LORATADINE: WHAT IS IT FOR, SIDE EFFECTS, CONTRAINDICATIONS - MEDICINE - 2025

The loratadine serves primarily and momentarily counteract reactions or symptoms caused by any type of allergy. This chemical compound comes in different presentations and ways of consumption. There are compressed tablets and soluble tablets and both are consumed orally, there is also loratadine in drops and in syrup.

This medicine is contraindicated for children under 2 years of age, pregnant women, consumers of alcohol or other drugs. The action of this drug in the body usually lasts from 8 to 24 hours so its useful life is not very long.

Image recovered from Demedicina.com.

That is why daily loratadine consumption treatments are followed in order to reduce the chances of allergies. This medicine does not completely cure the symptoms of allergies, but it does reduce their occurrence.

What is loratadine used for?

If your baby's health is constantly affected by different infections in the throat, producing coughs or signs of the flu, it may be that his true condition is allergies.

Therefore, it is important to go to a specialist doctor, to rule out or discard any possibility of allergies, or if this is not the case, learn to manage and control it from a very early age, with this or another drug.

Consistency and patience is one of the most important roles to play when undergoing allergy treatment. Most of the time there is a rapid improvement about them, especially in the long term.

It is important to understand what role loratadine plays in our society and body, once it is consumed. This drug is a well-known and popular antiallergic. It belongs to a family of medicines called antihistamines. Being an antihistamine, its main function is to block histamine.

This substance, histamine, is responsible for producing allergy symptoms in our body and that is where the essential role of loratadine comes into play.

Its function is to momentarily relieve any type of allergy, especially to dust, pollen, and animal hair. It is even used to treat some food allergies.

The main symptoms of these allergies and for which these drugs should be consumed are sneezing, itchy eyes and nose. Many times it can affect the throat and produce a large amount of runny nose.

An important duality that this drug presents is that it can also help improve or at least prevent the worsening of symptoms in those people who have a mild flu, that is, colds.

In addition, loratadine helps control all the symptoms caused by hives or food poisoning.

This medicine contains an active compound called desloratadine and it plays a key role in relieving allergies. It works with a hydrolysis method and then goes into decarboxylation process. Desloratadine has an effective action or long life in the body from 8 to 28 hours.

It is important to note that neither loratadine nor any medicine prevents allergies or scabs caused by dermatological allergies in any way, it simply presents relief for the patient.

Lastly, every person should know that allergies do not have a definitive cure. They are usually pathologies that are suffered for life and you have to learn to live with that.

Together with a specialist, an allergist, they seek a better quality of life by following a series of guidelines and consuming certain medications.

Likewise, a rhythm of life appropriate to the limitations that the condition produces is followed, trying to avoid those different factors that can produce an instant allergic outbreak. For most cases, loratadine is recommended for its high effectiveness, relief, and control of symptoms.

To determine if you should include loratadine in your daily consumption, it is necessary to attend a specialist doctor who will carry out multiple tests to observe how your skin reacts to different compounds found in nature.

Depending on the allergy levels that you present, they will indicate the doses of each tablet, or syrup. In addition, the specialists will tell you if it is necessary to accompany the treatment for allergies with other medications.

Types of loratadine, indications and dosage

The consumption of loratadine can be done in drops, compressed or orally soluble tablets, drops, and syrup. Furthermore, loratadine can be combined with pseudoephedrine.

The specialist who is being consulted is the one who must administer and indicate the dose of each medication. However, we will explain what the general dosages usually are.

• Children from 2 to 12 years old weighing more than 30 kg: For these children, the intake of 10 ml is usually recommended if the consumption is in syrup, or 1 tablet (or tablet) a day.
• Children weighing less than 30 kg: In this case, 5 ml of syrup should be provided a day.
• Adults and children over 12 years of age: A 10 mg tablet or in this case, 10 ml of syrup is usually recommended. Both should be consumed once a day.

Side effects of loratadine

When consuming loratadine and as it happens with many other medications, a series of side effects can occur that should be paid attention to because if they become severe or persist for days, it could be in the presence of poisoning.

This medicine is not recommended in children, unless it is with the prescription and authorization of an allergist who has previously determined that it may be beneficial for the baby's health.

Side effects that a 2- to 5-year-old child who has taken loratadine orally may suffer from: diarrhea, pharyngitis, fatigue, ear infections, skin rash, and dental abnormalities.

Children 6 to 12 years old who have also received oral solution may have some symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, respiratory tract infection, and wheezing.

The reactions or side effects that loratadine can cause in anyone over 12 years of age who has taken the medicine in compressed tablets are headache, drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth and dizziness.

Therefore, it is important to consume these pills with caution, since without knowing it, some compound for which an allergy is also present could enter the body, worsening the situation.

If you develop a rash, hives, hoarseness, itchy skin, wheezing, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or inflammation of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands and arms, if long after receiving loratadine, it is imperative to stop the consumption of the medicine and go as soon as possible to any medical assistance center.

Contraindications of loratadine

Contraindications refer to those situations in which loratadine should not be consumed, as it can be harmful to health.

Allergy to components

This is the main reason why you should attend a specialist before taking any medication, many times you can be allergic to different properties or components without knowing it. That's where the allergist's help comes in.

Children under 2 years

This medicine could be very strong and aggressive for such a young child, wreaking havoc on their body.

Alcohol

Alcohol should not be consumed while taking any medication. This is no exception. Loratadine causes negative effects when consumed with alcohol

Interaction with other medications

Many times, when loratadine is taken with other stronger medicines or pills, they could counteract the effect of it.

Pregnancy or breastfeeding

This is an important contraindication, since when you are pregnant or breastfeeding you have to stop taking loratadine. The baby could have a growth deficit, or we could create an allergic reaction.

References

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