Fexofenadine

Note! A high-dose therapy for chronic urticaria, as recommended for other antihistamines, cannot be recommended for fexofenadine because of possible cardiotoxic side effects.

• Occasionally: headache, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea.
• Rarely: fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, exanthema, urticaria, pruritus and other hypersensitivity reactions, e.g. Quincke's edema. Other symptoms may include chest tightness, shortness of breath, flushing, anaphylactoid reactions, tachycardia or bradycardia.

• Antacids containing aluminium or magnesium hydroxide should be taken at the earliest 2 hours after application.
• Fexofenadine is the effective metabolite of the cardiotoxic terfenadine (terfenadine was withdrawn from the market in some countries due to cardiac side effects) and is the one responsible for histamine H1 receptor antagonism. The unfavourable effects on the electrophysiology of the heart are said to be due to the terfenadine parent substance, not to the antihistaminically active metabolite.

Remember! The medication can lead to an impairment of the ability to react (participation in road traffic, operation of machines)!

1. del Cuvillo A et al (2006) Comparative pharmacology of the H1 antihistamines. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 16: 3-12
2. Borchard U (2003) New H1 antihistamines in comparison. Allergology 1: 23-32
3. Lareb (2010) "Fexofenadine and bradycardia". Pharmaceutical telegram 41: 32