How much? 

Fexallegra® 120 mg in packs of 10 tablets has a price of 10.90 euros and is a drug that can be purchased without the need to have a medical prescription.

Furthermore, on the market there is also Fexallegra Nasale® based on active ingredients that help to counteract the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis.

What is it used for? Therapeutic indications

Fexallegra® is a medicine that is typically used to treat:

• seasonal allergic rhinitis;
• symptoms associated with this pathology.

For any doubts regarding the administration of the drug Fexallegra® it is advisable to consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How does it work? Mechanism of action

Fexallegra® is a medicine that belongs to the category of antihistamines for systemic use. Its mechanism of action is due to fexofenadine hydrochloride , a non-sedating H1 antihistamine. It is a pharmacologically active metabolite of terfenadine. The antihistamine effects of the medicine appear after about an hour.

No changes in QTc intervals have been studied in patients with allergic rhinitis treated with fexofenadine hydrochloride. Fexofenadine hydrochloride is rapidly absorbed following oral administration. The metabolization of is negligible. The drug is mainly excreted via the bile, with 10% of the ingested drug dose being excreted in the urine.

Posology and Method of Use

The methods and quantities of intake recommended for Fexallegra® are as follows. For adults, the recommended dose of fexofenadine hydrochloride is 120 mg once daily, before meals.

In children from 12 years of age and over 120 mg once a day, always before meals. In children under 12 years the medicine is contraindicated. In patients at risk such as the elderly, or in patients with renal insufficiency or hepatic insufficiency, a doctor should be consulted.

Overdose

Studies have been conducted on overdose of the drug, in some cases fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness and dry mouth may be found. At present, the maximum tolerated dose of fexofenadine hydrochloride by the human body has not been established.

In the event of an overdose, typical measures must be taken to remove the unabsorbed drug from the body. Symptomatic and supportive treatment is recommended. In case of accidental intake of the drug, it is advisable to consult a doctor or the nearest hospital.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

For the use of Fexallegra® during pregnancy and lactation, refer to the doctor’s advice. No sufficient data have been collected at present on the use of fexofenadine hydrochloride in pregnant women.

To date animal studies have not found direct harmful effects or indirect harmful effects with respect to pregnancy , embryonic and fetal development, parturition or development.

Fexofenadine hydrochloride should never be used during pregnancy unless under strict medical supervision or in cases of absolute necessity and only if the benefits outweigh the risks. No data on concentrations in breast milk have yet been collected during lactation .

At the moment it has only been found that fexofenadine is excreted in breast milk. For this reason, the use of fexofenadine hydrochloride is not recommended during the breastfeeding period. For any doubts regarding the administration of the drug Fexallegra® during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is advisable to consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Contraindications

The use of Fexallegra® is contraindicated in the case of known hypersensitivity to fexofenadine hydrochloride or to any of the excipients present in the drug. The excipients present in Fexallegra® are: microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, pregelatinised maize starch, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide E171, povidone, colloidal anhydrous silica, iron oxide E171 and macrogol 400.

In patients with impaired renal or hepatic function the drug should be administered with caution. In patients with previous or current cardiovascular disease, they should know that antihistamines are associated with adverse reactions such as tachycardia and palpitations.

Store the medicine in the original package and keep the medicine away from light, direct heat and light, sun and humidity. The drug must be disposed of following the indications of the law and must not be placed in common household waste.

It is advisable to ask your pharmacist for help on how to act to dispose of medicines that have expired or are no longer used by the patient. The correct disposal of medicines allows you to limit pollution and respect the environment. Do not throw medicines into the water or down the drains as they are highly polluting.

Interactions with other drugs

Fexofenadine is not subject to hepatic biotransformations and for this reason it does not interact with other drugs at the level of hepatic mechanisms. Simultaneous administration of the active ingredient of Fexallegra® and erythromycin and/or ketoconazole increases the plasma levels of fexofenadine by 2 or 3 times.

No interaction between fexofenadine and omeprazole was observed although administration of an antacid drug with aluminum and magnesium hydroxide content a quarter of an hour prior to drug administration with fexofenadine hydrochloride caused a decrease in bioavailability.

An interval of at least two hours is recommended between the administration of the drug with fexofenadine hydrochloride and other antacids containing aluminum and magnesium hydroxide. For any doubts regarding the administration of Fexallegra® it is advisable to consult your doctor or trusted pharmacist.

Side effects

As with any drug, Fexallegra® also has side effects . Common side effects are:

• headache;
• drowsiness;
• nausea;
• dizziness.

Uncommon side effects: fatigue. Frequency not known: hypersensitivity, immune system disorders, angioedema, dyspnoea, chest tightness, hot flushes, insomnia and sleep disorders, nervousness.

Other side effects: rapid heartbeat and palpitations, diarrhea, hives, rash and itching. Stop the treatment if you notice any undesirable effects. If the patient experiences even one side effect that is not known and not listed in the package insert , it is advisable to consult the doctor or pharmacist and communicate the effects experienced.

The drug usually has no effect on driving or using machines. However, in particularly sensitive patients it could induce drowsiness and dizziness, so it is advisable to seek medical advice.