Question:
I have been on Claritin-D for probably 5 years now, at the suggestion
of my doctor for frequent headaches and dizziness. It seemed to work
very well, but after that many years of being on it, I decided I wanted
to see if I could find a better way other than drugs. I bought the
Grossan irrigation system and I do like it, so I stopped taking the
Claritin-D. I managed to go one week without it, but am SO TIRED I can
barely function at work! I crawl home from the office and curl up on
the couch and still don't feel rested after a nap. Out of curiosity, I
took a Claritin-D last night and woke up this morning feeling like my
old, alert, wide awake self again. My question is: is there a drug in
the pill that is doing this to me, or is it the simple fact of not
being congested/swollen that makes me feel better? For example, was it
the lack of drug that caused me to want to sleep all week, or was it
the blocked up head that made me so drowsy?
Answer:
Both decongestants and antihistamines can effect sleep. Claritin-D is both.
Most likely, your system has compensated for those effects and would need a
longer time to reverse that compensation.
One good tiem to cut back might be right before a weekend or even a vacation,
when you would be very active to ensure a good night's sleep.
Sounds like your body might have gotten used to the pseudoephedrine which is
a stimulant for many people. This might effect you just like quitting
drinking coffee suddenly. Try buying some single dose sudafed (30mg) or
children's sudafed syrup and taper down over a week or two while taking as
small a dose as you can tolerate. I am very sensitive to pseudoephedrine and often take as little as 15 mg to
clear my nose and 30mg will raise my BP. Claritin D has either 120 or 240 mg
of pseudoephedrine so if you've been taking it for 5 yrs, then that's your
probably the reason for the fatigue.I'll bet that's exactly what my problem is. Great suggestions
to "wean" off instead of going cold turkey.... that was really scary
being groggy, foggy, and tired round the clock all week. D*mned
addictions!
