Zyrtec

Zyrtec has an antihistamine effect. It is used to eliminate allergies.

Indications Zyrteca

It is used to treat the following disorders:

• year-round or seasonal allergic rhinitis with nasal congestion, itching, and sneezing;
• conjunctivitis of allergic origin, in which lacrimation is observed along with redness of the conjunctiva;
• hay fever;
• manifestations of skin allergies - dermatitis or urticaria.

Release form

The drug is released in 2 different forms:

• tablets, 7 or 10 pieces inside a blister strip. In a box there is 1 strip (for 7 or 10 tablets) or 2 strips (for 10 tablets);
• drops inside glass bottles with a capacity of 10 or 20 ml. Inside the package there is 1 bottle, which comes with a dropper cap.

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Pharmacodynamics

Cetirizine is the active ingredient of the drug - it is a competitive antagonist of the histamine component. The medicinal effect is due to the ability to block the endings of histamine H1.

Clinical signs of cetirizine exposure:

• elimination of itching;
• reduction in the volume of exudate;
• slowing down the processes of movement of blood cells involved in the development of allergies (neutrophils with eosinophils and basophils);
• stabilization of the mast cell membrane;
• strengthening the strength of small vessels;
• elimination of smooth muscle spasms;
• prevention of tissue swelling;
• elimination of skin manifestations arising from individual allergens (after the use of histamine or specific antigens, as well as cooling of the skin);
• In mild bronchial asthma, the degree of bronchoconstriction caused by the action of histamine is reduced.

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Pharmacokinetics

When the drug is taken orally, it is quickly absorbed into the blood through the gastrointestinal tract. About 93% of the drug is synthesized with protein in the plasma. Taking it with food slows down the rate of absorption of the drug, but does not change the volume of the absorbed element.

The drug's effect develops 20-60 minutes after a single use and continues for more than 24 hours. Peak plasma levels are observed 60-90 minutes after use.

The metabolic process develops by means of o-dealkylation. The resulting metabolic product does not have medicinal activity.

The half-life is determined taking into account the patient's age:

• for adults this interval is 10 hours;
• for children aged 6-12 years it is equal to 6 hours;
• for the age group 2-6 years – lasts 5 hours;
• In infants from 6 months to 2 years old, this period lasts 3.1 hours.

Two thirds of the dose taken in the form of an unchanged element are excreted through the kidneys. The liver is also an important participant in the excretion process. Because of this, if the patient has chronic liver pathologies, the half-life is extended by 1.5 times, and in the presence of moderate renal failure - three times.

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Dosing and administration

The portion size is determined by the patient's age. In addition, his condition is taken into account - for example, the presence and form of kidney failure. Often, daily doses are taken once, both forms of drugs must be taken orally. The duration of use of the drug is selected by the attending physician, taking into account the severity of the allergy and the patient's diagnosis.

Scheme of using drops.

Portion sizes based on patient age:

• for children over 6 years of age, as well as adults, the initial dose is 10 drops. If necessary, it can be increased to 20 drops;
• for children aged 2-6 years – 5 drops twice a day or 10 drops once;
• children aged 1-2 years should take 5 drops of the drug 1-2 times a day;
• For infants aged 6-12 months, the dosage is 5 drops.

For people with liver failure, the portion size is selected depending on the CC values. If such a violation is observed in a child, weight indicators should also be taken into account when selecting a portion.

Mode of use of tablets.

The portion sizes are selected in the following way: for children over 6 years of age and adults - 0.5 tablets (initial dosage). It can also be increased to 1 tablet per day.

It is prohibited to prescribe tablets to children under 6 years of age.

Scheme of drug administration in children.

The method of taking drops for children is slightly different from the method of using the drug for adults. Children can take the drug in the form of syrup (slightly diluted with plain water), and infants up to 12 months are allowed to use it in the form of nasal drops. In this case, you must first clean the child's nostrils, then drip 1 drop into each of them.

The therapy should be continued until all allergic symptoms disappear.

