Types of Allergy Medicine
Use the chart below to find the kind of allergy medicine you're taking or thinking about taking to help control your allergies. The chart lists the most common types of allergy medications used to treat symptoms of nasal allergies. See Other Allergy Medication to find out more about nasal sprays, etc.
ALLERGY MEDICATIONS:
Antihistamines brand generic Optimine azatadine Dimetane (OTC) brompheniramine Reactine, Zyrtec cetirizine Chlor-Trimeton (OTC) chlorpheniramine Tavist (OTC) clemastine Periactin cyproheptadine Polaramine dexchlorpheniramine Benadryl (OTC), Benadryl Allergy, Various diphenhydramine Allegra fexofenadine Atarax, Vistaril hydroxyzine Claritin (OTC) loratadine Nolahist phenindamine Phenergan promethazine Pyribenzamine (PBZ) tripelennamine Zyrtec (OTC) cetirizine Intranasal Antihistamines brand generic Astelin azelastine Patanase olopatadine Decongestants brand generic Vicks Vatronol ephedrine (Available OTC as nasal spray or drops) Afrin, Dristan Long-acting, Neo-Synephrine Maximum Strength, Vicks Sinex Long-Lasting, 4-Way Long Lasting oxymetazoline (Available OTC as nasal spray or drops) Dristan Fast-Acting, Neo-Synephrine (pediatric, mild, regular, and extra strength formulas), Vicks Sinex phenylephrine (Available OTC as nasal spray or drops) Drixoral Non-Drowsy, Sudafed, Children's Sudafed pseudoephedrine (OTC) AntihistamineDecongestant brand generic Dimetapp, Vicks Dayquil brompheniramine, phenylpropanolamine Triaminic chlorpheniramine, phenylpropanolamine Allerest, Chlor-Trimetron, Contac, Sudafed Plus chlorpheniramine, pseudoephedrine Tavist-D clemastine, phenylpropanolamine Drixoral Cold and Allergy dexbrompheniramine, phenylpropanolamine Benedryl Decongestant diphenhydramine, pseudoephedrine Actifed triprolidine, pseudoephedrine Zyrtec-D cetirizine, pseudoephedrine AntihistamineDecongestant brand generic Allegra-D fexofenadine, pseudoephedrine Claritin-D loratadine, pseudoephedrine Intranasal Corticosteroids brand generic Beconase, Vancenase beclomethasone Rhinocort budesonide Nasarel, Nasalide flunisolide Flonase fluticasone Nasonex mometasone furoate Nasacort triamcinolone Omnaris ciclesonide Cromolyn sodium-intranasal brand generic Nasalcrom cromolyn sodiumNew antihistamine medications are being brought onto the market all the time. This list is a sampling of some of the antihistamines available.
Written by Karen Serrano, MD
Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Reviewed by Lisa V. Suffian, MD
Instructor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine at Saint Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Saint Louis University
Board certified in Allergy and Immunology
Last updated June 2008