There is a generic RX for CLARINEX. It was released July 2012. I've tried it. Does not work. Allergist recommended I "try taking two at a time." So I took two at a time. Did not work. Went back to brand-name Clarinex. Got letter from insurance this week (12/2013) stating they will not cover the brand name. Big pharma is selling sickness in this f***ed up country for sure.
Hi......Clarinex is now available as a generic, and much cheaper than the brand name......just letting you know, so you can save some money (like me)!!
Aerius in Canada is the equivalent to Clarinet and it is over the counter at any drug store
I also have problems with insurance covering Clarinex which is the only one that helps. Clarinex also sold under the names: NeoClarityn, Claramax, Clarinex, Larinex, Aerius, Dazit, Azomyr and Delot.
Am at present researching if it is available under other names for insurance coverage. The sad part is that when it first came out it was not expensive at all...... it is a solution for many. I understand it is available in generic, but have not found it, as we know generic is not always the same either. Some pharmacies are even confused, mine advised me the generic was levocetirizine, I think he knew that was wrong he just had a supply he wanted to palm off..
Please keep me posted on any updates and ordering from Canada
Clarinex and Claritin are technically the same drugs. The main differene is that Claritin is OTC wheras Clartinex requires an RX and is much more expensive. They were both patented by the same pharmaceutical company. The only reason Clarinex was created was because the patent for Claritin ran out so the drug company wanted to continue making billions of dollars by fausly claiming that Clarinex is stronger.
Claritin is a double bonded molecule with one molecule being active and the other inactive. The drug company decided to break up the two molecules and remove the inactive one in order to create a new "patented" blockbuster drug (Clarinex). Thus 10mg of Claritin is equal to only 5mg of Clainex. There is little if any evidence to support one being stronger or better tolerated then the other. Hope this help!
What is the generic called ? Clarinex is the only thing that has ever worked for me..
The dollar store.. "Dollarama" sells generic allergy medicine that is loratidine. Same as Claritin for $3
If you are a sam's club member you can get 30 tablets of desloratadine for $ 10.
I am an American primary care physician, so I'm quite knowledgeable about this topic. There has been some misinformation, and the information I have is confirmed by the respective package inserts and by the guidelines I mention here. This is for information, not individual medical advice, and you should discuss any allergy issues you have with your own physician. Information I give on the legal status and cost/availability of medicines applies to the U.S. only.
Loratadine is an antihistamine, but it is mostly a "prodrug." It is metabolized in the liver to desloratadine.
(Here's a boring organic chemistry part that you can totally skip) The correct name of the drug is desloratidine, not "dexloratadine." This is not a monoenantiomeric derivitave of only "right-handed" molecules. Neither loratadine nor desloratadine are "chiral," meaning that they do not have a "handedness" as some complex organic molecules do. Loratadine contains a ring with a nitrogen atom single-bonded to three carbon atoms, one of which is an amide-ether-ethyl side-chain. In desloratadine, this side-chain is replaced with a single hydrogen atom. (Organic Chemistry lesson complete)
The conversion of loratadine to desloratadine is slow and loratadine has a longer half-life (8h) than desloratadine (27h). As desloratadine is primarily responsible for the antihistamine effects of loratadine, it takes longer to work and has poorer consistency of effect because some patients do not convert loratadine to desloratadine as quickly as others.
In my clinical experience, I have found that patients respond very inconsistently to loratadine at recommended doses with about 30% of them being completely satisfied with their medication. I usually prefer to prescribe cetirizine (ZYRTEC), which is as inexpensive as loratadine and also available over the counter. I'd say that 80-90% of patients are very satisfied with cetirizine, whether they use as an adjunct to nasal steroids or alone. Insurances don't want to cover desloratadine and require onerous forms to fill out to give it. They'd rather I recommend inexpensive OTC cetirizine and that almost always works. If OTC cetirizine doesn't work (and it almost always does), then I use fexofenadine ("ALLEGRA,"), which is just as cheap and almost always works, but patients have to take it in the morning because otherwise it has a stimulant-like effect that will keep them awake all night.
