Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: difficulty urinating, fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes (such as anxiety, confusion, nervousness, restlessness), weakness.
Certain allergy and asthma medications. The over-the-counter allergy medication cetirizine (Zyrtec and generic) has been linked to depression, as has another type of drug, montelukast (Singulair), which is often used to treat people with allergic asthma.
Can antihistamines cause depression? One study of 92 people with chronic itchiness saw that patients who took the antihistamines cetirizine and hydroxyzine reported an increase in depression and anxiety.
The most commonly reported side effects include somnolence, dizziness, and headache. Use these dosage charts for infants and children under 12 years old: Zyrtec Dosage Charts (Infants & Children)
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are known to cause extreme drowsiness; however, in certain people, they can cause insomnia, excitability, anxiety, restlessness, and a rapid heart rate.
What is this? Antihistamines are also one of the groups of drugs known for causing brain fog and memory loss. Disturbingly, even over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl can greatly increase the risk of dementia. The sedative effects of these drugs can leave you feeling drowsy.
Drowsiness, tiredness, and dry mouth may occur. Stomach pain may also occur, especially in children. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
However it's best to take cetirizine only for as long as you need to. If you take it regularly over a long period there's a very small chance of severe itching if you stop treatment suddenly. If you've been taking cetirizine every day for a long time, talk to your doctor before stopping it.
Rarely, they can cause acute self-limited liver injury. One study has reported a more serious long-term effect, a 3.5-fold increase in the risk of gliomas, a common type of brain tumor in patients with long-term antihistamine use for allergic conditions.
Sandoz issued a voluntary recall of 1,023,430 units of Zyrtec (10 mg) capsules as a result of failed impurities and a specification being reported for impurity at the 21-month stability time point, according to an FDA Enforcement Report.
When you come into contact with an allergen such as pollen, mold, animal dander or dust, your body produces a chemical called histamine. Antihistamines reduce the effects of histamine on our body by blocking the receptors in our brains that usually react to it23.
by Drugs.com
The elimination half-life of Zyrtec is between 8 to 9 hours. It takes approximately 5.5 x elimination half-life for a medicine to be cleared from your system. For Zyrtec this is 5.5 x 9 hours which is about 2 days.
You should not use Zyrtec-D if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, severe high blood pressure (hypertension), severe coronary artery disease, if you are unable to urinate, or if you are allergic to hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril). Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.
Known central nervous system (CNS) adverse effects of cetirizine include anxiety, depression, insomnia, and paranoia.
Mechanism of Injury. The cause of acute liver injury from cetirizine is not known. It is metabolized by the liver and a toxic metabolite may account for idiosyncratic injury.
Stopping these drugs has been shown to decrease the dementia risk. Cetirizine (Zyrtec) has low anticholinergic properties, and is thought to be at lower risk than the older drugs.
While there's no set timeline for when someone should stop taking an antihistamine, one should speak to a doctor or drug rehabilitation specialist if they feel like they have become addicted to your antihistamine. The severity and length of an antihistamine withdrawal will depend on the specific drug.
In general, wean gradually by 25-50% of the daily dose every 1-4 weeks. If reason for deprescribing is serious adverse effects, wean faster or cease immediately. Provide advice to patient/carer on self-monitoring and what to do if symptoms re-occur.
Some medications for treating allergies, like Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Allegra (fexofenadine) last 24 hours and don't need to be taken at night. But if you're combating allergy symptoms with a different antihistamine first thing in the morning, keep in mind that its effects will only last six to eight hours.
Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies.
These common side effects include sedation, impaired motor function, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, blurred vision, urinary retention and constipation. Antihistamines can worsen urinary retention and narrow angle glaucoma. The antihistamines rarely cause liver injury.
One study also suggests cetirizine and hydroxyzine have a greater chance of causing anxiety and mood changes than other antihistamines. Hydroxyzine can also be used to treat anxiety conditions. So if you notice your symptoms worsen after starting this medication, contact your provider to discuss it further.
First generation antihistamines, while very effective at controlling symptoms, are often associated with symptoms in older adults such as anxiety, confusion, sedation, blurred vision, reduced mental alertness, urinary retention and constipation.
Hydration: The more water you drink, the quicker diphenhydramine is flushed from the system. Metabolism: Everyone's body metabolizes or breaks down drugs and similar substances at a different rate. The faster your drug metabolism is, the less time diphenhydramine stays in your system.