Medication class
Allergies
Antihistamines, nasal sprays, and other medications for seasonal allergies, hay fever, and allergic reactions.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 19
- Medications
- 14
- With a generic
- 71%
- Avg generic savings
- 0
- In active shortage
Drug class assignments follow the FDA openFDA therapeutic classification, and clinical details are drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling (DailyMed). See the full sources below.
PlainMeds tracks 19 allergies medications compiled from official FDA drug labels, including loratadine, cetirizine, diphenhydramine.
Allergies medications are grouped here by the openFDA therapeutic classification and drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling. PlainMeds lists 19 in this class, 14 with a lower-cost generic available (averaging about 71% versus brand). Each drug page covers labeled uses, FAERS-reported side effects, interactions, recalls and NADAC pricing. This is educational information from public data, not medical advice.
What allergies drugs cost
Highest NADAC acquisition cost per unit in this class, brand and generic
- ciclesonide nasal
ciclesonide nasal
$23 per unit
- desloratadine $8
desloratadine
$8 per unit
- fluticasone $3
fluticasone
$3 per unit
- mometasone nasal $1
mometasone nasal
$1 per unit
- olopatadine nasal $1
olopatadine nasal
$1 per unit
- ketotifen ophthalmic $1
ketotifen ophthalmic
$1 per unit
- loratadine $1
loratadine
$1 per unit
- azelastine $0
azelastine
$0 per unit
- fexofenadine $0
fexofenadine
$0 per unit
- hydroxyzine $0
hydroxyzine
$0 per unit
What this shows ciclesonide nasal is the costliest in this class at $23.00/unit; generics in the same class run a fraction of that.
Generic availability vs other classes
74% of allergies medications have a generic available, ranking #11 of 22 therapeutic classes (the typical class sits near 74%).
Source: CMS NADAC generic-availability flags across all PlainMeds therapeutic classes. The dot is this class; the line is the cross-class median.
azelastine OTC
Astelin, Astepro
Azelastine nasal spray is an antihistamine medicine.
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budesonide nasal OTC
Rhinocort
Rhinocort is a nasal spray that helps relieve allergy symptoms.
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cetirizine OTC
Zyrtec
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine medicine.
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chlorpheniramine OTC
Chlor-Trimeton
Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine medicine.
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ciclesonide nasal
Omnaris, Zetonna
Omnaris Nasal Spray is a medicine that helps treat allergy symptoms in your nose.
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desloratadine
Clarinex
Desloratadine is an antihistamine medicine.
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diphenhydramine OTC
Benadryl
Diphenhydramine, also known as Benadryl, is an antihistamine medicine.
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fexofenadine OTC
Allegra
Fexofenadine (Allegra) is an antihistamine medicine.
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fluticasone OTC
Flonase, Flovent
Fluticasone is a steroid medicine that helps reduce inflammation in your nose.
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fluticasone nasal OTC
Flonase
Fluticasone nasal spray helps relieve allergy symptoms.
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hydroxyzine
Vistaril, Atarax
Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine that can also help with anxiety.
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ketotifen ophthalmic OTC
Zaditor, Alaway
Ketotifen eye drops help relieve itchy eyes.
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levocetirizine OTC
Xyzal
Levocetirizine is an antihistamine medicine.
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loratadine OTC
Claritin
Loratadine is an antihistamine medicine.
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meclizine OTC
Antivert, Bonine
Meclizine is an antihistamine and antiemetic.
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mometasone nasal
Nasonex
Mometasone nasal spray helps relieve allergy symptoms.
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olopatadine nasal
Patanase
Olopatadine nasal spray is a medicine that helps with allergy symptoms.
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olopatadine ophthalmic OTC
Patanol, Pataday
Olopatadine eye drops help with itchy and red eyes.
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triamcinolone nasal OTC
Nasacort
Nasacort is a nasal spray that helps relieve allergy symptoms.
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Understanding the Allergies Category
The Allergies category currently lists 19 medications in this database, each drawn from FDA drug labels and grouped by therapeutic classification. Antihistamines, nasal sprays, and other medications for seasonal allergies, hay fever, and allergic reactions. Clinical guidelines usually treat these medications as a reference set when weighing treatment options, switching strategies, or comparing safety profiles.
Within this category you'll find examples such as loratadine, cetirizine, diphenhydramine, alongside 16 other entries. Each drug page links to the same underlying FDA data, labeled uses, adverse events reported to FAERS, documented interactions, warnings, and, where available, NADAC acquisition pricing from CMS. Over-the-counter and prescription options can sit in the same category but follow different regulatory pathways: OTC products have simplified labeling aimed at self-care, while prescription drugs include detailed monographs meant for clinicians. That distinction matters when comparing dosing, monitoring requirements, and contraindications.
Browsing a category is a research starting point, not a treatment recommendation. Effectiveness, tolerability, and cost for any individual patient depend on the specific condition, comorbidities, other medications, genetics, and insurance coverage, none of which can be inferred from a category list alone. FAERS report counts, recall history, and shortage status all evolve as new data is reported to the FDA, so the relative standing of drugs in this class can shift month to month. This page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, a licensed clinician is the right source for personalized guidance.
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Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.