Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Very young children are usually more sensitive to the effects of this medicine. Increases in blood pressure, nightmares or unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability may be more likely to occur in children. Before giving any of these combination medicines to a child, check the package label very carefully. Some of these medicines are too strong for use in children. If you are not certain whether a specific product can be given to a child, or if you have any questions about the amount to give, check with your health care professional.

Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 2 years of age. Using these medicines in very young children might cause serious or possibly life-threatening side effects .

Geriatric

Confusion, difficult and painful urination, dizziness, drowsiness, dryness of mouth, or convulsions (seizures) may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of this medicine. Also, nightmares or unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability may be more likely to occur in elderly patients.

Pregnancy

The occasional use of antihistamine and decongestant combinations is not likely to cause problems in the fetus or in the newborn baby. However, when these medicines are used at higher doses and/or for a long time, the chance that problems might occur may increase. For the individual ingredients of these combinations, the following apply:

  • Alcohol—Some of these combination medicines contain alcohol. Too much use of alcohol during pregnancy may cause birth defects.
  • Phenylephrine—Studies on birth defects have not been done in either humans or animals with phenylephrine.
  • Promethazine—Phenothiazines, such as promethazine (contained in some of these combination medicines [e.g., Phenergan-D]), have been shown to cause jaundice and muscle tremors in a few newborn infants whose mothers received phenothiazines during pregnancy. Also, the newborn baby may have blood clotting problems if promethazine is taken by the mother within 2 weeks before delivery.
  • Pseudoephedrine—Studies on birth defects with pseudoephedrine have not been done in humans. In animal studies pseudoephedrine did not cause birth defects but did cause a decrease in average weight, length, and rate of bone formation in the animal fetus when administered in high doses.

Breastfeeding

Small amounts of antihistamines and decongestants pass into the breast milk. Use is not recommended since the chances are greater for this medicine to cause side effects, such as unusual excitement or irritability, in the nursing baby. Also, since antihistamines tend to decrease the secretions of the body, it is possible that the flow of breast milk may be reduced in some patients. It is not known yet whether loratadine causes these same side effects.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Alfuzosin
  • Amiodarone
  • Amisulpride
  • Amitriptyline
  • Amprenavir
  • Anagrelide
  • Apomorphine
  • Aripiprazole
  • Aripiprazole Lauroxil
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Artemether
  • Asenapine
  • Astemizole
  • Atazanavir
  • Azithromycin
  • Bedaquiline
  • Bepridil
  • Buprenorphine
  • Buserelin
  • Ceritinib
  • Chloroquine
  • Chlorpromazine
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Cisapride
  • Citalopram
  • Clarithromycin
  • Clofazimine
  • Clomipramine
  • Clorgyline
  • Clothiapine
  • Clozapine
  • Crizotinib
  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Dabrafenib
  • Darunavir
  • Dasatinib
  • Degarelix
  • Delamanid
  • Delavirdine
  • Desipramine
  • Deslorelin
  • Deutetrabenazine
  • Dexmedetomidine
  • Dihydroergotamine
  • Disopyramide
  • Dofetilide
  • Dolasetron
  • Domperidone
  • Donepezil
  • Doxepin
  • Dronedarone
  • Droperidol
  • Ebastine
  • Efavirenz
  • Encorafenib
  • Entrectinib
  • Eribulin
  • Erythromycin
  • Escitalopram
  • Etrasimod
  • Famotidine
  • Felbamate
  • Fexinidazole
  • Fingolimod
  • Flecainide
  • Fluoxetine
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Formoterol
  • Foscarnet
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Fostemsavir
  • Furazolidone
  • Galantamine
  • Gatifloxacin
  • Gemifloxacin
  • Gepirone
  • Glasdegib
  • Gonadorelin
  • Goserelin
  • Granisetron
  • Halofantrine
  • Haloperidol
  • Histrelin
  • Hydroquinidine
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • Hydroxyzine
  • Ibutilide
  • Iloperidone
  • Imipramine
  • Indinavir
  • Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
  • Iproniazid
  • Isocarboxazid
  • Itraconazole
  • Ivabradine
  • Ivosidenib
  • Ketoconazole
  • Lapatinib
  • Lenvatinib
  • Leuprolide
  • Levofloxacin
  • Levoketoconazole
  • Levomethadyl
  • Linezolid
  • Lofexidine
  • Lumefantrine
  • Macimorelin
  • Mefloquine
  • Mesoridazine
  • Methadone
  • Methotrimeprazine
  • Methylene Blue
  • Metronidazole
  • Mifepristone
  • Mirtazapine
  • Mizolastine
  • Mobocertinib
  • Moclobemide
  • Moricizine
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Nafarelin
  • Nefazodone
  • Nelfinavir
  • Nialamide
  • Nilotinib
  • Norfloxacin
  • Octreotide
  • Ofloxacin
  • Olanzapine
  • Ondansetron
  • Osilodrostat
  • Osimertinib
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Ozanimod
  • Pacritinib
  • Paliperidone
  • Panobinostat
  • Papaverine
  • Pargyline
  • Paroxetine
  • Pasireotide
  • Pazopanib
  • Pentamidine
  • Perphenazine
  • Phenelzine
  • Pimavanserin
  • Pimozide
  • Pipamperone
  • Piperaquine
  • Pitolisant
  • Ponesimod
  • Posaconazole
  • Potassium Citrate
  • Probucol
  • Procainamide
  • Procarbazine
  • Prochlorperazine
  • Promethazine
  • Propafenone
  • Protriptyline
  • Quetiapine
  • Quinidine
  • Quinine
  • Ranolazine
  • Rasagiline
  • Relugolix
  • Ribociclib
  • Risperidone
  • Ritonavir
  • Safinamide
  • Saquinavir
  • Selegiline
  • Selpercatinib
  • Sertindole
  • Sertraline
  • Sevoflurane
  • Sibutramine
  • Sodium Phosphate
  • Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
  • Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
  • Solifenacin
  • Sorafenib
  • Sotalol
  • Sparfloxacin
  • Sulpiride
  • Sultopride
  • Sunitinib
  • Tacrolimus
  • Tamoxifen
  • Telaprevir
  • Telavancin
  • Telithromycin
  • Tetrabenazine
  • Thioridazine
  • Tipranavir
  • Toloxatone
  • Tolterodine
  • Toremifene
  • Tranylcypromine
  • Trazodone
  • Triclabendazole
  • Trimipramine
  • Triptorelin
  • Vandetanib
  • Vardenafil
  • Vemurafenib
  • Venlafaxine
  • Vilanterol
  • Vinflunine
  • Voclosporin
  • Voriconazole
  • Vorinostat
  • Ziprasidone
  • Zolmitriptan
  • Zotepine

