What is fexofenadine?

• Fexofenadine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce 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 other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about fexofenadine?

• Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
• Before using fexofenadine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease.
• Fruit juices and certain antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb fexofenadine.
• Do not take fexofenadine with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).
• Do not take an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium within 15 minutes before or after you take fexofenadine. This includes Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, Milk of Magnesia, Pepcid Complete, and others.
• There may be other drugs that can affect fexofenadine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
• Stop using this medication and get emergency medical help if you think you have used too much medicine, or if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Less serious side effects are more likely, and you may have none at all. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or is especially bothersome.
• Tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse after you start taking fexofenadine. Never take more of the medication than your doctor has prescribed.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking fexofenadine?

• Do not use this medication if you are allergic to fexofenadine.
• Before using fexofenadine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease. You may not be able to use fexofenadine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
• FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether fexofenadine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Fexofenadine tablets and 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.

How should I take fexofenadine?

• Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
• Take this medicine with a full glass of water. Do not use any other type of liquid. Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
• Tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse after you start taking fexofenadine. Never take more of the medication than your doctor has prescribed.

Store fexofenadine at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the medicine bottle tightly closed.

• What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
• Symptoms of a fexofenadine overdose may include dry mouth, dizziness, or drowsiness.

What should I avoid while taking fexofenadine?

• Fruit juices and certain antacids can make it harder for your body to absorb fexofenadine.
• Do not take fexofenadine with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).
• Do not take an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium within 15 minutes before or after you take fexofenadine. This includes Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, Milk of Magnesia, Pepcid Complete, and others.
• Avoid taking any other antihistamines unless your doctor has told you to.

Fexofenadine side effects

• Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop taking fexofenadine and call your doctor at once if you have fever, chills, body aches, cough, or other flu symptoms.
• Continue taking fexofenadine and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:
  • nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach;
  • menstrual cramps;
  • drowsiness, dizziness, tired feeling;
  • headache; or
  • back pain.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect fexofenadine?

• Before taking fexofenadine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
  • ketoconazole (Nizoral); or
  • erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin).
• If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use fexofenadine, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.
• There may be other drugs not listed that can affect fexofenadine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.