Can You Take Loratadine With Lemsip Products?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not it is safe to take loratadine with Lemsip products.
Can I take Lemsip or decongestants with loratadine?
Dec 06, 2021- Loratadine does not interact with any of the drugs in Lemsip products, including the decongestant phenylephrine, so they are safe to take together. Similar combination products containing loratadine and a decongestant are already available and used in the United States.
Hi and thanks for reaching out!
The pharmacist team here is United States-based, so I had to look up exactly what drugs are contained in Lemsip, a UK-based brand of cold medicine.
Drugs Contained In Lemsip
It looks like Lemsip has a few different products available, including:
- Lemsip Cold & Flu Lemon Powder
- Lemsip Cough
- Lemsip Max Day & Night Cold & Flu Relief
- Lemsip Max All in One Cold & Flu
They can contain any of the following:
- Paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the US)
- Phenylephrine
- Guaifenesin
- Caffeine
You mentioned a decongestant specifically in your question and phenylephrine is the decongestant contained in Lemsip products.
Lemsip With Loratadine
The good news is that none of the above drugs contained in Lemsip products interact with loratadine (the generic for Claritin here in the United States), including phenylephrine. Therefore, Lemsip products are safe to take with loratadine.
In the United States, there are even some products that contain both loratadine and a decongestant (such as Claritin-D, which contains loratadine, and pseudoephedrine, a similar decongestant to phenylephrine).
Final Words
Thanks again for reaching out to us!
Although our pharmacists may not have particular experience with certain UK brands of medicine, most contain drugs that are also available in the US, just under a different name. So, if you have questions about any other drugs, let us know!
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Paracetamol
- A pain reliever and fever reducer, known as acetaminophen in the United States.
- Decongestant
- A medication that reduces nasal congestion and stuffiness by shrinking swollen nasal tissues.
- Phenylephrine
- A decongestant drug used to relieve nasal congestion in cold and flu medicines.
- Guaifenesin
- An ingredient in cough medicines that helps thin mucus to make coughs more productive.
- Loratadine
- An antihistamine medication used to relieve allergy symptoms, sold under the brand name Claritin in the US.
- Drug interactions
- When two or more medications affect each other in a way that changes how they work in the body.
- Pseudoephedrine
- A decongestant drug similar to phenylephrine that relieves nasal congestion.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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