Seldane (Terfenadine (Removed from market 1998)) Drug Overview and Uses for Patients and Caregivers at RxList

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May 27, 2012

Seldane

Hay Fever »

What is hay fever? What are the symptoms and signs?

Hay fever is a misnomer. Hay is not a usual cause of this problem, and it does not cause fever. Early descriptions of sneezing, nasal congestion, and eye irritation while harvesting field hay promoted this popular term. Allergic rhinitis is the correct term used to describe this allergic reaction, and many different substances cause the allergic symptoms noted in hay fever. Rhinitis means "irritation of the nose" and is a derivative of rhino, meaning nose. Allergic rhinitis which occurs during a specific season is called "seasonal allergic rhinitis." When it occurs throughout the year, it is called "perennial allergic rhinitis." Rhinosinusitis is the medical term that refers to inflammation of the nasal lining as well as the lining tissues of the sinuses. This term is sometime used because the two conditions frequently occur together.

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever...

Read the Hay Fever article »

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Seldane

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Please Note: This Brand Name drug is no longer available in the US.
(Generic versions may still be available.)

Seldane
(terfenadine)

DRUG DESCRIPTION

WARNING

QT INTERVAL PROLONGATION/VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIA

RARE CASES OF SERIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR ADVERSE EVENTS, INCLUDING DEATH, CARDIAC ARREST, TORSADES DE POINTES, AND OTHER VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIAS, HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN THE FOLLOWING CLINICAL SETTINGS, FREQUENTLY IN ASSOCIATION WITH INCREASED TERFENADINE LEVELS WHICH LEAD TO ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC QT PROLONGATION:

CONCOMITANT ADMINISTRATION OF KETOCONAZOLE (NIZORAL) OR ITRACONAZOLE (SPORANOX)

OVERDOSE, INCLUDING SINGLE DOSES AS LOW AS 360 MG

CONCOMITANT ADMINISTRATION OF CLARITHROMYCIN, ERYTHROMYCIN, OR TROLEANDOMYCIN

SIGNIFICANT HEPATIC DYSFUNCTION

TERFENADINE IS CONTRAINDICATED IN PATIENTS TAKING KETOCONAZOLE, ITRACONAZOLE, OR ERYTHROMYCIN, CLARITHROMYCIN, OR TROLEANDOMYCIN, AND IN PATIENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT HEPATIC DYSFUNCTION.

DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED DOSE.

IN SOME CASES, SEVERE ARRHYTHMIAS HAVE BEEN PRECEDED BY EPISODES OF SYNCOPE, SYNCOPE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING TERFENADINE SHOULD LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION OF TREATMENT AND FULL EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL ARRHYTHMIAS.

(See CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS, CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, and DRUG INTERACTIONS).

Seldane (terfenadine) is available as tablets for oral administration. Each tablet contains 60 mg terfenadine. Tablets also contain, as inactive ingredients: corn starch, gelatin, lactose, magnesium stearate, and sodium bicarbonate.

Terfenadine is a histamine H₁-receptor antagonist with the chemical name alpha-[4-(1,1-Dimethylethyl) phenyl]-4- (hydroxydiphenylmethyl) -1-piperidine-butanol (±). The molecular weight is 471.68. The molecular formula is C₃₂H₄₁NO₂.

Terfenadine occurs as a white to off-white crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in chloroform, soluble in ethanol, and very slightly soluble in water.

Last reviewed on RxList: 12/8/2004
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.