Allevia 120mg Tablets

Allevia is a prescription-only antihistamine medicine available in tablet form. It comes in 120mg and is a non-drowsy option for relieving allergy symptoms such as hay fever, hives, insect bites, and some food allergies. Fexofenadine, the active ingredient in Allevia, blocks the effects of histamine, a natural hormone that triggers allergic reactions. Symptoms like itchy, watery eyes, runny or blocked nose, sneezing, and skin rashes can be prevented and treated with Allevia. It takes effect within an hour and can be used year-round for seasonal or ongoing allergies.

For oral use only

Adults and children aged 12 and over: take one tablet (120 mg) daily. Take the tablet with water before a meal

Children under 12 years of age: Not recommended

The recommended dose is one tablet (120 mg) daily. Take the tablet with water before a meal.

This medicine starts to relieve your symptoms within 1 hour and lasts for 24 hours.

The full list of side effects is available in the patient information leaflet.

Allevia should not be taken during pregnancy and whilst breast-feeding unless advised by a doctor.

Fexofenadine can be taken whilst breastfeeding however it is important that you advise your clinician of your intentions. There is a small amount excreted into the breast milk but it is unlikely to cause any side effects in your baby. The Family Chemist recommended using loratadine or cetirizine whilst breastfeeding compared to Fexofenadine. If you find that the baby is not feeding as usual or seems unhappy then stop using antihistamines and consult your doctor or The Family Chemist clinician. For more information on how fexofenadine can affect you and your baby please visit the BUMPs website.

Although fexofenadine can be taken by children aged 6 years and over we only offer it to adults over 18 years old.

Fexofenadine should be avoided in the following patients:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to fexofenadine or any other medicine
• have problems with your liver or kidneys
• have, or have ever had, heart problems
• have epilepsy or another health condition that puts you at risk of seizures or fits
• are due to have an allergy test – taking fexofenadine may affect the results, so you might need to stop taking it a few days before the test

Fexofenadine may interact with other medicines and therefore increase the chance of having side effects. It is important to accurately answer all questions honestly on The Family Chemist consultation form. You may still be able to take fexofenadine but in lower strengths. The clinican will call you to discuss these options. The common interactions include:

• ketoconazole
• dronedarone
• erythromycin
• leflunomide
• rifampicin
• indigestion remedies containing aluminium or magnesium. Fexofenadine can be taken atleast 2 hours before and after your indigestion medicine.
• any medicines that make you drowsy, dry mouth or difficulty in urinating.
• Herbal medicines.

Fexofenadine interacts with fruit juices such as grapefruit, orange and apple juice and therefore should be avoided as it lowers the effectiveness of fexofenadine.

Fexofenadine is a generic drug name which normally is lower cost and formulated similarly to branded medicines. Allevia is an over the counter drug available without prescription. Telfast is a branded medication that contains the active ingredient fexofenadine.

Fexofenadine is a second generation non sedating antihistamine. The drowsiness side effect profile mimics that of loratadine and therefore is fairly safe. Cetirizine is more drowsy than fexofenadine and chlorphenamine is a sedating antihistamine and therefore has the highest risk of making you feel sleepy.

Antihistamine effect: Research shows that choosing the best hayfever or allergy treatment is based on trial and error. There is no right or wrong answer. People have an individual responses to antihistamine medicines and some may work better for you compared to others.