Zyrtec (Zirtec) is an antihistamine. It is prescribed to treat the sneezing; itchy, runny nose; and itchy, red, watery eyes caused by seasonal allergies such as hay fever.
Why is this drug prescribed?
Zyrtec is an antihistamine. It is prescribed to treat the sneezing; itchy, runny nose; and itchy, red, watery eyes caused by seasonal allergies such as hay fever. Zyrtek also relieves the symptoms of year-round allergies due to dust, mold, and animal dander. This medication is also used in the treatment of chronic itchy skin and hives.
Most important fact about this drug:
Zyrtec may cause drowsiness. Be especially careful driving or operating dangerous machinery or participating in any hazardous activity that requires full mental alertness until you know how you react to this medication.
How should you take this medication?
Take Zertec once a day, exactly as prescribed. This medication can be taken with or without food.
Zyrtec may make your mouth dry. Sucking hard candy, chewing a stick of gum, or melting bits of ice in your mouth can provide relief.
--If you miss a dose...
If you are taking this medication on a regular schedule, take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
--Storage instructions...
Store tablets and syrup at room temperature.
What side effects may occur?
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Zyrtec.
• More common side effects in adults may include:
Drowsiness, dry mouth, fatigue
• Less common side effects in adults may include:
Dizziness, sore throat
• More common side effects in children aged 6 to 11 may include:
Abdominal pain, coughing, diarrhea, headache, nosebleed, sleepiness, sore throat, wheezing
• Less common side effects in children aged 6 to 11 may include:
Nausea, vomiting
Why should this drug not be prescribed?
Avoid Zyrtek if it causes a reaction, or if you have ever had a reaction to the similar drug Atarax.
Special warnings about this medication:
If you have kidney or liver disease, be sure to tell your doctor. Your dose of this medication may have to be reduced.
Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication:
You should avoid drinking alcohol or taking sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or muscle relaxants while using Zyrtec. They can lead to increased drowsiness and reduced mental alertness. Among the products to avoid are the following:
Antidepressants such as Tofranil, Elavil, Ludiomil, and Anafranil
Muscle relaxants such as Valium and Soma
Pain-relieving narcotics such as codeine, Demerol, and Percocet
Sedatives such as Nembutal, Seconal, and phenobarbital
Sleeping pills such as Halcion, Restoril, and Ambien
High doses of theophylline (Theo-Dur)
Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding:
The effects of Zyrtec during pregnancy have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your doctor immediately. Zirtec appears in breast milk and should not be used if you are breastfeeding.
Recommended dosage
ADULTS AND CHILDREN 12 YEARS AND OLDER
The usual starting dose is 5 or 10 milligrams once a day, depending on the severity of your symptoms. If you have a kidney or liver condition, the doctor will probably prescribe 5 milligrams daily.
CHILDREN 6 TO 11 YEARS
The usual starting dose is 5 or 10 milligrams (1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of syrup) once a day. If your child has a kidney or liver condition, the doctor will probably prescribe the lower dose.
CHILDREN 2 TO 5 YEARS
The usual starting dose is 2.5 milligrams (half a teaspoonful) once a day. Dosage may be increased to a maximum of 5 milligrams (1 teaspoonful) once daily or 2.5 milligrams (half a teaspoonful) every 12 hours. If the child has a kidney or liver condition, Zyrtec should not be given.
Overdosage:
Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. In adults, the primary symptom of a Zyrtec overdose is extreme sleepiness. In children, restlessness and irritability may precede drowsiness. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical treatment immediately.
Zyrtec notes:
Known by the brand name Zyrtec and having the generic name Cetrizine hydrochrolide (HCl), Zirtec is a medication used to relieve symptoms of allergies. Zyrtec is a second-generation antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Zyrtec gives relief from the common allergies by blocking the action of histamines since it produces typical symptoms of sneezing, itching, tearing, and redness of the eyes, and running nose. Zyrtec also gives relief from the seasonal allergies caused due to grass, tree pollens, dust mites, animal dander etc. Zyrtec is used to treat these allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, watery eyes etc. Zyrtec is used to prevent swelling caused by chronic urticaria (hives). This medicine is available for adults and the children above two years of age.
Zyrtec can be taken with or without food. Zertec comes in many different forms like chewable, non-chewable and syrup forms. It includes 5 mg or 10 mg chewable tablets and also 1mg /ml syrup which can be taken either with water or without water. Before taking Zyrtec, it is advisable to go through the Zertec dosage information and instructions since its overdose can cause extreme sleepiness in adults and restlessness and irritability in children.
