A comparison of antihistamines - Hismanal, Allegra, Claritin, and Seldane

Healthfacts, Dec, 1996

Several antihistamines prescribed for people with seasonal allergic rhinitis are advertised as nonsedating, primarily Hismanal, Allegra, Claritin, and Seldane. The question of which is the most effective remains unanswered because no published studies have compared the four antihistamines against each other.

In the absence of such crucial information, The Medical Letter recently compared the drugs in terms of their potential for adverse effects (25 October 1996). The newly approved Allegra, for example, does not cause heart rhythm disturbances when the user exceeds recommended doses; whereas this is a well- established risk associated with Seldane and Hismanal. Furthermore, the small risk of potentially fatal arrhythmia is heightened if Seldane or Hismanal is taken with any one of several other common prescription drugs, including the antibiotic, erythromycin, and the antifungal drug, Nizoral. Allegra and Claritin, on the other hand, do not carry this risk of adverse interaction.

The drugs range in price from $51 (Allegra) to $60 (Claritin) for a one-month supply.