Cetirizine
About Cetirizine
Cetirizine is used to treat allergies, such as hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis), round-the-year dust or pet allergies (perennial allergic rhinitis), and urticaria (swelling, redness, and itchiness of the skin).
Cetirizine contains cetirizine (an antihistamine), which blocks the effects of a chemical messenger known as histamine, which is naturally involved in allergic reactions. It helps relieve allergy symptoms like a blocked/runny/itchy nose, red/watery eyes, and skin rashes.
Cetirizine may cause side effects like feeling sleepy, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, dry mouth, sore throat, and nausea. If the side effects persist or worsen, consult your doctor.
Do not take Cetirizine if you are allergic to any of its components. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep your doctor informed about your health condition and medications to prevent any interactions.
Uses of Cetirizine
• Allergic Rhinitis: Cetirizine provides relief from allergic rhinitis symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, and itchy or watery eyes.
• Chronic Urticaria: Cetirizine helps to relieve symptoms of chronic urticaria, including itching and hives, providing comfort from this skin condition.
• Seasonal Allergies: Cetirizine effectively manages seasonal allergy symptoms, such as those caused by pollen, providing relief from environmental allergens.
• Dust Mite Allergy: Cetirizine helps also alleviate symptoms caused by dust mite allergies, reducing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Animal Dander Allergy: Cetirizine also helps relieve symptoms caused by animal dander allergies, making it easier for people to be around pets without experiencing severe allergic reactions.
Medicinal Benefits
- Cetirizine is used to treat and prevent allergic reactions by blocking the action of histamine, a chemical involved in allergies.
- It is suitable for adults and children aged two years and above.
- It provides relief from hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis).
- It helps manage dust or pet allergies (perennial allergic rhinitis).
- Cetirizine treats urticaria (hives), which causes swelling, redness, and itchy skin.
- It relieves common allergy symptoms such as blocked, runny, or itchy nose; red, watery, or itchy eyes; skin rashes and itching.
- Cetirizine improves overall comfort and quality of life in people with allergic conditions.
Directions for Use
- Cetirizine can be taken with or without food as advised by your doctor.
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication.
- Swallow Cetirizine as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Cetirizine
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Feeling sick
- Dizziness
- Diarrhoea
Drug Warnings
- Do not take Cetirizine if you are allergic to any of its components.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
- If you become pregnant while taking Cetirizine, consult your doctor.
- Please inform your doctor if you have a problem passing urine, epilepsy (fits), liver or kidney problems.
- Patients should be cautioned against getting engaged in work which requires too much mental alertness, like operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle, after intake of Cetirizine as it may cause sleepiness/dizziness.
- Concurrent use of Cetirizine with alcohol or other antidepressants should be avoided as it can reduce your mental alertness.
- Let your doctor know if you are taking any other medicines, including supplements or herbal products.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Cetirizine has interactions with a painkiller (antipyrine), antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin), antacids (cimetidine), anti-fungal (ketoconazole), respiratory disease medicine (theophylline), decongestants (pseudoephedrine), and anti-viral or anti-HIV drugs (ritonavir).
Drug-Food Interactions: Alcohol and St John's wort plant (a plant used as an anti-depressant) should not be used along with Cetirizine.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Inform your doctor if you have kidney disease, epilepsy (fits), urinary bladder problems or alcoholism.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeCetirizine may cause excessive dizziness when taken with alcohol, so intake should be avoided.
Pregnancy
cautionCetirizine is generally safe to take in pregnancy. If you have concerns, discuss them with the doctor before taking Cetirizine.
Breast Feeding
cautionCetirizine should be used in breastfeeding mothers only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Driving
cautionPlease drive with caution as Cetirizine may cause sleepiness.
Liver
cautionLimited information was available for the use of Cetirizine in patients suffering from liver impairment. Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns regarding using Cetirizine in patients with liver impairment. Your doctor will prescribe only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Kidney
cautionCetirizine to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney disease. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with less than 10 mL/min creatinine clearance or patients undergoing hemodialysis should not take Cetirizine.
Children
cautionGenerally, Cetirizine is not recommended for children below six years. The dose must be adjusted and guided by a child specialist in children above six years.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Staying hydrated is vital for those with a cough or cold. Drinking liquids at room temperature can alleviate cough, runny nose, and sneezing.
- The immune system is affected by stress and raises the risk of being sick. An individual can exercise regularly, meditate, do deep breathing, and try progressive muscle relaxation techniques to relieve stress.
- Try to sleep 7-9 hours each night to stay fit and safe.
- It is advised to avoid contact with known allergens (allergy-causing agents) such as pollen, dust, etc. Certain food items are known to cause allergies in you.
- Maintain personal hygiene and keep your surroundings clean.
Special Advise
If you are supposed to undergo skin testing, the doctor might advise you to stop taking Cetirizine 72 hours before the test, as it decreases the response to the skin prick test.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Allergy: An allergy is an immune system response to foreign elements, typically not harmful to your body. These foreign elements are known as ‘allergens.’ Allergic condition varies from person to person. Some might be allergic to certain foods and seasonal allergies like hay fever. At the same time, others might be allergic to pollen or pet dander. Cetirizine is a non-drowsy antihistamine that makes it less likely to make you sleepy than other antihistamines or antiallergics.
FAQs
Cetirizine is used in the treatment of common allergies, hay fever, conjunctivitis, eczema, reactions to insect bites and stings, and skin rashes.
Hay fever is an allergy caused by outdoor or indoor allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, or tiny flecks of skin and saliva shed by cats, dogs, and other animals with fur or feathers (pet dander). It leads to cold-like symptoms (running nose, watery eyes).
Cetirizine contains cetirizine (an antihistamine), which blocks the effects of a chemical messenger known as histamine, which is naturally involved in allergic reactions.
Depending upon the severity of allergic conditions due to allergens, Cetirizine can be safely taken daily until you get complete relief as long as your doctor has advised you to take it.
Cetirizine is an antihistamine providing instant relief from allergic conditions; however, in some people, it may cause sleepiness and induce some drowsiness during the day. Hence, you are recommended to take it at night in case you are experiencing excessive drowsiness during the day.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take Cetirizine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
You should not take Cetirizine if you have had an allergic reaction to Cetirizine, food additives containing E218 or E216, are intolerant to lactose or sorbitol, have liver or kidney failure, epilepsy (fits), or difficulty in peeing. Tell your doctor that you are taking Cetirizine and have booked an allergy test, as it might affect the diagnostic result.
No, Cetirizine should not be taken if you are intolerant to sugar; please get in touch with your doctor before taking Cetirizine to avoid any unpleasant side effects.
Cetirizine will start to work within one hour after you take it. It provides allergy relief for 24 hours.
The most common side effect of cetirizine is feeling sleepy and tired.
It's best to take Cetirizine only for as long as necessary, depending on the medical condition being treated. Follow dosage guidelines as directed by the physician.
Yes, Cetirizine can be taken with paracetamol if necessary. No interactions were found between cetirizine and Paracetamol.
Cetirizine contains Cetirizine as an active ingredient.
Cetirizine is not a steroid. It is an anti-allergic medication.
Both Cetirizine and Fexofenadine are antihistamine class of drugs. Cetirizine should never be taken together with Fexofenadine or with any other antihistamine medications. Antihistamine overdose may occur if multiple types of antihistamines are taken at the same time.
It will help if you don't spend too much time outside while the pollen count is high.
If you use Cetirizine for an extended period of time, you are unlikely to have any negative consequences. However, it is advisable to take cetirizine for as long as necessary. If you take it on a regular basis for an extended period of time, there is a very minor probability of severe itching if you abruptly discontinue therapy.
No, do not crush, break, or chew the tablet. Swallow the medicine whole with water.
There is no evidence that consuming Cetirizine reduces fertility in men or women. However, if you are trying to conceive, see a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it.
It's advisable to avoid alcohol when taking Cetirizine because it can make you sleepy.
Yes, you can take Cetirizine together with paracetamol or ibuprofen. However, it should be taken only as recommended by the doctor.
Please do not exceed the recommended dose, as it might cause an overdose. Signs and symptoms of an overdose of Cetirizine may include severe drowsiness. In children, mental/mood changes (such as restlessness and irritability) may occur before drowsiness. Seek immediate medical attention if you observe any symptoms or think you have taken too much. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Contraception is unaffected by Cetirizine. However, if Cetirizine causes you to vomit or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive tablets may not prevent pregnancy.
