Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Zyrtec drops is a prescription antiallergic drug. It inhibits allergic reactions occurring in the mucous membranes in the nose and eyes, related to weather conditions or changes in the content of plant pollen in the environment. It is recommended for the relief of allergic urticaria. It is taken regularly to protect against the effects of the immune response to allergens. Its action depends on regular use, because it inhibits the body’s reactions for a longer time when staying in an environment with a higher risk for the patient.
Zyrtec Drops – composition
Zyrtec Krople bases its action on the active substance, cetirizine dihydrochloride. One milliliter, or 20 drops of the preparation, contains 10 mg of this ingredient. Additionally, the preparation includes glycerol, sodium saccharin, propylene glycol, methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate, sodium acetate, glacial acetic acid and purified water.
The liquid in the bottle is clear, colorless. The packaging usually contains a 10 ml bottle, and there are also 15 and 20-ml containers in circulation.
The drug should not be available to children, it should be protected from the effects of light, not exposed to temperature fluctuations. Its shelf life is 3 months from the first opening of the bottle.
Zyrtec Drops – dosage
The drug should be poured onto a spoon, and then diluted with water in a glass. There should be enough fluid to be diluted so that even a small patient would be able to drink the entire portion. When counting the drops, the bottle should be held upside down, because only in this case the appropriate volume of droplets is formed.
In the case of adults and adolescents over 12 years of age, the recommended dose is 20 drops a day in one serving, i.e. 10 mg of the active substance. For patients aged 6 to 12 years, a dose of 10 drops or 5 mg twice a day is suitable. Children up to six years of age take 2,5 mg, which is 5 drops twice every 24 hours.
The drug is not intended for patients under 2 years of age.
If the effect of Zyrtec seems too weak, do not increase the dose yourself, but consult your doctor, as the effect of the drug may be inhibited by other factors. If you miss a dose, you should not double-take the medicine.
Zyrtec Drops – precautions
Do not use the drug if you have severe kidney disease with a creatinine clearance below 10 ml / min. If your doctor tells you to use Zyrtec, it will be taken at a much lower dose. If you are allergic to cetirizine dihydrochloride, hydroxyzine, piperazine or any of the ingredients, choose a preparation with a different composition. A contraindication to taking the drug is the patient’s epileptic and convulsive tendencies.
Zyrtec can interfere with the results of allergy tests so stop taking the drug if the consumer is planning to do them.
Zyrtec Drops – side effects
The active ingredient may cause delayed-type allergic reactions, so the immune response of the body should be carefully monitored.
In some cases, patients taking Zyrtec drops have experienced confusion, dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, pupil dilation, malaise, itching, restlessness, sleepiness, increased heart rate, tremor and urinary retention. These effects increased when the drug was overdosed.
There have been recurrences of pruritus or urticaria when patients discontinued the preparation during clinical trials.
Side effects of the drug, observed in a few cases, include agitation, abdominal pain, paraesthesia (sensory disturbance), asthenia, convulsions, tachycardia, depression, aggressive behavior, hallucinations, allergic reactions, edema, weight gain. Up to 1 in 10 patients experienced thrombocytopenia, habitual tics, dyskinesia, fainting, dysgeusia, visual disturbances (including accommodation, blurred vision), eyeball rotation, rash, angioedema, bedwetting, pain, inflammation liver. In the event of any disorders of the above or other nature, the doctor and the Department of Monitoring Adverse Effects of Medicinal Products should be immediately notified.
Studies of Zyrtec Drops have not shown a negative effect on concentration and ability to drive vehicles. Medical consultation is recommended if the patient is suspected or pregnant or breastfeeding, as cetirizine passes through the cell barrier into breast milk.