II. Precautions: Author Note
- Pharmacy shelves in the U.S. are filled with combination Antihistamine, Decongestants (often with other agents)
- Rarely if ever, do I find these useful, when recommending symptomatic management to patients
- See specific conditions (e.g. Allergic Rhinitis, Upper Respiratory Infection) for alternative recommendations
- Pharmacies would do the best for their patients well to empty their shelves these combination agents
- Systemic Decongestants in particular are rarely indicated (low efficacy, adverse effects)
- Listed below are examples of combination products that in general are not recommended
- A complete list would require minutes to hours of scolling and would waste the authors time compiling
- The names on this list will be rebranded or go extinct, only to be replaced by similar drugs
III. Medications: Example Sedating Antihistamine with Decongestant
- Actifed Cold and Allergy (Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine)
- Benadryl-D (Diphenhydramine and Phenylephrine)
- Dimetapp Cold and Allergy (Brompheniramine and Phenylephrine)
- Triaminic Cold and Allergy (Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine)
IV. Medications: Example Non-Sedating Antihistamine with Decongestant
- Allegra-D (Fexofenadine with pseudophedrine)
- Claritin-D (Loratadine with pseudophedrine)
- Zyrtec-D (Cetirizine and Pseudoephedrine)
V. Resources
- Why-are-ineffective-oral-Decongestants-still-on-store-shelves (Harvard Gazette)
- The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (Science)