The official recommendation from the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and the American Academy of Otolyngarology is that nasal steroids ("FLONASE," "NASACORT," "NASONEX," "RHINOCORT," "OMNARIS," etc.) are to be the first-line of treatment for nasal allergies. 2nd generation antihistamines such as cetirizine, fexofenadine, and loratadine are to be used as second-line therapy. Failing those two, I then add montelukast (SINGULAIR), and if that fails I refer to the allergist for testing and allergy shots. I rarely ever get to that point with a patient.
For eye symptoms, I use ketotifen eye drops ("ZADITOR," "ALAWAY," both OTC in the US). Failing that, I choose the more expensive and prescription olopatadine drops (PATANOL/PATADAY). If those are not covered/available, I use azelastine (Astalin).
So there you go. That's the difference between the two, the reason why you probably don't even need desloratadine, and some more general information on treating allergic symptoms.
Loratadine is an antihistamine, but it is mostly a "prodrug." It is metabolized in the liver to desloratadine.
(Here's a boring organic chemistry part that you can totally skip) The correct name of the drug is desloratidine, not "dexloratadine." This is not a monoenantiomeric derivitave of only "right-handed" molecules. Neither loratadine nor desloratadine are "chiral," meaning that they do not have a "handedness" as some complex organic molecules do. Loratadine contains a ring with a nitrogen atom single-bonded to three carbon atoms, one of which is an amide-ether-ethyl side-chain. In desloratadine, this side-chain is replaced with a single hydrogen atom. (Organic Chemistry lesson complete)
The conversion of loratadine to desloratadine is slow and loratadine has a longer half-life (8h) than desloratadine (27h). As desloratadine is primarily responsible for the antihistamine effects of loratadine, it takes longer to work and has poorer consistency of effect because some patients do not convert loratadine to desloratadine as quickly as others.
In my clinical experience, I have found that patients respond very inconsistently to loratadine at recommended doses with about 30% of them being completely satisfied with their medication. I usually prefer to prescribe cetirizine (ZYRTEC), which is as inexpensive as loratadine and also available over the counter. I'd say that 80-90% of patients are very satisfied with cetirizine, whether they use as an adjunct to nasal steroids or alone. Insurances don't want to cover desloratadine and require onerous forms to fill out to give it. They'd rather I recommend inexpensive OTC cetirizine and that almost always works. If OTC cetirizine doesn't work (and it almost always does), then I use fexofenadine ("ALLEGRA,"), which is just as cheap and almost always works, but patients have to take it in the morning because otherwise it has a stimulant-like effect that will keep them awake all night.
The official recommendation from the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and the American Academy of Otolyngarology is that nasal steroids ("FLONASE," "NASACORT," "NASONEX," "RHINOCORT," "OMNARIS," etc.) are to be the first-line of treatment for nasal allergies. 2nd generation antihistamines such as cetirizine, fexofenadine, and loratadine are to be used as second-line therapy. Failing those two, I then add montelukast (SINGULAIR), and if that fails I refer to the allergist for testing and allergy shots. I rarely ever get to that point with a patient.
For eye symptoms, I use ketotifen eye drops ("ZADITOR," "ALAWAY," both OTC in the US). Failing that, I choose the more expensive and prescription olopatadine drops (PATANOL/PATADAY). If those are not covered/available, I use azelastine (Astalin).
So there you go. That's the difference between the two, the reason why you probably don't even need desloratadine, and some more general information on treating allergic symptoms.
GOOGLE LOW PRICE CLARINEX IN CANADA. COST 100 FOR $35. I BUY MORE BECAUSE OF SHIPPING. NEED RX MAYBE? GENERIC IN CANADA.
While you apparently can read and know the generic names for Claritin and Clarinex, they are not the exact same. First off Claritin is an OTC drug. Clarinex is a prescription drug. So she doesn't really have the ability to choose. Her doctor would have to give her a script for Clarinex. You are practicing medicine without a license and are also not giving good advice.
That's great news thanks for the clarification my pharmacist couldn't give me at KMart!!
Trying to clarify... My understanding remains as of now (March 2016) Desloratidine (generic Clarinex), remains a prescription item in the US. Are you perhaps referring either to Canada, or Claritin? My experience is that Clarinex does make a difference for me. This year I'm having a harder time getting coverage, thanks Obama...
Thank you.. this was VERY informative as I am one of those that suffer from asthma and bronchitis. Must be why my Dr. put me on Clarinex and why Singular was a disaster.
Just use zyrtec and or claritin.