Zyrtec may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as other cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.
Zyrtec and Sudafed can be taken with other OTC medications But you generally shouldn't take more than one antihistamine or more than one decongestant at a time, unless directed otherwise by your healthcare provider.
Common Zyrtec side effects may include:
feeling hot, sweating; numbness, tingling, burning pain; altered sense of taste; upset stomach, constipation; or.
Cetirizine and levocetirizine have been linked to rare, isolated instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness such as opioid pain or cough relievers (such as codeine, hydrocodone), alcohol, marijuana (cannabis), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine), or ...
You should not use Zyrtec-D if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, severe high blood pressure (hypertension), severe coronary artery disease, if you are unable to urinate, or if you are allergic to hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril). Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.
Cetirizine is unlikely to do you any harm if you take it for a long time. However it's best to take cetirizine only for as long as you need to. If you take it regularly over a long period there's a very small chance of severe itching if you stop treatment suddenly.
Sandoz issued a voluntary recall of 1,023,430 units of Zyrtec (10 mg) capsules as a result of failed impurities and a specification being reported for impurity at the 21-month stability time point, according to an FDA Enforcement Report.
Yes, you can take cetirizine (Zyrtec) only when you need it if you have allergy symptoms once in a while. But if you have allergy symptoms on a daily basis, taking it regularly according to the manufacturer's directions might give you the most relief from your allergies.
Cetirizine can be taken at any time of the day. In most people it is non-sedating, so they take it in the morning. However, a percentage of people do find it to be sedating so if it does make you drowsy it is best to take it in the evening. Cetirizine can be taken with or without food.
Taking too much antihistamine can lead to adverse side effects and a potential antihistamine overdose. Antihistamines are a class of medication that treat allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, and itching. As with any medication, taking too much can be harmful.
What's the best time of day to take ZYRTEC®? Any time of day works. And ZYRTEC® will continue to work for 24 hours.
Antihistamines may interact with:
Drugs with anticholinergic activity such as amitryptiline and other tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics like chlorpromazine, certain drugs to prevent vomiting (prochlorperazine and promethazine.
In most cases, having coffee while taking a first-generation antihistamine like Benadryl is often acceptable. However, it's best to avoid caffeine if you're taking a second-generation antihistamine like Zyrtec or Allegra.
Many over-the-counter antihistamines contain a decongestant as well, and therefore if the user experiences palpitations, the medication should be stopped.
First generation antihistamines, while very effective at controlling symptoms, are often associated with symptoms in older adults such as anxiety, confusion, sedation, blurred vision, reduced mental alertness, urinary retention and constipation.
Some people report that if they stop such antihistamines suddenly, they can experience levocetirizine (Xyzal) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) withdrawal itching.
Since both medications have a common core chemical structure, Zyrtec and Xyzal generally have the same level of effectiveness, onset of action, and range of allergy symptoms treated. Xyzal is slightly less drowsy, so if drowsiness is an issue with your allergy medicine, Xyzal is better than Zyrtec.
Newer antihistamines like Allegra and Claritin are generally safe for daily use. But allergy medications with decongestants, such as Claritin-D or Benadryl-D, could make your allergies worse with long-term use.
Claritin and Zyrtec are popular over-the-counter antihistamines. Doctors consider them safe and effective treatments for minor allergies. Both are second-generation antihistamines. These cause less drowsiness than first-generation antihistamines.
For allergy sufferers with heart disease, medicines such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin should be safe. However, medicines containing decongestants — including Allegra-D, Zyrtec-D and Claritin-D — could increase your blood pressure and heart rate or interfere with your heart medication.
The drowsiness and fatigue which may occur in a small percentage of patients may be more of a problem for the elderly because of the increased risk of bone fracture if they fall. Other medical problems common in elderly patients may contribute to sedation.
So what can older adults safely take for allergy relief? Wozniak: Newer antihistamines such as Claritin® (loratadine) and Allegra® (fexofenadine) tend to be safer and better tolerated.
Cetirizine (applies to Zyrtec) renal/liver disease
Cetirizine is eliminated primarily by the kidney but also undergoes metabolism in the liver to some extent. Patients with renal and/or liver disease may be at greater risk for adverse effects from cetirizine due to decreased drug clearance.