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CNN Live At Daybreak
Medical Advice for Allergy Sufferers
Aired March 29, 2002 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's talk about something completely different right now. Spring is here and that means many people will tackle their spring-cleaning. But allergy sufferers beware, all that scrubbing and dusting and vacuuming may trigger some sneezing and wheezing as well as the allergens outside.
Joining us to talk about allergy season and what you can do to stay healthy or combat it, I should say, is Dr. Bob Wallace.
Thanks for joining us this morning.
DR. BOB WALLACE, MEDICAL CONSULTANT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: So is allergy season going to be an especially nasty one?
WALLACE: Well I think many areas around the country, right now all the plants and grasses and trees are waking up and the pollen can wreak havoc with a lot of people that are susceptible.
COSTELLO: And it's been so dry in many parts of the country.
WALLACE: It has.
COSTELLO: Which means the allergens are free to float around there in the atmosphere.
WALLACE: All over.
COSTELLO: Well you know there's a new drug out, and I've been seeing the commercials over and over, it's called Clarinex. And it says, according to the commercial, that it is the only drug that can deliver 24 hours of relief from any allergy, anywhere, anytime. Clarinex, can it actually do that?
WALLACE: Well the goal of antihistamine therapy for years has been to provide relief for 24 hours with a minimal amount of side effects. The other important thing is it talks about indoor and outdoor allergies, and we have to look at that carefully. That may be a marketing gimmick. It's just a way of saying we're going to treat all your allergies and take care of the problem.
COSTELLO: Well let me ask you this, Clarinex says it's different because it can treat indoor allergies, but does -- can a drug actually tell the difference between an indoor allergy and an outdoor allergy?
WALLACE: Well, and more importantly, what happens if your outdoor allergy moves indoors or your indoor allergy moves outdoors? When we talk about the indoor and outdoor allergies, your indoor allergies are the dust mites, your cat dander, things that you see throughout the year as opposed to the pollens that we see at different seasons during the year. The indoor and outdoor allergies are allergies and we're looking for a response.
COSTELLO: Clarinex is a prescription drug, but we've also heard that Claritin, a drug that many allergy sufferers use, can -- is available now over the counter.
WALLACE: Well actually, Schering, the company that makes Claritin, has applied with the FDA to have the drug available over the counter. It's not yet available over the counter. That will still require some committee meetings. But Clarinex is a new prescription. Clarinex is actually a metabolite of Claritin, therefore the company is considering that a new drug or a different drug.
COSTELLO: So Clarinex and Claritin made by the same manufacturer. Is there much of a difference between the two drugs?
WALLACE: Well the company will tell you that they are two completely different products. And the way you look at this is many drugs are metabolized in the system and the metabolite might actually be better than the original drug. Clarinex is a metabolite of Claritin.
COSTELLO: It's so confusing. So which one -- if we go to our doctor, which one should we say for him to tell us to take?
WALLACE: Well I think your provider is going to give you the one they feel is the best at this point in time and cost may be a factor. That may be a difference in how an insurance company will allow you to have one drug or the other. So there are a lot of factors involved, and I think it relates to you and your provider.
COSTELLO: So in your estimation, what's the best drug to take to combat allergies?
WALLACE: I think the best drug to take is the one that's least sedating. I would like to caution people, though, one of the old favorites, Benadryl, that many, many people take, has the same effect as alcohol in a number of people, and be very careful about driving your cars after you've taken antihistamines.
COSTELLO: Good advice.
Thank you, Dr. Bob Wallace, for joining us this morning.
WALLACE: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We sure appreciate it.
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