Best Allergy Medications

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Aches/Pain
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2 mg (antihistamine)
Ibuprofen 200 mg (pain reliever/fever reducer)
Pseudoephedrine HCL 30 mg (nasal decongestant)

Equivalent 1 Ibuprofen + 1 antihistamine + 1 nasal decongestant

Side Effects
Psuedoephedrine may keep you awake or speed your heart rate.

Pseudoephedrine can elevate blood pressure, cause loss of sleep, and cause urinary problems in males with prostate problems.

Review
Advil Allergy Sinus includes a pain reliever (ibuprofen) to ease sinus pressure or a headache and a decongestant (pseudoephedrine) to clear your airways. Unlike general allergy tablets, combination medicines have a lot more side effects, so don't take this—or any multi-symptom drug—unless you have muscle aches and pains or a headache in addition to symptoms of hay fever (runny nose; sneezing, itchy, watery eyes; and itchy throat). "I recommend treating the symptoms you have, rather than taking in extra medicines that can have significant side effects," says Richard Gower, M.D. and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Aches/Pain

Active Ingredients
Ibuprofen 200 mg (NSAID) (pain reliever, fever reducer)
Pseudoephedrine HCL 30 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Ibuprofen may cause a severe allergic reaction, especially in people allergic to aspirin. It's also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which may cause stomach bleeding if taken above the recommended dosage—so don't mix this medicine with regular pain relievers.

Pseudoephedrine can elevate blood pressure, cause loss of sleep, and cause urinary problems in males with prostate problems.

Review
Advil Cold and Sinus is essentially Sudafed plus a pain reliever. Because it doesn't contain an antihistamine, it will relieve nasal congestion and ease pain without the drowsy side effects of Advil Allergy Sinus. However, it won't combat any "itchy, sneezy, runny" symptoms, says Beth Miller, M.D., chief of the Allergy and Asthma Clinic at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. If your symptoms are congestion and headache or pain, this pill should work. If you're stuffed up but not experiencing pain, skip the ibuprofen and stick with a decongestant like Mucinex, Sudafed, or a saline nasal spray.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Loratadine 10 mg (antihistamine)

Review
Just one Alavert tablet relieves allergy symptoms for a full 24 hours. The antihistamine loratadine is a second-generation antihistamine, which means that unlike older antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorphiniramine (Advil Allergy Sinus, Singlet), it won't make you drowsy. But go ahead and save a few bucks on the generic version. "There are a lot of different brand names for loratadine," says Richard G. Gower, M.D., president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "Don't buy brands that are twice as expensive. With this kind of medicine, it's not going to make a difference." Claritin is another common brand of loratadine.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Loratadine 5 mg (antihistamine)
Pseudoephedrine Sulfate 120 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Pseudoephedrine may keep you up at night or increase heart rate. It is not recommended for people with high blood pressure. Pseudoephedrine (or any nasal decongestant) works by constricting blood vessels, which in turn shrinks the swelling in the nose and open nasal passages. While this constriction of blood vessels helps alleviate congestion, it may raise high blood pressure temporarily after each dose. Therefore, it can interfere with high-blood pressure treatment.

Review
If your misery is accompanied by nasal congestion and sinus pressure, choose this version of Alavert. The extra active ingredient (psuedoephedrine sulfate) reduces stuffiness and clears airways much better than other decongestants like phenylephrine. But psuedoephedrine may have caffeine-like effects, says Robert Eitches, M.D., fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Because it may disturb sleep, Alavert-D is formulated to last only 12 hours, while Alavert Allergy lasts all day and night. Not affected by sedatives? Pop a second pill when the first one wears off for 24-hour relief.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion

Active Ingredients
Naproxen sodium 200 mg (pain reliever, fever reducer)
Pseudophedrine HCl 120 mg extended-release (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Naproxen sodium can cause stomach cramps or dizziness.

Pseudoephedrine can elevate blood pressure, cause loss of sleep, and cause urinary problems in males with prostate problems.

Review
Aleve D Sinus and Cold contains naproxen to relieve sinus pain and pseudoephedrine to clear congestion. This formula includes the maximum dosage of psuedoephedrine our doctors would ever recommend, but the extended-release form may help it be effective longer and mitigate side effects. "Extended-release means that the pill is compounded in such a way that the drug is slowly released from the pill over a period of time," says James Wedner, M.D., director of allergy and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Usually you want this slow-release form so it works over a full 12 hours, so when I prescribe something like pseudoephedrine, I recommend extended-release."

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Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion

Active Ingredients
Naproxen sodium 220 mg (pain reliever, fever reducer)
Pseudophedrine HCl 120 mg extended-release (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Naproxen sodium can cause stomach cramps or dizziness.

Pseudoephedrine can elevate blood pressure, cause loss of sleep, and cause urinary problems in males with prostate problems.

