Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normally in their need for, and their satisfaction with, sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
If your body will tolerate other choices, most doctors will recommend chlorpheniramine and tripelennamine as drugs more suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you can take these medications for just the first trimester, your doctor will usually be more comfortable with you going back on Claritin to keep your symptoms under control. If you cannot tolerate other drugs, you and your doctor will have to weigh the risks and benefits of continuing the medication. In short, Claritin is safe during pregnancy though other drugs are preferred first choices. Though Claritin is best taken after the first trimester, no birth defects are associated with the drug.
According to medical researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, most people can safely take products containing pseudoephedrine. Dr. Italo Biaggioni, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the Vanderbilt Clinical Trials Center, notes that some patients may not know they are susceptible to the drug's effects when they take over-the counter medications. At typical doses of 30 milligrams, there's only a slightly chance that pseudoephedrine will raise blood pressure. Extended-release allergy and cold medications, however, can have up to four times that amount, or 120 milligrams. Many allergy and cold medications contain pseudoephedrine; it's not only in Claritin and Claritin D.
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