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Claritin EX (クラリチンEX): ingredients, dose and warnings in English

Claritin EX (クラリチンEX) is sold in Japan as a class 2 medicine: the box reads 第2類医薬品. In 1 tablet: Loratadine 10 mg. The package insert sets the adult dose at 1 tablet, once a day, for ages 15 and over.

Updated

10mgLoratadine per dose
1 tabletAdult dose
1Doses a day

第2類医薬品 · Class 2

What is in Claritin EX

The package insert lists 1 active ingredient in 1 tablet. The middle column is how each one is written on the Japanese box.

Claritin EX: active ingredients in 1 tablet, from the Japanese package insert
IngredientName on the boxAmount
Loratadineロラタジン10 mg
Additives, as written on the package insert (Japanese)

乳糖、トウモロコシデンプン、ステアリン酸マグネシウム

The maker publishes an English package insert for Claritin EX: Taisho Pharmaceutical: Claritin EX (English package insert). This page translates the current Japanese package insert on PMDA.

Source: PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) — クラリチンEX: package insert (添付文書) · Taisho Pharmaceutical — Claritin EX: English package insert

What the package insert lists it for

The approved wording of the Japanese package insert, translated. It is what the product is sold for, not advice on what to take.

  • Relief of the following nasal allergy symptoms caused by pollen, house dust (indoor dust), etc.: runny nose, blocked nose, sneezing

The dose, as written on the package insert

Translated line by line from the directions and dosage (用法・用量) section.

Loratadine per dose
10 mg
Adult dose
1 tablet
Doses a day
1
Age
15 and over
  • Adults (15 and over): take 1 tablet per dose, 1 time a day, after a meal.
  • In addition, take it at the same time of day each time.

Notes on the directions

  • (1) Follow the directions and dosage exactly as specified.
  • (2) When using it for symptoms caused by seasonal allergic rhinitis due to pollen etc., once the pollen season has begun and symptoms start to appear, it is effective to take it from an early stage while the symptoms are mild.
  • (3) If your symptoms do not improve after taking it for about 1 week, ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson for advice. Also, if you take it for more than 2 weeks, even if your symptoms have improved, ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson for advice.
  • (4) How to take out the tablets
  • Press the raised part of the sheet containing the tablet firmly with your fingertip to break the aluminium foil on the back, then remove the tablet and take it.
  • (Accidentally swallowing it still in the sheet can lead to unexpected accidents, such as it piercing the mucous membrane of the oesophagus)

Do not

The package insert opens with what you must not do.

(If you do not follow these, your current symptoms may get worse, and side effects or accidents become more likely)

1. Do not take it if you are one of the following people

  • (1) People who have had allergic symptoms caused by this medicine or its ingredients.
  • (2) Children under 15.

2. Do not use any of the following medicines while taking this medicine.

  • Other allergy medicines (including medicines for skin diseases and oral medicines for rhinitis), oral medicines containing antihistamines, etc. (cold medicines, cough medicines, motion sickness medicines, sleep aids and sedatives, etc.), Erythromycin, Cimetidine

3. Do not drink alcohol before or after taking it

4. Women who are breastfeeding: do not take this medicine, or avoid breastfeeding if you take it

Ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson

The package insert says to ask for advice in these cases.

1. If you are one of the following people, ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson for advice before taking it

  • (1) People who are receiving treatment from a doctor.
  • (2) People who have been diagnosed with the following.
  • Liver disease, kidney disease, epilepsy
  • (3) People who do not know whether it is allergic rhinitis or due to another cause such as a cold.
  • (4) People who have been diagnosed with another allergic disease such as bronchial asthma or atopic dermatitis.
  • (5) Women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant.
  • (6) Older people.
  • (7) People who have had allergic symptoms caused by medicines etc.

2. If the following symptoms appear after taking it, they may be side effects, so stop taking it immediately and ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson for advice, taking this leaflet with you

Possible side effects, by part of the body
Skin
rash, itching, hives, the skin turning red, hair loss
Respiratory system
sore throat, a dry feeling in the nose
Digestive system
nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dry lips, mouth ulcers, gastritis
Nervous system
lethargy, dizziness, headache
Circulatory system
palpitations, rapid heartbeat
Other
dry eyes, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, flushing, oedema (face, hands and feet), taste disturbance, irregular periods, chest discomfort, abnormal uterine bleeding, chest pain, urinary retention
  • In rare cases the following serious symptoms may occur. If they do, see a doctor immediately.
Rare but serious symptoms: name and signs
Shock (anaphylaxis)
right after taking it, itchy skin, hives, hoarseness, sneezing, itchy throat, difficulty breathing, palpitations, clouding of consciousness, etc. appear.
Epilepsy
(people who have a history of epileptic seizures)
  • Stiffness and trembling of the muscles, impaired consciousness, no memory of the time before the seizure.
  • Convulsions: contractions of the muscles appear in sudden attacks.
  • Liver dysfunction: fever, itching, rash, jaundice (the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow), brown urine, tiredness all over the body, loss of appetite, etc. appear.

3. The following symptoms may appear after taking it, so if these symptoms continue or get worse, stop taking it and ask a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson for advice

  • Dry mouth, constipation, diarrhoea, drowsiness

Who can sell it in Japan

The Claritin EX box carries the class 第2類医薬品, which decides who may sell it.

On the box
第2類医薬品 (Class 2). The box reads 第2類医薬品.
Who can sell it
A pharmacist or a registered salesperson may sell it.

Source: e-Gov law search (Digital Agency, Japan) — Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (医薬品医療機器等法), current text · e-Gov law search (Digital Agency, Japan) — Enforcement Regulations of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (施行規則), current text

Taking it home

Frequently asked questions

How much Loratadine is in Claritin EX?

10 mg in a dose of 1 tablet, according to the Japanese package insert.

How much Claritin EX can an adult take in a day?

The package insert sets the adult dose at 1 tablet, once a day.

Can children take Claritin EX?

No. The package insert says it is not to be taken under 15.

Do I need a pharmacist to buy Claritin EX?

Claritin EX is a class 2 medicine (第2類医薬品). A pharmacist or a registered salesperson may sell it.

What is Claritin EX called in Japanese?

クラリチンEX. The Claritin EX box also carries the class 第2類医薬品.

Related items

Package insert in Japanese: PMDA

Sources for this page

Back to Japanese OTC medicine

Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 3, 2026