Exact answer: 1-3 Hours
Claritin or loratadine is a medication that is used to treat allergies. Allergies like hay fever or hives can be treated with this medication. This medicine is taken by the mouth. Claritin is also available with a combination of medicines like pseudoephedrine, decongestants. The medication comes with some side effects like sleepiness, dry mouth and headache.
The medication can also be taken during pregnancy. The side effects of this medication are mild by can be serious as well. The medicine should not be taken by students under two years old age. Claritin is an antihistamine that falls under the second-generation family of medication. The first dose of the medicine can in markets in 1988.
How Long Does Claritin Take To Work?
| Effect Kind | Duration to Work |
| Immediate Effect | 1-3 Hours |
| Peak Effect | 8-12 Hours |
Claritin doesn’t start working immediately but the medicine requires around 1-3 hours to start working. For proper usage, the medicine is at its peak of work when it has been in the body for 8-12 hours. Claritin is used for the cure of allergies like allergic rhinitis, urticaria, chronic idiopathic urticaria and many other skin allergies. It is also used to cure sneezing, runny nose, itchy and burning eyes due to rhinitis.
Claritin is available in different forms like tablets, oral suspension, syrup and combination with other drugs. Claritin breaks the natural substances called the histamines that the body produces during allergic reactions causing itching, sneezing, hives or other miserable allergies. Claritin binds on the receptors of histamines and thus prevents the cell from releasing chemical messages that cause the effects of allergies.
Claritin is still not approved for the treatment or prevention of allergic reactions but can treat the minor symptoms that come with allergies. Allergic rhinitis affects the nose and sinuses. During rhinitis allergies, the immune system begins to attack a harmless substance that causes allergies to the body. The body starts releasing inflammatory mediators called histamines which bind to the cells of the body.
Rhinitis allergies symptoms can be experienced seasonally or throughout the year. For seasonally, the allergies can be caused due to sensitivity to airborne mould spores or different types of pollen. Yearly allergies can be caused due to pet hair or dander, dust mites, cockroaches or mould. Multiple different allergens can also cause rhinitis allergies. Many other irritants like perfume, smoke, vehicle exhaust, indoor allergens can also cause these allergies.
Why Does Claritin Take This Long To Work?
Claritin works by breaking the contact of histamines sending receptors and hence takes time to act properly. Claritin binds on the receptors of histamines preventing chemical messages for the cells to release the effects of any side effects of allergies like sneezing, itching, coughing, etc. Claritin has also shown a decrease in the production of histamines when it is taken regularly.
Claritin starts working within 1-3 hours and the effects of the allergies start to get reduced. But, the absolute time taken for Claritin to start working is around 8-12 hours. The effect of Claritin lasts for around 24 hours and hence is taken once a day. Claritin is an inexpensive and accessible medication and has a huge number of users in the US. Claritin has the least effects of drowsiness.
Claritin is available in two doses: 12 hours and 24 hours doses. The 24-hour formula is available in 10 mg and can be found in dissolvable tablets, liquid gels, oral tablets, and chewable. The 12-hour formula of Claritin is found in 5 mg doses and can be found in the form of dissolvable tablets. Claritin should be taken with proper advice for the doctors before consumption.
Conclusion
Claritin medicine takes around 1-3 hours to start working and the full effect of the medicine can be experienced after 8-12 hours. Claritin is available in two different doses like the 12-hour and the 24-hour dose. The medicine can help in treating allergies like rhinitis allergies. The effects of Claritin can be experienced for 24 hours.
Claritin helps in curing the side effects of allergies like sneezing, itching, coughing, watery eyes, and more. The most important reason for the widespread usage of Claritin is that it is cost-effective and can be found readily.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667286/
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carlos-Camargo-7/publication/5959091_Diphenhydramine_versus_nonsedating_antihistamines_for_acute_allergic_reactions_A_literature_review/links/0912f50ecadcda7713000000/Diphenhydramine-versus-nonsedating-antihistamines-for-acute-allergic-reactions-A-literature-review.pdf