Allergy medicines
The seven most common over-the-counter allergy medicines in the US, summarized from their Drug Facts labels: what they treat, whether they cause drowsiness, how often you take them and from what age.
Side by side
| Medicine | Type | Congestion | Drowsiness | How often | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zyrtec cetirizine | Oral antihistamine (pill) | No | May cause drowsiness | Once a day | 6+ |
| Claritin loratadine | Oral antihistamine (pill) | No | Labeled non-drowsy | Once a day | 6+ |
| Allegra fexofenadine | Oral antihistamine (pill) | No | No drowsiness warning | Once a day (180 mg) or twice a day (60 mg) | 12+ |
| Xyzal levocetirizine | Oral antihistamine (pill) | No | May cause drowsiness | Once a day, in the evening | 6+ |
| Benadryl diphenhydramine | Oral antihistamine (pill), older type | No | Marked drowsiness | Every 4 to 6 hours | 6+ |
| Flonase fluticasone propionate | Steroid nasal spray | Yes | No drowsiness warning | Once a day | 4+ |
| Nasacort triamcinolone acetonide | Steroid nasal spray | Yes | No drowsiness warning | Once a day | 2+ |
Pills or nasal sprays?
Five of the seven are antihistamine pills. They list sneezing, runny nose, itchy watery eyes and an itchy nose or throat on the label. The other two, Flonase and Nasacort, are steroid nasal sprays, and they are the only ones here whose labels list nasal congestion. Their labels say full relief builds over several days to a week of daily use.
Brand or generic?
Store brands use the same active ingredients: cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), levocetirizine (Xyzal), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fluticasone propionate (Flonase) and triamcinolone (Nasacort). The Drug Facts label on any box tells you which one you are buying.
Not sure which fits? Try the medicine finder, or compare any two. These pages summarize labels and are not medical advice.