Clarinex and Claritin
My father is an old faithful taker of Claritin over the years. This is his favorite medication and wards off his hideous seasonal allergies in the spring, summer, and fall. Claritin suddenly went over the counter, and my father flipped out.
“Clarinex doesn’t work,” he said.
“It has to work if Claritin worked. It’s similar in chemical structure.” Clarinex is desloratadine, the active metabolite of loratadine (Claritin). It actually has a longer half-life.
“It doesn’t work.” he said.
No amount of pharmacology or pharmacokinetics will change his mind.
Sigh!
September 30, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Heh. I tried to convince a patient of the opposite – they had been prescribed clarinex (not covered – over $100) and would not even consider claritin otc.
Just wondering, why would he flip out about not wanting to take clarinex? Surely it being otc means the claritin is even easier for him to acquire, no?
October 1, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I would just be happy that the dirt cheap, OTC Claritin works. If any of my relatives call and tell me that Prilosec doesn’t work but that Nexium is the best thing since sliced bread, then I would be irate. Does he no longer want to take it because it is a plain-old OTC medication?
This particular scheme is my biggest pharmacy pet-peeve as well as the “new” controlled-release product or enteric coated product just as the patent is about to expire. My favorites are Focalin, Paxil CR, Naprosyn EC.
October 3, 2007 at 1:35 am
How many of you remember Proventil vs. Ventolin metered-dose inhalers (1980s)?
The yellow one doesn’t work!
The grey one doesn’t work!
I can only use the yellow one.
I can only use the grey one.
Ecclesiastes: there is nothing new under the son, guys.