Several over-the-counter and prescription tablets can treat skin allergy symptoms. The best option depends on the specific allergy and its severity. Common choices include antihistamines.
Antihistamine Tablets for Skin Allergies
Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamine, a chemical released by your body during an allergic reaction. This helps to alleviate symptoms like itching, hives, and rash. Examples of antihistamine tablets used to treat skin allergies include:
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec): This antihistamine relieves allergy symptoms, including itchy skin and hives. [Source: Mayo Clinic, NHS]
- Loratadine (Claritin, Alavert): While effective for many allergy symptoms, loratadine does not prevent hives or other allergic skin reactions. [Source: MedlinePlus] However, Claritin specifically mentions relief from "allergic skin conditions such as skin itch and hives". [Source: Claritin website]
- Fexofenadine (Allegra): This is another antihistamine that can help with allergy symptoms.
- Levocetirizine (Xyzal): This is another antihistamine option for allergy symptom relief. [Source: Mayo Clinic]
Other medications, such as those containing carbinoxamine, might be used in combination with epinephrine to treat severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), which can manifest as skin issues. [Source: Mayo Clinic] However, these are generally not used as a sole treatment for common skin allergies.
Note that topical steroids (like hydrocortisone cream) are also commonly used for skin rashes and are not tablets. [Source: Drugs.com] This information focuses solely on tablets for skin allergy treatment.
