mrs-j's Full Review: Alavert Allergy 24-Hour Relief, Fast Dissolving Ta...
Introduction
Mr. J and I both have allergies. I’m allergic to everything: Tree, grass and flower pollens, crab grass, cat dander, dust mites, you name it. Worse yet, when my allergies get bad, my face breaks out into hives. I have been taking a variety of prescription and OTC allergy medications for years hoping to quell the sniffling, sneezing and itching.
Most of the time it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Claritin was the first non-drowsy allergy medicine that I took, some ten-odd years ago. The active ingredient in Claritin is Loratadine and it worked fantastically once I realized that it wouldn’t do just to take the medicine only when I was sneezing, I had to take it daily. Then I switched to Allegra, which didn’t work well. And finally, Zyrtec, the latest of the drugs that I’ve been taking for my allergies.
All this to say that I know my allergy medicines. I know what works for me and what doesn’t, and I even know what I can double up on when I have to (about three weeks out of the year). And when my prescription drug plan started jacking up the co-pays on my non-drowsy allergy drugs, I started looking at the new varieties of Loratadine over the counter.
About Alavert Alavert is manufactured by Wyeth, the same company that manufactures Effexor, Centrum and Robitussin. The medicine is used to temporarily relieve “respiratory” allergy symptoms: runny noses, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and an itchy nose or throat.
Ingredients Alavert has the same active ingredient as Claritin, 10mg of Loratadine. The inactive ingredients are:
Artificial & natural flavor, aspartame, citric acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, corn syrup solids, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, modified food starch, sodium bicarbonate
Dosing
The box directs that adults and children 6 years and over should take one tablet daily and should not exceed more than the one tablet. Children under six, or consumers with liver or kidney disease should consult a doctor before taking Alavert.
Why I Chose Alavert
I discovered Alavert at a local Wal-Mart, quite by accident while looking for a generic version of Claritin. A 48-count box cost about $24, which was nearly equal to what I would pay for that amount of medicine through my insurance plan. I was also intrigued by the dissolving nature of the pills. Even though I take vitamins and medicines at night with water, I still wanted to try Alavert.
Results
I brought Alavert home and started taking it the next day as my prescription of Zyrtec had run out a few days earlier. This was several weeks ago during the height of spring and my allergies had gotten bad. In my experience, Loratadine doesn’t clear up allergies instantaneously, it takes a few days of continual use for it to reach its peak effectiveness.
My first impression of the pill and its taste was that it was pleasant. It does dissolve in your mouth, thanks in no small part to the sodium bicarbonate in the ingredients. The aspartame and flavorings in Alavert give it a sweet, minty taste. There’s no bad aftertaste. I actually liked the taste, though admittedly I had some trepidations before trying that first pill.
The first day my allergies were almost as bad as they had been for the previous several days. I noticed I wasn’t sneezing quite as much but my eyes still itched and my face was still itching. The second day my allergies cleared up almost completely. A random sneeze here or there and still the itchy nose (the most persistent of all my allergy symptoms). By the third day my allergy symptoms were gone and I was functioning normally again. Taking Alavert religiously, once a day, has kept me at that level of allergy-control through the rest of the spring and the summer months.
Summary
Zyrtec worked great for me but the hassle of buying and refilling prescriptions every month, plus the increased cost of the prescriptions, was becoming too much of a pain. I prefer Alavert to the Zyrtec and it works just as well. In my experience, the non-drowsy allergy medicines aren’t as quick-acting as the Sudafeds and Benadryls of the medicine world, but once they get in your system and stay there at a regulated dose, they work better than anything else. I will continue to use Alavert for my allergies.
Company Website: http://www.alavert.com ($4 off coupon available at the site)
Comments or Questions about Alavert: 1-800-ALAVERT (1-800-252-8378)
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
SKU=731406The Mininimum EXP date on product:1 yearMANUFACTURER: WYETH CONSUMER HEALTHCARE.PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: emporarily relieves these symptoms due ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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