loratadine

What is Loratadine?

From the FDA label:Uses temporarily relieves these symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies: runny nose itchy, watery eyes sneezing itching of the nose or throat

How to use

Loratadine is sold in more than one form (Capsule, Solution, Tablet, Tablet, chewable and Tablet, orally disintegrating), and each is dosed differently. The instructions below come from the FDA label for application ANDA212795 — follow the label that came with the product you were actually prescribed.

Warnings

How long does Loratadine stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of loratadine is about 8 hours (mean 8.4 hours; range 3 to 20 hours in normal adults) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Loratadine is metabolized to an active metabolite, descarboethoxyloratadine (also known as desloratadine), which greatly outlasts the parent drug: its mean elimination half-life is about 28 hours (range 8.8 to 92 hours), which is why once-daily dosing is effective. The half-life lengthens with age (mean ~18 hours for loratadine in healthy elderly subjects) and in liver disease (about 24 hours in chronic alcoholic liver disease, increasing with severity). Renal impairment and hemodialysis do not substantially change the half-life. Loratadine is not a prodrug — both it and its metabolite are pharmacologically active.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: CLARITIN (loratadine) tablets — FDA prescribing information, Clinical Pharmacology / Pharmacokinetics (NDA 20-641/S7).

Frequently asked questions

What does Loratadine treat?

Loratadine (Loratadine) may be used to treat perennial allergic rhinitis, urticaria, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How much does Loratadine cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $1.59 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Loratadine?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Loratadine. To pay less, Loratadine is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Loratadine?

Loratadine is marketed by Instapill. You can see Instapill's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Loratadine a brand-name or generic drug?

Loratadine is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Loratadine. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Loratadine available over the counter?

Yes. Loratadine is an over-the-counter (OTC) product — you can buy it without a prescription. Follow the label directions and ask a pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's right for you.

What forms does Loratadine come in?

Loratadine is currently marketed as capsule, solution, tablet, tablet, chewable and tablet, orally disintegrating, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

Is Loratadine FDA-registered?

Loratadine is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA212795. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Is Loratadine safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Loratadine. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.