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Adagrasib
  • Alefacept
  • Alfentanil
  • Almotriptan
  • Amantadine
  • Amifampridine
  • Amineptine
  • Amiodarone
  • Amitriptyline
  • Amitriptylinoxide
  • Amoxapine
  • Amphetamine
  • Anagrelide
  • Benzhydrocodone
  • Benzphetamine
  • Bromocriptine
  • Brompheniramine
  • Buprenorphine
  • Bupropion
  • Buspirone
  • Butorphanol
  • Carbamazepine
  • Celecoxib
  • Chlorpheniramine
  • Citalopram
  • Clarithromycin
  • Clomipramine
  • Clozapine
  • Cocaine
  • Codeine
  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Desipramine
  • Desvenlafaxine
  • Dextroamphetamine
  • Dextromethorphan
  • Dibenzepin
  • Difenoxin
  • Dihydrocodeine
  • Diphenoxylate
  • Dolasetron
  • Donepezil
  • Doxepin
  • Duloxetine
  • Eletriptan
  • Epinephrine
  • Ergonovine
  • Escitalopram
  • Ethylmorphine
  • Fedratinib
  • Fenfluramine
  • Fentanyl
  • Fluconazole
  • Fluoxetine
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Frovatriptan
  • Furazolidone
  • Gepirone
  • Givosiran
  • Glucagon
  • Glycopyrrolate
  • Glycopyrronium Tosylate
  • Granisetron
  • Guanethidine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Hydromorphone
  • Hydroxyamphetamine
  • Hydroxytryptophan
  • Imipramine
  • Iobenguane I 123
  • Iobenguane I 131
  • Ketobemidone
  • Lasmiditan
  • Lefamulin
  • LetibotulinumtoxinA-wlbg
  • Levomilnacipran
  • Levorphanol
  • Linezolid
  • Lisdexamfetamine
  • Lithium
  • Lofepramine
  • Lorcaserin
  • Loxapine
  • Mavacamten
  • Melitracen
  • Memantine
  • Meperidine
  • Metaxalone
  • Methacholine
  • Methadone
  • Methamphetamine
  • Methyldopa
  • Methylene Blue
  • Methylergonovine
  • Midodrine
  • Milnacipran
  • Mirtazapine
  • Morphine
  • Morphine Sulfate Liposome
  • Nalbuphine
  • Naratriptan
  • Nefazodone
  • Nicomorphine
  • Nortriptyline
  • Oliceridine
  • Ondansetron
  • Opipramol
  • Opium
  • Opium Alkaloids
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxymorphone
  • Ozanimod
  • Palonosetron
  • Panobinostat
  • Papaveretum
  • Paregoric
  • Paroxetine
  • Pentazocine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Piritramide
  • Pitolisant
  • Primidone
  • Protriptyline
  • Quetiapine
  • Quizartinib
  • Remifentanil
  • Revefenacin
  • Ritlecitinib
  • Rizatriptan
  • Rolapitant
  • Scopolamine
  • Secretin Human
  • Sertraline
  • Sibutramine
  • Siponimod
  • St John's Wort
  • Sufentanil
  • Sumatriptan
  • Tapentadol
  • Tianeptine
  • Tilidine
  • Tiotropium
  • Tramadol
  • Trazodone
  • Trimipramine
  • Tryptophan
  • Venlafaxine
  • Vilazodone
  • Vortioxetine
  • Zavegepant
  • Ziprasidone

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use your medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Grapefruit Juice

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus—The decongestant in this medicine may put diabetic patients at a greater risk of having heart or blood vessel disease
  • Enlarged prostate or
  • Urinary tract blockage or difficult urination—Some of the effects of antihistamines may make urinary problems worse.
  • Glaucoma—A slight increase in inner eye pressure may occur.
  • Heart or blood vessel disease or
  • High blood pressure—The decongestant in this medicine may cause the blood pressure to increase and may also speed up the heart rate
  • Kidney disease—Higher blood levels of loratadine may result, which may increase the chance of side effects. The dosage of loratadine-containing combination may need to be reduced
  • Liver disease—Higher blood levels of loratadine may result, which may increase the chance of side effects
  • Overactive thyroid—If the overactive thyroid has caused a fast heart rate, the decongestant in this medicine may cause the heart rate to speed up further
  • Urinary retention—Condition may be worsened with use of pseudoephedrine

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Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024

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