Throughout the years, several allergy medications that were only available with a prescription are now available over-the-counter. Some medications such as oral decongestants and sedating antihistamines have been available without requiring a prescription for years. Other medications including low sedating antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroid sprays were only recently available over-the-counter.
With the wide variety of allergy medications available without prescription, it is possible to manage most symptoms without consulting a doctor as long as the individual knows which medication to choose for the symptoms. It is important that the symptom-based approach to the treatment is vital since not all medications treat all the symptoms of allergies.
Antihistamines
Sedating antihistamines can provide too much sedative effect for routine use. These medications can cause mental and physical impairment even if the individual does not feel sleepy after taking them. There are new antihistamines that are available over-the-counter without a prescription such as cetirizine, loratidine and fexofenadine.
These medications cause less sedation and will not cause physical or mental impairment.
Decongestants
Decongestants are available over-the-counter without a prescription in nasal and oral forms. Both are effective in managing nasal congestion. Even though some individuals utilize Sudafed regularly, side effects can occur. The side effects of oral decongestants include high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches and anxiety. Individuals who experience these symptoms must consult a doctor before using oral decongestants. Remember that oral decongestants should not be used on a long-term basis to avoid the side effects.
Nasal decongestant sprays must only be used for short periods usually not more than 3 days. If these nasal sprays are used excessively, it can lead to the worsening of the symptoms.
Antihistamine/decongestant combinations
The combination of antihistamines and decongestants is not new. These medications such as chlorpheniramine/phenylephrine and brompheniramine/phenylephrine have been available in the market for years.
Recently, the combination of new antihistamines along with decongestant has been available by prescription and even over-the-counter.
Allergy nasal sprays
It is important to note that there are two types of nasal sprays that can be utilized for an indefinite period of time for managing the nasal allergy symptoms.
Allergy eye drops
There are different types of eye drops available over-the-counter for managing eye allergies. Most of the over-the-counter allergy eye drops typically contain topical decongestants that must only be used for a few days at a time. Once topical decongestants are utilized on a long-term basis, it can lead to the development of conjunctivitis medicamentosa.
The symptoms typically include worsening of reddening and annoyance along with an increased need to use the eye drop. Ketotifen is an antihistamine and mast cell stabilizer which is an over-the-counter eye drop for managing eye allergies. This medication can be utilized on a longer-term basis without causing potential side effects of conjunctivitis medicamentosa.