Loratadine
- Class: Second-generation antihistamine
- Used for: allergies
- Say it: lor-AT-uh-deen
- Forms: tablet, dissolving tablet, oral liquid
Remember the name – LORA → low rate
LORATADINE = a LOW RATE of drowsiness. The one for a working day, a lecture or a long drive.
It blocks H1 for a full 24 hours while barely crossing the blood-brain barrier. Non-drowsy is a claim about most people, not a guarantee — try the first dose on a day off.
LORATADINE = a LOW RATE of drowsiness. The one for a working day, a lecture or a long drive.
It blocks H1 for a full 24 hours while barely crossing the blood-brain barrier. Non-drowsy is a claim about most people, not a guarantee — try the first dose on a day off.
Mnemonic: Loratadine: one a day, no drowsiness
It blocks H1 for 24 hours and crosses into the brain less than any of its generation. That makes it the usual choice when alertness genuinely matters.
It blocks H1 for 24 hours and crosses into the brain less than any of its generation. That makes it the usual choice when alertness genuinely matters.
Side effects
Common: headache, dry mouth, fatigue
Serious:
Typical dose
10 mg once daily
Reduce in liver impairment. The choice when alertness matters.
Check yourself
A student needs hay fever relief without impairing her concentration. Which is the best choice?
- Loratadine, a second-generation antihistamine that barely enters the brain
- Diphenhydramine at a lower dose
- Promethazine at night only
- Pseudoephedrine instead
Show answer
A. Loratadine, a second-generation antihistamine that barely enters the brain
Reducing the dose of a first-generation drug reduces the benefit along with the sedation. The point of the second generation is that the two effects are separated at the level of the blood-brain barrier, not the dose.
See it, don't memorize it
The app has the mechanism comic and a patient case for Loratadine – plus the name link, the class mnemonic, pronunciation you can hear, and a self-check, for the top 100 drugs. One purchase, no subscription, no account.