Non-Drowsy Claritin

Wait until you get to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma!

I don’t get it.

I think you have to be pretty stupid to think non-drowsy means it will keep you awake. Are Americans getting more stupid everyday?

I’ve gotten that from people before; however, once I explain the concept, people go, ‘ohh, gotcha.’
Then, there are stubborn idiots like this one…

It happens to me all the time. I just tell them the same thing you did. Non drowsy only means “doesn’t make you sleepy” it does not mean “keeps you awake”.
People are just used to the sudafed phenomenon where they take it and cannot sleep. to them “non drowsy” means keeps them awake. THey just need to learn a new paradigm shift. Phenylephrine does not cross the blood brain barrier so it doesn’t keep you awake, but then again, its not the hottest decongestant either…. Ah, waxing nostalgic to the old days of Green Novahistine in the glass bottle….

AND, my company just sent me signs to put up “non drowsy” cetirizine. 10mg….
uh, since when?

Yeah, that is false advertisement.

Well, Sudafed says non-drowsy on it, and it keeps you awake, so the reasoning isn’t completely crazy. The arguing with the pharmacist after the question has been answered, on the other hand…

Wal-phed eh? I have a pretty good idea where you work.

Yeah - that’s a retarded assumption. I was doing as I usually do and making my patient look even more clueless. They don’t know what drug their taking — just that they are taking Wal-Phed. Search this blog for Wal-Phed…or Equate even…and see how many hits you get.

I would never work for WAG. They are a soulless, heartless corporation. I have friends that do, and they want to off themselves, but they are locked in for X years for taking the sign on bonus.

I am not a pharmacist, I’m a pre-pharmacy student and I have been hearing this for so long. I find myself constantly explaining to people that non-drowsy doesn’t mean it will keep you awake, it simply means it won’t put you to sleep, my husband is the number one offender in this case. He tells me this even though I have explained to him a gazillion times thats not how it works. I guess he is training me for the future…

I’ve found myself wondering whether a particular “non-drowsy” formula simply doesn’t make you more tired, or whether it actually keeps you awake. Then again, I’d get it the first time I was told . . . .

People seem to think that “non drowsy” is some quality that comes independently of the medication itself. Apparently, there is either some drowsy dust or non drowsy dust sprinkled in each tablet. I have been asked for “non drowsy Benadryl” and “non drowsy Sudafed.”

I’ve actually had the following conversation several times.
“I need some non drowsy Sudafed.”
“Okay, I need to see your driver’s license please” *turns to grab Sudafed off the shelf*
“Make sure it’s the non drowsy kind!”
“That’s the only way Sudafed exists. It’s a mild stimulant, so that’s one of the properties of the medication.”
“Can I see that box? I just want to be sure.”
Patient sees the words “non drowsy” on the box and is finally satisfied.

Perhaps the pt is a bit confused as both the Sudafed PE and regular Sudafed boxes both say Non Drowsy.

So it is possible to interpret that Non Drowsy does mean both. Although I personally prefer the ‘doesn’t keep you awake’ definition.

http://www.sudafed.com/#adult

To Alma,
Your husband is going to be the worst one to explain meds to. It took me 10 years to convince the ex that tylenol and non-aspirin pain reliever were the same and not aspirin. Whooda thunk?

Now I know why I didn’t have to face this non-drowsy issue. Duh—Claritin wasn’t OTC when I was in retail. We did have OTC Tavist, but I guess that one was a dud.

I have found (in my limited experience) that people ask for your professional opinion only to hope that it agrees with what they already had in mind because that is what they are gonna do regardless. I want to help, but WHY WHY do these people waste both mine and their time???

Southernpharmer hit one of the nails on the head with observation about why people ask certain things…maybe, I should preface many of my answers with ‘what do you think and why?” Thereupon, assessing what kind of personal interaction I’m up against.

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I had the same non-drowsy discussion with a friend who came to my house the other day. I have cats, she’s allergic. I take claritin, allegra, and sometimes even benadryl because my allergies are ridiculously out of control certain times of the year (and insurance won’t cover 2X180mg allegra/day). She had an allergy attack so I offered her a claritin (which is OTC vs giving her one of my scirp allegras) and had the exact frikkin argument about the “non-drowsy” comment on it - I had to swear up and down it was not going to keep her up that night before she would take it and stop sneezing all over my condo. She’s not stupid, but people really do get ideas in their head, and once they are there it’s painful to try and change their minds.

Unfortunately, the Claritin would not have helped her. It takes at LEAST 7 days for Loratadine to get to steady state levels in the body. For an acute problem, ya gotta go with Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) or Chlor-Trimaton (Chlorpheniramine). Those work quickly. Same deal with a cold or acute illness — not allergy related. Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra will not work worth a crap — you have to use one of the older agents.

[quote]Yeah - that’s a retarded assumption. I was doing as I usually do and making my patient look even more clueless. They don’t know what drug their taking — just that they are taking Wal-Phed. Search this blog for Wal-Phed…or Equate even…and see how many hits you get.[/quote]

Very true. People have no idea what they are taking and they expect their pharmacist to know what’s in every store brand drug by name and think we’re idiots when we don’t. They also have a hard time believing that half the drugs on the shelf really have the same active ingredient.

Thanks for the tip about the chlorpheniramine…but the big question is…is it non-drowsy??

Chlorpheniramine can go both ways. It makes some people sleepy, but not as much as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Some people can take it all day long and not have the first yawn.

If anything, it’d be considered a sedative — except in children. It may wire children as their physiology is opposite than that of adults (meaning Sudafed makes them tired and Benadryl makes them hyper — adults are the opposite).