There can be certain side-effects also of consuming ceterizine 10 mg. Some side-effects are usually mild and moderate and can include headache, dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, sore throat, abdominal pain, coughing, nose bleeding, somnolence (drowsiness), diarrhea, wheezing, nausea, and vomiting. However Zyrtec’s consumption has some serious side effects as well including fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat weakness, tremors (uncontrolled shaking), sleep problems (insomnia), severe restless feeling, hyperactivity, confusion, problems with vision or urinating less than usual or not at all, unusual bruising or bleeding, yellowing of eyes or skin.
Zyrtec update:
Zyrtec is an orally active and selective H1-receptor antagonist. Cetirizine hydrochloride is the active component of zyrtec available in tablets and syrup form. It works by crossing the blood-brain barrier only slightly there by eliminating the sedative side-effect common with older antihistamines, however it still causes mild drowsiness. Like many other antihistamine medications, zyrtec is commonly prescribed in combination with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride which is a decongestant.
Chemically, levocetirizine is the active L enantiomer of zyrtec. According to a recent study levocetirizine inhibits the production of intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, which proves to be beneficial on the pathophysiologic changes related to human rhinovirus (HRV) infection. Cetirizine acts as an effective agent in treating the symptoms of Kimura's disease, which mostly occurs in young asian men affecting the lymph nodes and soft tissue of the head and neck in the form of tumor-like lesions. As a result of its effectiveness in treating itching and as an anti-inflammatory agent makes it suitable for treatment of such lesions.
Controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials were conducted in the USA and Canada which includes more than 6000 patients aged 12 years and older, with more than 3900 receiving zyrtec at doses of 5 to 20 mg per day. The duration of treatment ranged from 1 week to 6 months with a mean exposure of 30 days. Most adverse reactions reported during therapy with this medication were mild or moderate. The most common adverse reaction in patients aged 12 years and older that occurred more frequently was somnolence.
No clinically significant drug interactions have been found with theophylline at a low dose, azithromycin, pseudoephedrine, ketoconazole or erythromycin. There are reports indicating small decrease in the clearance of cetirizine caused by a 400-mg dose of theophylline which shows possibility of greater effect at larger theophylline dose.
In mice, rats and rabbits cetirizine was not found to cause malformations of an embryo or a fetus at oral doses up to 96, 225 and 135 mg/kg respectively. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response. Zyrtec should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
In a recently conducted study to compare the potential of bilastine, cetirizine and fexofenadine to relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, seventy-five allergic volunteers were challenged with grass pollen on two consecutive days of allergen provocation, 6 hour on first day and 4 hour on second day. Bilastine 20 mg, cetirizine 10 mg and fexofenadine 120 mg were taken orally 2 hour after the start of provocation on day 1. Patients were assesses for total nasal symptom scores, global symptom scores, nasal secretions and eye symptoms on both the days. Bilastine shows a rapid onset of action within 1 hour and a long duration of action greater than 26 hour. Cetirizine also shows the similar behaviour. Fexofenadine was similar on day 1 but less effective on second day indicating a shorter duration of action.
A dose of 5 mg once daily is recommended in patients with 12 years of age and older with decreased renal function (creatinine clearance 11-31 mL/min), patients on hemodialysis (creatinine clearance less than 7 mL/min) and in hepatically impaired patients. Similarly, pediatric patients aged 6 to 11 years with impaired renal or hepatic function should use the lower recommended dose. Because of the difficulty in reliably administering doses of less than 2.5 mg of zyrtec syrup and in the absence of pharmacokinetic and safety information for cetirizine in children below the age of 6 years with impaired renal or hepatic function, its use in this impaired patient population is not recommended.
In a 2-year carcinogenicity study in rats, cetirizine was not found to be carcinogenic at dietary doses up to 20 mg/kg. In a test conducted on mice shows an an increased incidence of benign liver tumors in males at a dietary dose of 16 mg/kg. No increase in the incidence of liver tumors was observed in mice at a dietary dose of 4 mg/kg. Cetirizine was not mutagenic in the Ames test and not clastogenic in the human lymphocyte assay, the mouse lymphoma assay and in vivo micronucleus test in rats. In a fertility and general reproductive performance study in mice, cetirizine did not impair fertility at an oral dose of 64 mg/kg
Zyrtec news:
According to the latest reports U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved zyrtec tablets(also chewable tablets) and syrup formulations (cetirizine HCl) for nonprescription use. The nonprescription drug is approved in adults and children 2 years of age and older for the temporary relief of symptoms due to hay fever or other respiratory allergies that includes sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, itchy throat or nose.
Andrea Leonard-Segal(M.D. , Division of Nonprescription Clinical Evaluation in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) said that the approval of Zyrtec for nonprescription use will offer an additional treatment option for children and adults. He further added to read and carefully follow all directions on the label of the drug.
The tablets and chewable tablets are approved for adults and children 6 years of age and older for the treatment of the symptoms of hay fever and other respiratory allergies and to relieve the itching due to hives, while the syrup is approved for adults and children 2 years of age and older for the treatment of the symptoms of hay fever and other respiratory allergies.
Earlier the FDA had approved Zyrtec-D, a product containing cetirizine HCl and pseudoephedrine Hcl for nonprescription use which helps to achieve relief in symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies such as runny nose, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, itching of the nose or throat and nasal congestion. It is also approved to reduce swollen nasal passages, for relief of sinus congestion and pressure and for restoring freer breathing through the nose due to hay fever and other upper respiratory allergies.
The company(McNeil Consumer Healthcare) has said that it will market two distinct zyrtec products for each dosage form. One will provide directions for treating the symptoms of hay fever and respiratory allergies. The other will contain directions for use to relieve the itching due to hives.
Zyrtec story:
Zyrtec is an orally active and selective H1-receptor antagonist. Cetirizine hydrochloride is the active component of zyrtec available in tablets and syrup form. It works by crossing the blood-brain barrier only slightly there by eliminating the sedative side-effect common with older antihistamines, however it still causes mild drowsiness. Like many other antihistamine medications, zyrtec is commonly prescribed in combination with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride which is a decongestant.
Chemically, levocetirizine is the active L enantiomer of zyrtec. According to a recent study levocetirizine inhibits the production of intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, which proves to be beneficial on the pathophysiologic changes related to human rhinovirus (HRV) infection. Cetirizine acts as an effective agent in treating the symptoms of Kimura's disease, which mostly occurs in young asian men affecting the lymph nodes and soft tissue of the head and neck in the form of tumor-like lesions. As a result of its effectiveness in treating itching and as an anti-inflammatory agent makes it suitable for treatment of such lesions.
Controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials were conducted in the USA and Canada which includes more than 6000 patients aged 12 years and older, with more than 3900 receiving zyrtec at doses of 5 to 20 mg per day. The duration of treatment ranged from 1 week to 6 months with a mean exposure of 30 days. Most adverse reactions reported during therapy with this medication were mild or moderate. The most common adverse reaction in patients aged 12 years and older that occurred more frequently was somnolence.
No clinically significant drug interactions have been found with theophylline at a low dose, azithromycin, pseudoephedrine, ketoconazole or erythromycin. There are reports indicating small decrease in the clearance of cetirizine caused by a 400-mg dose of theophylline which shows possibility of greater effect at larger theophylline dose.
In mice, rats and rabbits cetirizine was not found to cause malformations of an embryo or a fetus at oral doses up to 96, 225 and 135 mg/kg respectively. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response. Zyrtec should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
In a recently conducted study to compare the potential of bilastine, cetirizine and fexofenadine to relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, seventy-five allergic volunteers were challenged with grass pollen on two consecutive days of allergen provocation, 6 hour on first day and 4 hour on second day. Bilastine 20 mg, cetirizine 10 mg and fexofenadine 120 mg were taken orally 2 hour after the start of provocation on day 1. Patients were assesses for total nasal symptom scores, global symptom scores, nasal secretions and eye symptoms on both the days. Bilastine shows a rapid onset of action within 1 hour and a long duration of action greater than 26 hour. Cetirizine also shows the similar behaviour. Fexofenadine was similar on day 1 but less effective on second day indicating a shorter duration of action.
A dose of 5 mg once daily is recommended in patients with 12 years of age and older with decreased renal function (creatinine clearance 11-31 mL/min), patients on hemodialysis (creatinine clearance less than 7 mL/min) and in hepatically impaired patients. Similarly, pediatric patients aged 6 to 11 years with impaired renal or hepatic function should use the lower recommended dose. Because of the difficulty in reliably administering doses of less than 2.5 mg of zyrtec syrup and in the absence of pharmacokinetic and safety information for cetirizine in children below the age of 6 years with impaired renal or hepatic function, its use in this impaired patient population is not recommended.
In a 2-year carcinogenicity study in rats, cetirizine was not found to be carcinogenic at dietary doses up to 20 mg/kg. In a test conducted on mice shows an an increased incidence of benign liver tumors in males at a dietary dose of 16 mg/kg. No increase in the incidence of liver tumors was observed in mice at a dietary dose of 4 mg/kg. Cetirizine was not mutagenic in the Ames test and not clastogenic in the human lymphocyte assay, the mouse lymphoma assay and in vivo micronucleus test in rats. In a fertility and general reproductive performance study in mice, cetirizine did not impair fertility at an oral dose of 64 mg/kg.
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