Fexofenadine 120mg Dosing Recommendation
Fexofenadine 120mg should be administered once daily for adults and children ≥12 years with seasonal allergic rhinitis or chronic idiopathic urticaria. 1
Dosing Frequency
- The 120mg dose is taken once daily in the morning 2, 3, 4
- This once-daily regimen provides 24-hour symptom control with efficacy maintained throughout the entire dosing interval 3
- An alternative dosing strategy of 60mg twice daily (total 120mg/day) is equally effective but once-daily dosing improves patient compliance 4, 5
Administration Guidelines
- Take with water only - avoid fruit juices (grapefruit, orange, apple) which reduce bioavailability by 36% and diminish therapeutic effects 2
- Separate from antacids - aluminum and magnesium-containing antacids decrease fexofenadine absorption by 41% (AUC) and 43% (Cmax) when taken within 15 minutes 2
- Timing: Administer at 8 AM for optimal symptom control throughout the day 4
Efficacy Evidence
- The 120mg once-daily dose demonstrates equivalent efficacy to cetirizine 10mg once daily for seasonal allergic rhinitis 3
- Both 120mg and 180mg once-daily doses show superior efficacy compared to placebo (p ≤ 0.05) with no significant difference between these two doses 4
- For chronic idiopathic urticaria, doses of 60mg twice daily (equivalent to 120mg total daily) or greater provide optimal symptom reduction 6
Safety Profile
- Adverse events occur at placebo-equivalent rates - the safety profile is similar to placebo even at doses up to 240mg/day 1, 5
- Headache is the most common adverse event (8.9% vs 7.5% placebo) 4
- No sedation occurs at the 120mg dose, distinguishing it from cetirizine which causes drowsiness in 9% of patients 3, 5
- No cardiac effects or QTc prolongation, even when combined with erythromycin or ketoconazole 2