Claritin, however, has been linked to several disorders, including but not limited to, respiratory illness and irregular heartbeat. In April 2002, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) announced it was conducting a safety review of the drug after receiving an alarming number of reports from Sweden of birth defects in children born to mothers who used Claritin while pregnant. An investigation is still ongoing. Officials with Schering-Plough say the cases simply "constitute random events".
FDA has approved Claritin (loratadine) as an over-the-counter (OTC) allergy drug product. Previously available only as a prescription drug, Claritin is approved for seasonal allergic rhinitis -- a condition that causes runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, and itchy nose, throat, eyes, and ears.
If you have never heard of Claritin it is simply an allergy drug that people take to combat allergy symptoms. The active ingredient inside Claritin is Loratadine which is an antihistamine and helps suppress normal allergy symptoms.
|
