1. What is Zyrtec 10mg?
Zyrtec 10mg is a product of UCB Farchim SA (Switzerland) containing Cetirizine as its main active ingredient - an antihistamine used in treating conditions such as urticaria, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and perennial allergic rhinitis.
2. Uses of Zyrtec 10 mg
Zyrtec 10mg is indicated for adults and children 6 years and older in the following cases:
- Treatment of nasal and ocular symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.
- Treatment to reduce symptoms of chronic spontaneous urticaria.
3. How to use Zyrtec 10 mg
Usage: Zyrtec 10mg comes in film-coated tablet form for oral use.
Specific dosages are as follows:
- Adults: The usual dose is 10 mg once daily. An initial dose of 5mg may be recommended if this dose adequately controls the symptoms.
- Children: Children from 2 to 6 years old: 2,5 mg x 2 times/day. Children from 6 to 12 years old: 5 mg x 2 times/day. Children above 12 years old: 10 mg/1 time/day.
- Elderly: No dose reduction is necessary in elderly patients with normal kidney function.
- Patients with renal impairment: if there is no alternative therapy, dosing intervals must be adjusted according to kidney function.
- Patients with hepatic impairment: No dose adjustment is necessary.
Note: The above dosages are for reference only. Patients should consult their doctor for appropriate dosing based on individual conditions.
4. Contraindications of Zyrtec 10 mg
Zyrtec is contraindicated in these patients:
- Patients hypersensitive to any component of the medication, or to hydroxyzine or any piperazine derivatives.
- Patients with severe renal impairment with creatinine clearance below 10 ml/min.
5. Side effects of Zyrtec 10 mg
When using Zyrtec, you may experience these side effects:
- Uncommon: Paresthesia.
- Rare: Tachycardia (fast heartbeat), thrombocytopenia (low platelets), taste disorders, dystonia, dyskinesia (involuntary movements), syncope, tremor, convulsions, accommodative dysfunction, blurred vision, oculomotor disorders, difficulty urinating, enuresis, edema, hypersensitivity, anaphylactic shock, liver function abnormalities (increased transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, γ-GT, bilirubin), aggression, confusion, depression, hallucination, insomnia.
6. Precautions when using Zyrtec 10 mg
Use Zyrtec 10 mg with caution in the following cases:
- Patients consuming alcohol: No clinically significant interactions between the drug and alcohol (at blood alcohol levels of 0,5 g/L) have been demonstrated at therapeutic doses. However, caution is advised when taking the medication concurrently with alcohol.
- Caution should be taken in patients at risk of urinary retention (such as spinal cord lesions, prostatic hyperplasia) as cetirizine may increase the risk of urinary retention.
Caution should be taken in patients with epilepsy and patients at risk of convulsions. - Skin reactions: Pruritus and/or urticaria may occur when cetirizine is discontinued, even though these symptoms were not present before treatment initiation.
- Skin allergy tests: Antihistamines inhibit skin allergy tests, patients should stop the medication 3 days before these tests.
- The medicine contains sorbitol. Patients with hereditary fructose intolerance should not take this medicine.
- Parabens: The medicine contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate or propyl parahydroxybenzoate, which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).
Zyrtec 10mg is not recommended for children under 2 years of age. - Ability to drive and operate machinery: Objective measurements show that at 10 mg dose, the drug does not cause any clinical manifestations related to driving ability or drowsiness. However, patients who have experienced drowsiness should not drive or operate machinery. Patients intending to drive or engage in potentially dangerous activities should not exceed the recommended dose and should consider their response to the medication.
- Pregnancy: Caution should be taken when using Zyrtec 10mg in pregnant women.
- Breastfeeding: Caution should be taken when using Zyrtec 10mg in breastfeeding women.
Zyrtec 10mg contains cetirizine as its main active ingredient, this is an antiallergic medication indicated for treating urticaria and allergic rhinitis. To ensure effective use, users must follow the instructions provided by doctors and consulting pharmacists.
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