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Use Zyrteca during pregnancy

Tests on the effect of the drug on the body of pregnant women were conducted exclusively on animals. No negative impact on the course of pregnancy or intrauterine development of the fetus was noted. However, due to insufficient data on the safety of the drug for the human fetus, it cannot be prescribed to pregnant women.

Cetirizine is excreted in breast milk, which is why when prescribing Zyrtec, it is necessary to stop breastfeeding during therapy.

Contraindications

Main contraindications:

• the presence of intolerance to any medicinal element;
• severe renal failure.

Caution is required when prescribing to people with the following disorders:

• moderate renal failure of a chronic nature;
• old age;
• high seizure readiness, as well as epilepsy;
• the presence of factors in a person that predispose to urinary retention.

Additional contraindications for using tablets include:

• galactosemia;
• malabsorption, including glucose-galactose;
• children under 6 years of age.

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Side effects Zyrteca

The following side effects are often noted: a feeling of drowsiness and severe fatigue, as well as dizziness, nausea, headaches, dry mouth, pharyngitis and runny nose.

Sometimes such disturbances as a state of mental agitation, paresthesia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, itching, rashes on the skin surface and asthenia are noted.

The following disorders occasionally develop: urticaria, tachycardia, peripheral edema, increased liver function tests (such as alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin, as well as transaminase activity). In addition, hallucinations, confusion, depression and aggression, signs of intolerance, sleep disorders and convulsions occur. Weight gain is also observed.

The following complications occur sporadically: taste disorders, fainting, anaphylaxis, tremor, dystonia and dyskinesia. Visual disturbances (such as nystagmus, blurred vision and accommodation disorder) also occur. Enuresis or dysuria, thrombocytopenia and Quincke's edema may develop.

Possible effects include urinary retention, memory impairment (sometimes leading to amnesia) and suicidal thoughts.

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Overdose

The development of intoxication is possible with a single use of the medication in a dose that is several times greater than the daily dose.

Among the symptoms that occur after using approximately 50 mg of Zyrtec (100 drops or 5 tablets):

• a state of stupor or confusion;
• a feeling of restlessness, extreme fatigue, or drowsiness;
• tachycardia, pronounced sedative effect;
• diarrhea;
• tremor;
• dizziness or headaches;
• urinary retention.

To eliminate the disorder, it is necessary to immediately induce vomiting in the patient or perform gastric lavage. In addition, the patient may be prescribed activated carbon. The drug has no antidote, so only symptomatic procedures are required. Hemodialysis in case of poisoning with Zyrtec will be ineffective.

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Interactions with other drugs

When combining the drug with theophylline, a decrease in the values of the total clearance of the element cetirizine by 16% is noted.

Combination with ritonavir increases the AUC level of Zyrtec by 40%, while similar values for ritonavir are reduced by 11%.

Concomitant use with bupreporphine or zopiclone results in mutual potentiation of both drugs, which results in suppression of CNS function.

The combination with diazepam leads to a mutual increase in the effect on the nervous system, due to which its activity is weakened, and the reaction speed also deteriorates.

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Storage conditions

Zyrtec should be kept out of reach of children at standard temperatures.

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Shelf life

Zyrtec can be used for 5 years from the date of manufacture of the drug.

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Application for children

Zyrtec is often prescribed to children. However, it is prohibited to prescribe it to infants under six months.

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Analogues

The following medications are analogs of the drug: Allertek, Analergin, Alercetin with Amertil, and also Rolinoz and Zodak. The list also includes Cetrinal, Cetrinax, Cetirizine Hexal with Cetrin, Cetirizine-Astrapharm with Cetirizine Sandoz, and also Cetirizine-Norton, Fenistil, Claritin and Erius.

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Reviews

Zyrtec usually receives positive reviews from patients. It helps eliminate allergies, while at the same time causing side effects quite rarely. The drops are very effective and at the same time quite safe even when prescribed to children. The only drawback is the high price of the drug, especially in comparison with its analogues.

Drops prescribed for children also receive many good reviews - when used according to the instructions, the effectiveness of the medicinal effect is high, and the risk of negative effects is quite low.