July 3, 2003 I had a reaction of rapid heartbeat / palpitations with clarityn antihistamine tablets (and triludan). Does this mean that I cannot take any antihistamine tablets anymore or are there others that are okay? (I get hayfever and am currently using a steroid nasal spray that isn't very effective). -- B.B., Indiana
Triludan (known as Seldane in the United States) is a brand name for terfenadine. Seldane was recalled by the FDA in 1998 because it can cause very serious heart irregularities including a potentially fatal condition known as torsades de pointes.
Clarityn (called Claritin in the U.S.) is normally not associated with heart irregularities. However their literature does report that "a fast heart beat and fainting have been very rarely reported in a few people, although these may not necessarily have been caused by Clarityn Allergy tablets."
Seldane D and Claritin D both contain pseudoephedrine (a decongestant). Pseudoephedrine can cause the blood pressure to go up, and it can also cause palpitations or rapid heart beat in some people.
Ask your physician if he wants to try you on a different antihistamine that does not contain a decongestant. You may also want to talk with him about leukotriene modifiers. Leukotriene modifiers have been recently approved in the U.S. for treating hayfever. They have been used to treat asthma for several years.
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