Review
With just 20 mg more of naproxen sodium, this medicine is otherwise identical to Aleve D Sinus and Cold. Will that make a difference in treating a sinus headache? "Probably not," says James Wedner, M.D., director of allergy and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Many of these drug companies have 15 or 20 different types of medicines, and while the ingredients vary slightly, the differences are really subtle and probably don't make any difference."

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Fexofenadine 180 mg per 24-hour tablet

Side Effects
Visit the National Center for Biotechnology Information for details.

Review
Like Claritin, Zyrtec and Alavert, Allegra is among the second-generation antihistamines, which means that unlike older meds such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorphiniramine (Advil Allergy Sinus, Singlet), they won't make you drowsy. But determining which one works best for you may take a little trial and error. It all depends on how much you're suffering, how much you're willing to pay, and what helps you the most.

Active Ingredients
Fexofenadine HCl 60 mg and pseudoephedrine HCl 120 mg for the 12 hour extended-release tablets

Side Effects
Pseudoephedrine may keep you up at night or increase heart rate. It is not recommended for people with high blood pressure. Pseudoephedrine (or any nasal decongestant) works by constricting blood vessels, which in turn shrinks the swelling in the nose and open nasal passages. While this constriction of blood vessels helps alleviate congestion, it may raise high blood pressure temporarily after each dose. Therefore, it can interfere with high-blood pressure treatment.

Review
The extra active ingredient (pseudoephedrine HCl) to antihistamines such as Allegra reduces stuffiness and clears airways much better than other decongestants like phenylephrine. But pseudoephedrine may have caffeine-like effects, says Robert Eitches, M.D., fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. And, while they are available without a prescription, they are most likely located behind-the-counter. Because it may disturb sleep, many of these meds are formulated to last only 12 hours, while the standard versions last all day and night. Allegra-D is only available behind-the-counter at pharmacies.

Not affected by sedatives? Pop a second pill when the first one wears off for 24-hour relief.

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Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg (antihistamine)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness.

Review
Benadryl is the brand name for the antihistamine diphenhydramine, which you'll also find in various sleep aids. "I recommend Benadryl for someone who has bad allergies at night and needs help falling asleep," Dr. Eitches says. It also works well for acute allergic reactions like hives, because it kicks in faster than other over-the-counter allergy medicines. But since Benadryl needs to be taken every 4 hours, it's not practical for chronic use. Make it your go-to antihistamine for an acute allergic reaction or for allergies that keep you up at night.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg (antihistamine)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness.

Review
Just as the name implies, this is the exact same formula as Benadryl Allergy without the neon pink coloring. Very few people are allergic to the dye in medicines, according to Dr. Eitches, but it's just another artificial ingredient for appearance that's not necessary. If you're the type of person who only eats organic produce, this dye-free version is perfect for you.

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Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg (antihistamine)
Phenylephrine HCL 10 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness. Do not take phenylephrine if you take medication for heart disease or high blood pressure without consulting your doctor first. A dangerous drug interaction leading to serious side effects could occur.

Review
This version of Benadryl has phenylephrine, which releases stubborn phlegm and helps free your nasal passages so you can breath easier. It's formulated to relieve the combined irritants of allergies and a cold. Talk to your doctor before taking Benadryl-D if you have heart disease or high blood pressure.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Aches/Pain
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Aceteaminophen 325 mg (pain reliever)
Diphenhydramine HCL 12.5 mg (antihistamine)
Phenylephrine HCL 5 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness. Acetaminophen can upset your stomach or harm your liver over time.

Review
Benadryl Allergy and Sinus Headache is the pink pill's multi-symptom drug. All of our experts only recommend these mixtures if you're truly feeling all of the symptoms—headache, nasal congestion, and traditional allergy symptoms. "Multi-symptom allergy medicines that have acetaminophen or ibuprofen can upset the stomach, and high doses of acetaminophen can also affect the liver over time," Dr. Eitches says. It's better to choose medicines that only treat the specific symptoms you're feeling.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Aches/Pain
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Aceteaminophen 325 mg (pain reliever)
Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg (antihistamine)
Phenylephrine HCL 5 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness. Acetaminophen can upset your stomach or harm your liver over time.

Review
The only difference between this medicine and regular Benadryl Allergy and Sinus Headache is a double-dose of antihistamine (diphenhydramine). A higher dosage won't necessarily combat your symptoms more effectively, but it will make you twice as likely to doze off after popping this pill. "A lower dosage of a class 1 antihistamine may work just as well with fewer side effects," says James Wedner, M.D., director of the Asthma Center at Washington University in St. Louis. Unless a headache, sinus pressure, congestion, and allergy symptoms are keeping you up at night, our experts recommend avoiding compilations like this.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Headache
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Aches/Pain
Sneezing
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Acetaminophen 325 mg (pain reliever)
Diphenhydramine HCL 12.5 mg (antihistamine)
Phenylephrine HCL 5 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness. Acetaminophen can upset your stomach or harm your liver over time.

