays per nostril twice daily | 44.76 | May cause drowsiness |
*—Estimated cost to the pharmacist based on average wholesale prices in Red book. Montvale, N.J.: Medical Economics Data, 1999. Cost to the patient will be higher, depending on prescription filling fee.
Reprinted with permission from Lee NP, Arriola ER. How to treat allergic rhinitis. West J Med 1999;171:31–4.
Second-Generation Antihistamines
| Generic | Brand | Onset of action | Half-life | Usual dosage | Cost* | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cetirizine | Zyrtec | 15 to 30 minutes | 7 to 9 hours | 5 to 10 mg daily | $55.80 | Also available in syrup (5 mg per 5 mL); may cause drowsiness |
Fexofenadine | Allegra | 1 hour | 14 to 18 hours | 60 mg twice daily | 59.65 | |
Fexofenadine/Pseudoephedrine | Allegra-D | 60 mg/120 mg twice daily | 66.71 | Active metabolite of terfenadine; devoid of cardiotoxic risk | ||
Loratadine | Claritin | 1 to 3 hours | 28 hours | 10 mg daily | 65.66 | Also available in syrup (5 mg per 5 mL) and rapidly disintegrating tablets |
Loratadine/Pseudoephedrine | Claritin-D 12 | 5 mg/120 mg twice daily | 74.00 | |||
Claritin-D 24 | 10 mg/240 mg daily | 73.49 | ||||
Azelastine | Astelin | Within 1 hour | 22 to 25 hours | 2 sprays per nostril twice daily | 44.76 | May cause drowsiness |
*—Estimated cost to the pharmacist based on average wholesale prices in Red book. Montvale, N.J.: Medical Economics Data, 1999. Cost to the patient will be higher, depending on prescription filling fee.
Reprinted with permission from Lee NP, Arriola ER. How to treat allergic rhinitis. West J Med 1999;171:31–4.
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