Claritin-D: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Specific Claritin-D Warnings and Precautions
Some warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking
Claritin-D include the following:
- The pseudoephedrine component of Claritin-D may worsen many medical conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, or an enlarged prostate. If you have any of these conditions, check with your healthcare provider before taking Claritin-D. Regular Claritin (which does not contain pseudoephedrine) may be a better choice for you.
- Claritin-D tablets are fairly large. There have been a few reports of people who experienced throat damage due to a tablet getting stuck in the throat. These cases were due to a previously marketed formulation of Claritin-D, and it is not known whether the current formulation may also cause this problem. If you have trouble swallowing tablets (or if you have an esophageal stricture or narrowing), check with your healthcare provider before taking Claritin-D.
- If you have liver or kidney disease, your body may not handle Claritin-D as well as it should. Check with your healthcare provider before taking the drug, as you may need a lower dosage.
- Claritin-D can potentially interact with a few other medications (see Claritin-D Interactions).
- Claritin-D is considered a pregnancy Category B medication. This means that it is probably safe for use during pregnancy, although the full risks are not currently known (see Claritin-D and Pregnancy).
- Claritin-D passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Claritin-D and Breastfeeding).
