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A 23-year-old female asked:
How many weeks does it take for claritin (loratadine) 10mg to work? how long should i give it a try before deciding to switch to a different antihistamine?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. John Chiuanswered
Allergy and Immunology 59 years experience
A few hours: Claritin (loratadine) should start working within a couple of hours. If it doesn't not help at all, then switching to another won't do you much good. If it does help somewhat, then you may try the other alternatives which may possess more antihistamine effect than Claritin (loratadine).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsReviewed Jun 22, 2021
Dr. Michael Zacharisenanswered
Allergy and Immunology 35 years experience
Try for a few days: Antihistamines begin to work in less than an hour but a person may not feel significant relief for a few days. Claritin tends to be one of the weaker non-drowsy antihistamines. Others available without a prescription are Zyrtec, Allegra and Xyzal. If antihistamines are still not working then an evaluation by an allergist can be helpful to determine the cause of symptoms
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
424 viewsReviewed Jun 22, 2021
Last updated Mar 25, 2022
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