I’ve been facing some rather uncomfortable allergies for the past few weeks. I’m normally against drug remedies, but this has been going on long enough that I caved. My treatment plan started with Benadryl, which did nothing. I then moved to Claritin, which also had no effect. Finding ourselves at Rite-Aid for other items, Heather spotted some Claritin-D and had heard great things. I went for it. The 24-hour box (they have a 12-hour).
I popped the pill around 8pm, proceeded with my normal nightly stuff, but noted I had a bit more staying power when it came to my somewhat regular nightly gaming session (I’ll usually do about 9:30 to 10:15, but this time made it to 11:30 without batting an eye). Knowing I’d regret staying up so late, I hit the hay. I was a bit restless getting to sleep, but I managed. After a handful of pretty vivid dreams, I found myself awake at 1:30am. Not just a little bit awake, but WIDE awake, and ready for the day. This sort of insomnia hits me 2-3 times a year so I’m used to it and know how to treat it/get back to bed so I did my normal thing, which entails hitting the bathroom, checking internet activity and e-mail, and getting back to bed. “NOT THIS TIME” says the Devil. So let’s take a look at my night:
1:30am – Check internet activity.
2am – Read on the couch (Game of Thrones #2).
2:30am – Start working on website. Messed with a lot of CSS to darken the font colors for Chris and Andy. Great success.
3:30am – Look outside, wonder when the sun will rise so I can go outside to workout. At this point I had resigned to an all-nighter.
4am – Play some Borderlands 2, reach level 18.
6am – Still no sun!? Ungh. Back to the internet.
7am – Go for a run.
8am – Go for a short ride.
9am – Work and regular day.
Except it wasn’t a regular day. I felt high as a kite the entire time and drank about 2x the normal amount of water. My symptoms were gone and I was otherwise functioning well, but my level of alertness was through the roof. It’s rare for a drug to really have an effect on me or even to help my symptoms, but Claritin-D works. Too well. I crashed hard around 9pm the night after taking it, cursed the box when I saw it in the bathroom this morning, and am back to drug-free, dealing with symptoms life.
It’s known that “D” causes insomnia. I almost need to question why the 24-hour version is on the market. If anyone actually needs it in order to complete their job, we’re probably better off having them not working. I realize that isn’t possible in all cases, but the thought of a guy driving an 18-wheeler through the night on this stuff is scary as hell.
Will I take it again? No chance. Is it illegal to sell an OTC drug on Craigslist (Edit: It’s legal on eBay so it’s probably acceptable on CL!)? Because I really wouldn’t mind getting my $20 back. I would, however, consider purchasing the 12-hour version. The stuff does work and there are times when I’d really like to be symptom free, but damn, Claritin-D 24-hour, you’re the devil.
Comments
I take Claritin-D 12 hour, every 12 hours for 2-3 months every spring. It works and I sleep fine. You need to do more drugs and build your tolerance… 😉
” I almost need to question why the 24-hour version is on the market. ”
it’s so you can sleep, dingdong. Not so you can stay awake for 24 hours. Claritin-D is the shiz, but you shouldn’t take it if you aren’t congested, because the D in claritin-d isn’t for devil, it’s for decongestant, in this case, pseudoephedrine, which is pretty much the only thing that works for me if I am truly congested. (It also raises my BP, so that’s why I don’t take it unless I’m really clogged up.)
The “hours” is just how much Pseudoephedrine you get.
Neil Med Sinus Rinse. salt & distilled water. Zero side effects and you can breathe immediately. Clears out sinuses & heals swollen nasal passages. I swear by it after 12+ years. After a lifetime of allergies & every prescription allergy medicine ever made and then recalled due to deadly side effects, I figured there had to be a better way.