Review
Deciding why you're miserable isn't always easy. Is it allergies? It is a cold? Over-the-counter medications like Benadryl Allergy & Cold treat symptoms of both. Acetominophen is included to relieve headaches or reduce fever, but it can also cause side effects like upset stomach or liver damage over time. Try to pinpoint the real cause of your symptoms before choosing a medicinal cocktail like this.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Allium cepa 5CHPUS (runny nose)
Ambrosia artemisiaefolia 5CHPUS (cough)
Histaminum hydrochloricum 9CHPUS (allergy symptoms)
Euphrasia officinalis 5CHPUS (burning eyes)
Sabadilla 5CHPUS (sneezing)
Solidago vigaurea 5CHPUS (nasal discharge)

Review
Homeopathic allergy medicines contain small dilutions of pollens that, in theory, will help your body become tolerant so it no longer has allergic reactions, says Timothy Craig, D.O., an allergist and immunologist at Penn State University. "But the digestive system destroys most of what's in these pills." Also, there is no clinical data to show that herbal remedies like these are effective, he says.

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Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion

Active Ingredients
Belladonna 3x HPUS (sinus pain, stuffy nose)
Sanguinaria canadensis 3 x HPUS (sinus pain, stuffy nose)
Spigelia anthelmia 3x HPUS (sinus pain, post-nasal drip)

Review
Homeopathic allergy medicines contain small dilutions of pollens that, in theory, will help your body become tolerant so it no longer has allergic reactions. "There isn't clinical data to show that herbal remedies like these are effective," says Beth Miller, M.D., chief of the Allergy and Asthma Clinic at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "Also, there's no real regulation by the FDA, so you need to be very cautious. I don't recommend them for my patients."

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Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Chlorpheniramine Maleate 4 mg (antihistamine)

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness.

Review
The active ingredient in Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) is a first-generation antihistamine, says Richard G. Gower, M.D., and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "Old antihistamines typically only last 2 to 4 hours, and they can cause dryness of the mouth, drowsiness, impaired ability to operate machinery, and urinary retention," Dr. Gower says. "They are good antihistamines, but not nearly as good as the new ones like loratadine and citirizine, because they don't last as long and they have the potential for side effects." Claritin and Alavert are two examples of over-the-counter drugs with loratadine, and Zyrtec has citirizine.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredient
Loratadine 10 mg (antihistamine)

Review
Allergy sufferers are drawn to Claritin because it's familiar—and it's known to work. "Claritin is better than other allergy medicines in the sense that it lasts 24 hours and it won't make you drowsy," Dr. Eitches says. But what makes the Claritin brand better than other loratadine-based drugs? Not much, according to Dr. Eitches. "In general, loratadine (or any antihistamine) should be similar from one brand to the next." Determining which antihistamine works best for you may take a little trial and error. "There's not enough research available to compare all the antihistamines and call one the best," Dr. Mansfield says. It depends on how much you're suffering, how much you're willing to pay, and what helps you the most. "For me, I like the Redi-Tabs that Claritin offers, and they don't make many other brands in that form," Dr. Eitches says.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Loratadine 5 mg (antihistamine)
Pseudoephedrine Sulfate 120 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Pseudoephedrine may keep you up at night or increase heart rate. It's not recommended for people with high blood pressure. Pseudoephedrine (or any nasal decongestant) works by constricting blood vessels, which in turn shrinks the swelling in the nose and opens nasal passages. While this constriction of blood vessels helps alleviate congestion, it may raise high blood pressure temporarily after each dose. Therefore, it can interfere with high blood pressure treatment.

Review
Clariten-D (12 hour) delivers half the amount of antihistamine of regular Claritin and adds a nasal decongestant (pseudoephedrine) to help clear your airways. Pseudoephedrine may keep you awake, so if you've never taken it (and you're suffering from blocked airways), this is a great over-the-counter drug to start with, says Dr. Eitches. "If the D-12 works well but wears out too fast, move on to Claritin-D 24." But if nasal congestion isn't one of your primary symptoms, avoid both versions of Claritin-D and stick to the regular, pseudoephedrine-free version.

Symptoms Treated
Runny Nose
Sinus Pressure/Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy/Watery/Red Eyes
Itching of Nose/Throat

Active Ingredients
Loratadine 10 mg (antihistamine)
Pseudoephedrine Sulfate 240 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Pseudoephedrine may keep you up at night or increase heart rate. It's not recommended for people with high blood pressure.

Review
The "-D" is a simple way to indicate that, unlike regular Claritin, this pill also helps relieve stuffiness and plugged airways. Deciding between the 12- and 24-hour version? Start with D-12—even if you end up taking it twice a day. If it lessens your misery and doesn't keep you up at night, try D-24 for longer-lasting relief. If you have high blood pressure, our experts don't recommend Claritin-D because of the potential side effects of pseudoephedrine. Call your doctor to find out if you should steer clear.