Fexofenadine

Fexofenadine is an antihistamine tablet that helps to manage hayfever and allergy symptoms. It’s available as either a 120 mg or 180 mg strength tablet.

Fexofenadine is used to treat the symptoms of hayfever and other allergic reactions to triggers like pet hair, mould spores or house dust. When someone with hayfever comes into contact with tree, grass or weed pollen, their immune system overreacts leading to itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and an itchy nose or throat. It’s a very common condition that affects one in four adults in the UK. It can reduce quality of life and affect work attendance, and is a risk factor for developing asthma.

Allergy symptoms can sometimes cause coughing when pollen or other triggers come into contact with your throat. If you’re experiencing a cough as part of your hayfever symptoms, you should check that it’s not COVID-19 as they can have similar symptoms. Here’s a short video that can help:

Is it hayfever or is it COVID-19?

To help you understand hayfever better, take a look at Boots Health Hub:

Boots Health Hub - Understanding hayfever

When you have an allergic reaction, your body is responding to something that it thinks is a threat, even when it’s harmless. With hayfever, the body’s reaction is triggered by the tree, grass or weed pollen released into the air during the spring and summer months. The body releases histamines when it comes into contact with pollen, causing the itching, sneezing and watery eyes that you experience during an allergic reaction. Fexofenadine relieves hayfever symptoms by blocking the action of the histamine.

Fexofenadine comes in 120 mg and 180 mg strength tablets, depending on the severity of your symptoms. It’s recommended to start on the lower dose of 120 mg to see if your hayfever symptoms improve. You should only try the 180 mg dose if your symptoms still haven’t improved after taking the lower dose.

Take one tablet per day with water before a meal. Make sure that you swallow the tablet whole and don’t chew or break it up before taking it. You should also avoid drinking apple, orange or grapefruit juice within a few hours when taking fexofenadine since these reduce the absorption of the medicine, making it less effective.

If you’re taking an indigestion remedy, make sure to take fexofenadine two hours before you take any remedy that contains aluminium or magnesium. These types of indigestion medicines can prevent fexofenadine from being properly absorbed.

If you miss a dose, don’t take more than one dose at a time. Wait until it’s time to take your next dose and take a single tablet as usual.

You may only need to take fexofenadine occasionally when you’re experiencing symptoms, or you may need to take a tablet every day for a longer period of time depending on the severity of your symptoms.

For more information about fexofenadine, please see the Patient Information Leaflet.

For adults, the usual dose of fexofenadine is one tablet taken once a day. The strength of the dosage is usually either 120 mg or 180 mg of fexofenadine, depending on the severity of your symptoms.

Children should only be given fexofenadine under a doctor’s supervision.

Fexofenadine is an effective treatment for hayfever and other allergic reactions to pet hair, house dust or insect bites. After taking fexofenadine, you should start to feel relief from your symptoms within one to two hours and the medicine’s effect usually lasts around 24 hours.

If you’re already taking fexofenadine and your hayfever symptoms aren’t under control, you may be able to add eye drops or nasal sprays to your treatment. To see what other treatments are available, take a look at Boots Online Doctor Hayfever treatment service.

Fexofenadine is classed as a non-drowsy antihistamine but it may cause some people to feel sleepy. If you find that taking fexofenadine makes you feel drowsy, avoid driving or operating heavy machinery while taking it. Drinking alcohol at the same time as taking fexofenadine can also cause you to feel more drowsy.

Other common side effects include:

• headaches
• dry mouth
• feeling sick
• dizziness

For more information on the side effects associated with fexofenadine, take a look at the Patient Information Leaflet.

Fexofenadine is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and suffer from hayfever, speak to your healthcare provider about a suitable alternative treatment.

Speak to your healthcare professional before taking fexofenadine if you are over 65 or have been diagnosed with:

• heart disease
• severe liver or kidney problems
• epilepsy

Fexofenadine can also sometimes react with other medicines. Make sure to tell your doctor or healthcare professional about your healthcare conditions and any other medicines you’re taking before taking fexofenadine.

If you have asthma, hayfever symptoms can sometimes trigger an asthma attack. Speak to your GP or healthcare professional about the best way to manage your asthma during the spring and summer months when pollen levels are at their highest.

If fexofenadine isn’t right for you, there are alternative hayfever treatments available. Other antihistamine tablets are available that can treat hayfever and allergy symptoms. If you don’t like taking tablets, there are nasal sprays and eyedrops available that can help reduce the sneezing and itchy, watery eyes of an allergic reaction. Some of these are available over the counter at your local pharmacy.

For the different types of prescription treatments we offer, take a look at Boots Online Doctor Hayfever treatment service.

If you don’t want to take medicine to treat hayfever, there are steps you can take to reduce your symptoms:

• Keep windows shut during spring and summer months to prevent pollen from coming indoors. This is especially important in the mornings and evenings when pollen levels are at their highest.
• Wash your hands and face regularly, especially when you’ve been outside.
• Avoid drying clothes outside where they can trap pollen.
• Applying petroleum jelly around the nose can help to trap pollen before it can trigger a reaction.
• If you find you’re allergic to pet hair, make sure that pets are bathed and brushed regularly to reduce the amount of pet dander in the air.
• Wraparound sunglasses can help prevent pollen from coming into contact with your eyes.

Make sure to check pollen forecasts so that you can avoid times when pollen counts are high. The Met Office publishes daily pollen forecasts and can also let you know when certain types of pollen are more likely to cause problems in your area.

Met Office Pollen Forecast

Fexofenadine is available both over the counter at pharmacies and by prescription. 120 mg strength tablets are available from pharmacies and supermarkets, while 180 mg strength tablets are only available by prescription.

Fexofenadine is generally considered to be safe to use but should only be taken as directed. However, if you take more than recommended you will likely experience more side effects. If you’re worried that you’ve taken too much or are concerned about any side effects that you’re experiencing, contact your doctor or healthcare professional.