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December 7, 2008, 12:35 pm
Flag as Inappropriate 2Ronnies  

I know some of the higher priced drugs claim to be non drowsy, but what of the cheaper ones? Are there any of those that don't cost much but don't leave you a zombie?

I see a ton of them advertised as non-drowsy too but so far I have yet to catch any that are true to it. I have the same issues as almost anything can make me feel like a zombie.

I have bought a few cheap ones that said non drowsy, but after taking them, I felt okay for a few minutes, but after that I am so drowsy, I have to make sure I am not doing anything sensitive that will cause me to harm myself.

When it comes to anti-allergy medications, I think the word nondrowsy is an advertising gimmick. I have not taken any allergy medication no matter what the cost that has not caused me some type of drowsiness.

Your best bet would be non-prescription, generic Zyrtec, or cetirizine. While it typically causes less drowsiness than conventional antihistamines (eg. Benedryl), it occasionally does cause more drowsiness than other non-sedating antihistamines. Because Zyrtec is taken every 24 hours, I'd recommend taking it at bedtime if it causes excess drowsiness.

The other affordable non-sedating antihistamine available is non-prescription, generic Claritin (loratadine). However, I don't believe it works as well as cetirizine. If either of those cause too much drowsiness for you, there's always prescription steroid nasal sprays.

Jacob Milbradt, PharmD

www.MrMedSaver.com

Benedryl has made me a little more mellow but that is about all. I figure it hits each person different though as most other things do.

I have severe allergies year round. I used Claritin for several years without any drowsines and there are generic versions. Now I take generic Zyrtec from Walmart and it also does not make me drowsy. I have to agree with Mr. MedSaver that since it is a once a day med, just take it at bedtime if you find it does end up making you sleepy.