Skip to main content
Clemastine Coupon - Clemastine 2.68mg tablet

clemastine

Generic Tavist
Used for Allergic Rhinitis, Hives, Skin Allergy

Clemastine fumarate is a first-generation antihistamine. It's used in adults and children for short-term relief of allergy symptoms, such as sneezing and runny nose. It can also help ease itchiness from chronic (long-term) hives or angioedema. Clemastine is only available by prescription, and comes as a tablet and syrup that's typically taken up to 3 times per day. Common side effects include sleepiness and dizziness. Brand name Tavist has been discontinued.

Reviewed by:
reviewerRobert Chad Hakim, PharmD, BCCCP
reviewerAllison Gourley, PharmD
Last reviewed on May 16, 2024
basics-icon

What is Clemastine?

What is Clemastine used for?

How Clemastine works

Clemastine is a first-generation antihistamine. It blocks a natural substance in your body called histamine. In doing so, clemastine lowers inflammation and relieves runny nose, itchy nose, and sneezing.

Drug facts

Common BrandsTavist(brand no longer available)
Drug ClassAntihistamine
Controlled Substance ClassificationNot a controlled medication
Generic StatusLower-cost generic available
AvailabilityPrescription only
side-effects-icon

Side effects of Clemastine

The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.

Common Side Effects

  • Sleepiness
  • Dizziness
  • Loss of coordination
  • Stomach upset

Less Common Side Effects

  • Fatigue
  • Dry mouth, nose, or throat
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Blurry vision

Source: DailyMed

The following Clemastine side effects have also been reported

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common or rare

Less common or rare with azatadine, cetirizine, clemastine, cyproheptadine, desloratadine, dexchlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, or loratadine

Abdominal or stomach pain

burning

chills

clay-colored stools or dark urine

cough

diarrhea

difficulty swallowing

dizziness

fast or irregular heartbeat

fever

headache

hives

itching

prickly sensations

puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips or tongue

redness of skin

seizures

shortness of breath

skin rash

swelling

tightness in chest

tingling

unusual tiredness or weakness

wheezing

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common or rare

Sore throat

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

Symptoms of overdose

Clumsiness or unsteadiness

convulsions (seizures)

drowsiness (severe)

dryness of mouth, nose, or throat (severe)

feeling faint

flushing or redness of face

hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)

shortness of breath or troubled breathing

trouble in sleeping

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Drowsiness

dry mouth, nose, or throat

gastrointestinal upset, stomach pain, or nausea

headache

increased appetite and weight gain

thickening of mucus

Less common or rare

Acid or sour stomach

belching

blurred vision or any change in vision

body aches or pain

clumsiness or unsteadiness

confusion (not with diphenhydramine)

congestion

constipation

cough

diarrhea

difficult or painful urination

difficulty in moving

difficult or painful menstruation

dizziness (not with brompheniramine or hydroxyzine)

drowsiness (with high doses of desloratadine and loratadine)

dryness of mouth, nose, or throat

early menstruation

fast heartbeat

fever

heartburn

hoarseness

increased sensitivity of skin to sun

increased sweating

indigestion

loss of appetite

joint pain

muscle aching or cramping

muscle pains or stiffness

nausea

nightmares (not with azatadine, chlorpheniramine, cyproheptadine, desloratadine, hydroxyzine, or loratadine)

ringing or buzzing in ears

runny nose

skin rash

swollen joints

stomach discomfort, upset or pain

tender swollen glands in neck

tremor

unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability

vomiting

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See more Clemastine side effects
prices-container

Get your GoodRx coupon

Avg retail price
$210.99(Save 80.82%)
GoodRx discount
$40.46
See prices
pros-and-cons-icon

Pros and cons of Clemastine

Pros

  • Taken by mouth
  • Comes as a tablet and liquid syrup
  • Available as a generic medication

Cons

  • Only available by prescription
  • Must avoid during breastfeeding
  • Syrup contains alcohol
pharmacist-tips-icon

