Fexofenadine | Health Notes at WWSM | Health Information at WWSM

Fexofenadine

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Also indexed as: Allegra, Telfast

Combination drug: Allegra-D

Fexofenadine is a selective antihistamine used to relieve seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis) symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, itching, and watery eyes. Fexofenadine is available alone and in a combination product.

Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, a herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized interactions.

Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous results.	Grapefruit, orange, or apple juices Pomegranate juice*
Check: Other—Before taking any of these supplements or eating any of these foods with your medication, read this article in full for details.	St. John's wort
Depletion or interference	None known
Side effect reduction/prevention	None known
Supportive interaction	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known

An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

Interactions with Herbs

St. John's Wort
In a study of healthy volunteers, administration of 900 mg of St. John's wort one hour prior to fexofenadine resulted in a significant increase in blood levels of fexofenadine, compared with the blood levels after taking fexofenadine alone.¹ On the other hand, long-term administration of St. John's wort (300 mg three times per day for two weeks) did not alter blood levels of fexofenadine. Until more is known, St. John's wort should not be combined with fexofenadine, except under the supervision of a doctor.

Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds

Juices
Drinking grapefruit juice, orange juice, or apple juice with fexofenadine decreases blood levels of the drug.² ³

Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice has been shown to inhibit the same enzyme that is inhibited by grapefruit juice.⁴ ⁵ The degree of inhibition is about the same for each of these juices. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect that pomegranate juice might interact with fexofenadine in the same way that grapefruit juice does.

Alcohol
Selective antihistamines, including fexofenadine, may cause drowsiness or dizziness; however, it is less likely than with nonselective antihistamines.⁶ Alcohol can intensify drowsiness and dizziness, increasing the risk of accidental injury.

References
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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

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Interactions with Herbs

Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds