Four drugs considered 'non-sedating' (also called 'second generation') antihistamines were studied for their potential to cause sedation by using data from over 43,000 patients. Two of the four (acrivastine and cetirizine) were found to significantly increase the incidence of sedation when compared with the other two (loratadine (Claritin) and fexofenadine(Allegra)). The authors suggest that with people with more dangerous occupations should not be prescribed the drugs with the higher incidence of sedation.
British Medical Journal 2000; 320: 1184-1187
Original Article
Allergies are a common problem. Many choose to select drugs to counteract this. However this is nothing more than a potentially dangerous band-aid. In addition to the potential drowsiness issue even in so-called non-drowsy antihistamines, nearly all of the antihistamines tend to cause weight gain if used for long periods of time. With half of our country overweight already, this is not a good thing. I find that the diet intervention is helpful in reducing allergies in most everyone. If one has mild allergies that are only a problem for a few weeks of the year, allergy supplements containing quercitin are particularly helpful. I use an effective preparation from Ortho Molecular called D'Hist. However, if the allergies are severe, I find that an advanced form of muscle testing (kinesiology) work called TBM (Total Body Modification) to be particularly helpful in permanently improving, if not eliminating the allergy completely.
Some 50 million people suffer from allergies in the United States alone. If you are among them, you should seriously consider utilizing what is perhaps the most effective preventive against allergens in your home: a high-quality air purifier. However, be very careful. Most of the models out there, especially the popular ones, don't get the job done properly.
My team and I have analyzed this, and the one home air purifier I now recommend highly is the Way Healthier Air Purifier. I encourage you to read more about it, including why the technology it uses makes it so much more reliable and effective than other types of air purifiers.