What does allergy medication work the best?

Does alavert (allergy med) work for you? Or another medication?

• In reference to folks allergic to cats, etc. Does this work for you? Benadryl is not working for my daughter any mor eand we are looking for another option, but alavert also has not helped. Any other thoughts?

• Answer:

  Sorry to tell you, but Alavert is actually a less powerful antihistamine than Benadryl. It has the same active ingredient as Clartin, and it's mostly prized for being the least drowsy antihistamine. There are several other OTC allergy medicines, but Zyrtec is probably the most powerful of them, and the only thing I would consider more powerful than Benadryl. I've used it continually for the past 5 years to control what would otherwise be severe hives. Keep in mind that it's not completely understood why a person will respond to one allergy medicine and not another, so it's perfectly normal to try several ones before finding a medicine than will work completely. Other OTCs: -Tavist / clemastine - the brand name is no longer made, but most major pharmacies will have a generic copy marketed under their name -Chlor-Trimeton / chlorpheniramine - a mid-level antihistamine, less powerful than Benadryl, but more powerful than Alavert. Also noted for causing less drowsiness than Benadryl. Prescription only: Allegra / fexofenadine - most commonly used for seasonal allergies. My pharmacist considers it to be less powerful than Zyrtec, but a friend swears it's the only thing that works for her. Clarinex / desloratadine ; Xyzal / descetirizine - these are considered to be more "pure" forms of Claritin and Zyrtec, respectivaly. They're not as commonly used because they are the most expensive option and there is not yet conclusive proof they are more effective than their OTC versions. Still, something to consider if all other options fail. Hopefully I haven't dumped too much information on you. Good luck.