Based on 4 first-hand reports and 12 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #1529 of 1,974 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 0% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: Topical olopatadine is a safe and effective treatment modality for allergic conjunctivitis, whereas alcaftadine appears to be superior to olopatadine in reducing ocular itch.
PubMed 27192186 ↗Conclusion: For atopic dermatitis, as adjunctive therapy to reduce pruritus, cetirizine, ketotifen and loratadine demonstrate efficacy. Although current evidence does not suggest a primary role for these agents in the management of asthma, it does support their use for asthmatic patients when there is coexisting allergic rhinitis, dermatitis or urticaria.
PubMed 9951950 ↗Conclusion: Evidence from randomised controlled trials indicates that ketotifen alone or in combination with other co-interventions improves control of asthma and wheezing in children with mild and moderate asthma. However due to the high proportion of children with atopy in some trials the results cannot necessarily be generalised to all asthmatic children. The benefit is obtained at the cost of minor side effects, namely sedation and weight gain. The validity of this conclusion is limited by the low reported, methodological quality of included trials.
PubMed 14973969 ↗Conclusion: Anti-histamines, particularly ketotifen, have the strongest evidence of efficacy for prevention of post-traumatic arthrofibrosis. Some studies suggest a potential role for NSAIDs, particularly celecoxib, although heterogeneity among the included studies is significant.
PubMed 38814178 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“You can also try an OTC anti-histamine, such as ketotifen, specifically.”
“My husband has also found sodium cromolyn helpful and I know others swear by ketotifen.”
“You'll want either Ketotifen or Chromolyn depending on your symptoms.”
“I think what may have saved me is that I took loratadine and ketotifen about 30 mins before all that went down.”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate