Oral antihistamines not a cure for all cutaneous itching

New Orleans - As antipruritic drugs, newer second-generation oral antihistamines, including loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), and desloratadine (Clarinex), offer several advantages compared with their predecessors. However, clinicians should be aware that these newer compounds are neither all alike nor routinely effective for controlling all types of cutaneous itch, Michael D. Tharp, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.