On 5/30/07 2:28 AM, in article
,
" wrote:

Claritin (loratadin generic) is my friend this time of year. I go from
feeling I have a cold coming on to normal in an hour or so. No
sleepiness like Benadryl causes.

In NZ, my Aviation Medical Assessor told me that the rules for my PPL
medical certificate meant that all oral antihistamines were
unacceptable and I should ground myself for 24hrs after using them.
When I asked about the "non drowsiness" type like Claratyne
(Loratadin) he said that it was included and for those one-pill-a-day
types I should ground myself for even longer. Nasal sprays like
Beconase / Alanase / Beclomethasone are acceptable.

Medical certificate rules for Gliding in NZ are different than for PPL
but still preclude the use of antihistamines.

YMMV
Neil

FYI, here in the US, Claritin, Clarinex, and Allegra (as well as the "D"
versions of those) are OK with the FAA as long as you've used them for 48
hours without side effects. Zyrtec (in the same class of meds) is NOT FAA
approved, due to a higher potential for drowsiness.

As Neil correctly points out, YMMV, in that different country's aviation
medical authorities have different rules.

Respectfully,
Bullwinkle