Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine combination is not recommended for use in pediatric patients under 12 years of age.

Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 4 years of age. Using these medicines in very young children might cause serious or possibly life-threatening side effects .

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine combination in the elderly with use in other age groups, elderly patients are more likely to be sensitive to the effects of this drug.

Breastfeeding

Studies in women breastfeeding have demonstrated harmful infant effects. An alternative to this medication should be prescribed or you should stop breastfeeding while using this medicine.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Dihydroergotamine
  • Furazolidone
  • Iproniazid
  • Isocarboxazid
  • Linezolid
  • Methylene Blue
  • Moclobemide
  • Nialamide
  • Phenelzine
  • Procarbazine
  • Rasagiline
  • Safinamide
  • Selegiline
  • Tranylcypromine

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Abiraterone Acetate
  • Carbamazepine
  • Clopidogrel
  • Gemfibrozil
  • Guanethidine
  • Iobenguane I 123
  • Iobenguane I 131
  • Methyldopa
  • Midodrine
  • Pitolisant

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)—The decongestant in this medicine may put diabetic patients at a greater risk of having heart or blood vessel disease.
  • Enlarged prostate or
  • Urinary tract blockage or difficult urination—Some of the effects of antihistamines may make urinary problems worse.
  • Glaucoma—A slight increase in inner eye pressure may occur.
  • Heart or blood vessel disease or
  • High blood pressure—The decongestant in this medicine may cause blood pressure to increase and may also speed up the heart rate.
  • Kidney disease—Higher blood levels of desloratadine may result, which may increase the chance of side effects. If you are taking the 24 hour extended-release tablets, the dosage may need to be reduced. The 12 hour extended-release tablets should generally be avoided if you have kidney disease.
  • Liver disease—Higher blood levels of desloratadine may result, which may increase the chance of side effects. This medicine should generally be avoided if you have liver disease.
  • Overactive thyroid—If an overactive thyroid has caused a fast heart rate, desloratadine in this medicine may cause the heart rate to speed up further.
  • Urinary retention—Condition may be worsened with use of pseudoephedrine