Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine

Desloratadine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (stuffy nose).

Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine is a combination medicine used to treat sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, hives, skin rash, itching, and other symptoms of allergies and the common cold.

Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine is for use in adults and children who are at least 12 years old.

Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Cough or cold medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 12 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever with a headache, cough, or skin rash.

If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken a cold or allergy medicine within the past few days.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Since cold or allergy medicine is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking desloratadine and pseudoephedrine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with desloratadine and pseudoephedrine, especially:

• ketoconazole;

• reserpine;

• an antibiotic--azithromycin (Zithromax, Z-Pak), erythromycin; or

• heart or blood pressure medication--digoxin, digitalis, methyldopa.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with desloratadine and pseudoephedrine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine is a combination of two medicines used to treat nasal congestion (stuffy nose), sneezing, and runny nose caused by hay fever.

Desloratadine works by preventing the effects of a substance called histamine, which is produced by the body. Histamine can cause itching, sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes.

The pseudoephedrine causes narrowing of blood vessels. This leads to clearing of nasal congestion, but it may also cause an increase in blood pressure in patients who have high blood pressure.

desloratadine and pseudoephedrine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 4 years of age. Using these medicines in very young children might cause serious or possibly life-threatening side effects .

Take desloratadine and pseudoephedrine only as directed. Do not take more of it and do not take it more often than recommended on the label, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.

Not taking over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants while taking desloratadine and pseudoephedrine combination.

When taking desloratadine and pseudoephedrine extended-release tablet:

• Swallow it whole.
• Do not crush, break, or chew before swallowing.

Dosing

The dose of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage form (extended-release tablets [12 hour]):
  • For nasal congestion or rhinorrhea
    • Adults and teenagers—Oral, one tablet (2.5 milligrams desloratadine, 120 milligrams pseudoephedrine) two times a day 12 hours apart, taken with or without a meal
    • Children 4 years of age and older—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children and infants up to 4 years of age—Use is not recommended .

• For oral dosage form (extended-release tablets [24 hour]):
  • For nasal congestion or rhinorrhea
    • Adults and teenagers—Oral, one tablet (5 milligrams desloratadine, 240 milligrams pseudoephedrine) daily, taken with or without a meal
    • Children 4 years of age and older—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children and infants up to 4 years of age—Use is not recommended .

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

• If you have an allergy to desloratadine, loratadine, pseudoephedrine, or any other part of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have any of these health problems: Glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, or trouble passing urine.
• If you have taken certain drugs used for low mood (depression) like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine or drugs used for Parkinson's disease like selegiline or rasagiline in the last 14 days. Taking this medicine within 14 days of those drugs can cause very bad high blood pressure.
• If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with desloratadine and pseudoephedrine.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• Store at room temperature.
• Protect from heat.
• Protect from light.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.