Pharmacist tips for Clemastine

pharmacist
  • Take clemastine with or without food. If it hurts your stomach, try taking it with food to help.
  • Clemastine might make you feel a little sleepy. Don't drive until you know how this medication affects you. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking clemastine because this raises your risk of sleepiness and dizziness. Make sure to let your healthcare professional (HCP) know if you're taking other medications that make you sleepy.
  • Don't start any new medications while taking clemastine, especially other antihistamines, without talking to an HCP or pharmacist first. Doing so can raise your risk of taking too much medication (overdose) and lead to severe side effects, including seizures, hallucinations (seeing things that aren't real), and even death.
  • Don't take clemastine with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as selegiline, phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). This combination can worsen side effects from clemastine, such as constipation, changes in vision, dry mouth, and fast heart rate.
  • If you're pregnant, don't take clemastine without talking to a healthcare professional because it's not completely clear how safe this medication is for your baby. They'll discuss the risks and benefits with you, or they might recommend a different antihistamine that has more safety data in pregnancy.
  • Don't take clemastine if you're breastfeeding. It's unclear how this medication might affect a nursing baby, but research shows that it can get into breastmilk. Because of the possible risk of harm to newborns and babies born premature, your care team will likely ask you to avoid taking this medication if you're breastfeeding.

For the clemastine 0.5 mg/5 mL syrup:

  • Store clemastine syrup at room temperature and keep it in the original bottle it came in from the pharmacy.
  • Use a medication dose cup or an oral syringe to measure your dose of clemastine. Ask your pharmacy to provide you with one if the product doesn't include it in its packaging or if you need extras. Don't use household spoons because they might not be accurate and might cause you to take the wrong dose.
  • Clemastine syrup contains about 5% of alcohol. Let your prescriber know if you prefer to use a product that doesn't have alcohol in it.
warnings-icon

Risks and warnings for Clemastine

Clemastine can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.

Sleepiness

  • Risk factors: Alcohol use | Taking other medications that cause sleepiness | Age 60 or older

Clemastine can make you very sleepy, which can affect your ability to focus, think, or react. This side effect is more likely to happen or be more intense if you're 65 years or older, drink alcohol while taking this medication, or take other medications that cause sleepiness (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines, sleep medications). Don't drive or operate machinery until you know how clemastine affects you.

Higher risk of side effects in people over 60

People aged 65 years and older experience more side effects when taking antihistamine medications like clemastine. Watch out for changes in vision, severe dry mouth, trouble urinating, or constipation. Also, feelings of drowsiness can leave you unsteady on your feet, which can lead to accidental falls and injuries. Talk with your HCP before using clemastine.

dosage-icon

Clemastine dosage

The average cost for 60 tablets of 2.68mg of Clemastine is $40.46 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 80.82% off the average retail price of $210.99.
ml of syrupMl of syrup
DosageQuantityPrice as low asPrice per unit
0.5mg/5ml473 ml$54.58$0.12
tabletTablet
DosageQuantityPrice as low asPrice per unit
2.68mg60 tablets$40.46$0.67
See more Clemastine dosage
interactions-icon

Interactions between Clemastine and other drugs

Clemastine may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Clemastine. Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

See more Clemastine interactions
cost-icon

How much does Clemastine cost?

To access savings, use a GoodRx coupon and pay just a fraction of the retail price.
Clemastine (generic)
GoodRx lowest price

$40.46

View prices and coupons
contraindications-icon

Clemastine contraindications

Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Clemastine will not be safe for you to take.

alternatives-icon

What are alternatives to Clemastine?

There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Clemastine. Compare a few possible alternatives below.
Clemastine
Used for:
$40.46Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:
  • Short-term relief of allergy or common cold symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose or throat, and itchy or watery eyes) - people 6 years and older
  • Occasional trouble sleeping - people 12 years and older
$4.09Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:
  • Short-term relief of allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, itching of the nose or throat)
  • Relief of itchiness due to chronic (long-term) hives - by prescription only
$9.44Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
latest-news-icon

News about Clemastine

images-icon

Clemastine images

White Round Gg 160 - Clemastine Fumarate 2.68mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round, Scored Tablet Imprinted With "Gg 160".White Round Gg 160 - Clemastine Fumarate 2.68mg Tablet
White Round Nh 268 - Clemastine Fumarate 2.68mg Tablet
This medicine is White, Round, Scored Tablet Imprinted With "Nh 268".White Round Nh 268 - Clemastine Fumarate 2.68mg Tablet

References

Best studies we found

Ayurax, LLC. (2023). Clemastine fumarate- clemastine fumarate syrup [package insert]. DailyMed.

Borowy, C. S., et al. (2023). Antihistamine toxicity. StatPearls.

Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®). Clemastine. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.