FEXOFENADINE

(FEX oh FEN a deen) Brand: Allegra, Allegra 24 Hour Allergy, Allegra Allergy, Allegra ODT, Aller-Ease, Children's Allegra Allergy, Children's Allegra ODT

What is the most significant information I must know about fexofenadine?

• Ask a doctor or pharmacist till taking this medication if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease.

• Do not take fexofenadine with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).

• Take the disintegrating tablet on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour till or 2 hours after a meal.

• There may be another drugs that can affect fexofenadine. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

• Stop using this medicine and get abnormal medical help if you think you have used too many medication, or if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Speak your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse after you start taking fexofenadine. Never use more than the recommended doze.

What is fexofenadine?

• Fexofenadine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can manufacture symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

• Fexofenadine is used to treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies (hay fever) in adults and children.

• Fexofenadine is also used to treat skin itching and hives caused by a condition called chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children.

• Fexofenadine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking fexofenadine?

• Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safety for you to take this medication if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease.

• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether fexofenadine will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

• It is not known whether fexofenadine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• Fexofenadine tablets and capsules may be used to treat seasonal allergy symptoms in children who are at least 6 years old. Fexofenadine oral suspension (liquid) may be used in children ages 2 through 11. When treating chronic idiopathic urticaria, the liquid may be used in children as young as 2 months old.

• Do not give this medication to a baby without medical advice.

How must I take fexofenadine?

• Use exactly as directed on the label, or as predesigned by your doctor. Do not use in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• Take the regular tablet with a full glass of water. Do not use any another type of liquid.

• Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just till you measure a doze. To be certain you get the correct doze, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medication cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

• To take fexofenadine orally disintegrating tablets (Allegra ODT):

· Hold the tablet in its blister pack before you are ready to take the medication. Open the package and peel back the foil from the tablet blister. Do not push a tablet through the foil or you may hurt the tablet.

· Using dry hands, remove the tablet and seat it in your mouth. It will begin to dissolve right away.

· Do not swallow the tablet intact. Let it to dissolve in your mouth without chewing.

· Swallow different times as the tablet dissolves. If desired, you may drink liquid to help swallow the dissolved tablet.

• Take the disintegrating tablet on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour till or 2 hours after a meal.

• Speak your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse after you start taking fexofenadine. Never use more than the recommended doze.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Hold the medication bottle tightly closed.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Since cool or allergy medication is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medicine regularly, take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include dry mouth, dizziness, or drowsiness.

What must I avoid while taking fexofenadine?

• Avoid using antacids within 15 minutes till or after taking a medicine that contains fexofenadine. Antacids can create it harder for your body to absorb this medication.

• Fruit juices and determined antacids can create it harder for your body to absorb fexofenadine. Do not take fexofenadine with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).

• Avoid taking any another cool or allergy medicines unless your doctor has told you to.

What are the possible side effects of fexofenadine?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Stop taking fexofenadine and call your doctor if you have fever, chills, body aches, cough, or another flu symptoms.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach;

· menstrual cramps;

· drowsiness, weary feeling;

· headache; or

· muscle or back pain.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect fexofenadine?

• Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you regularly use another medicines that create you sleepy (such as cool or allergy medication, sedatives, narcotic pain medication, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medication for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by fexofenadine.

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· ketoconazole (Nizoral); or

· erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with fexofenadine. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about fexofenadine.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.