Allegra - What Is It?
Allegra, active ingredient fexofenadine hydrochloride, is a medicine that is used for the treatment of hives and allergies. It belongs to the class of drugs called antihistamines. Allegra can also be found with a decongestant, and is called Allegra-D.
Originally, Allegra was available only by prescription. In March of 2011, it became an OTC drug. Currently, all of the Allegra products available over the counter are meant only to treat allergies.
The maker of Allegra has recently received approval to sell the medication over the counter to treat hives. It will likely just be a short amount of time until Allegra products to treat hives go on sale.
Who Manufactures It?
Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals is the manufacturer of Allegra.
Uses
Allegra is approved for many uses in children that are six years old or older and adults.
Allegra uses include: treating long term itching and hive and to relieve allergy symptoms that are seasonal.
How Allegra Works
If you come into contact with an allergen, your body sets off a chain reaction in which special cells release chemicals that cause issues such as hives, stuffy nose, irritation, sneezing, and itching.
Potential Allegra Side Effects
As with all medications, there is the potential for side effects while taking Allegra. Not everyone that takes this medication will have side effects, as it is generally well tolerated. Most of the time, if side effects do occur, they are usually minor and require little or no treatment.
Generic Forms of Allegra
At this time there are generic forms of Allegra for sale.