Cetirizine
Cetirizine
Zyrtec, Zyrtec-D
Experience
No personal reports yet
No clinical reports yet
Log in to add your own experience.
Problems
No problems yet. Be the first to suggest one.
+ Add a problemTitration strategies
No titration strategies yet. Be the first to suggest one.
Effects
No effects listed yet. Be the first to suggest one.
Relevant anecdote
No anecdotes yet. Share a relevant one.
Relevant Literature
No literature entries yet.
Log in to submit relevant literature.
Summary
Common uses
Allergic rhinitis0, Chronic idiopathic urticaria0, Allergic conjunctivitis0
Pharmacy
Starting dose
10 mg PO once daily (5 mg in older adults or if sedation occurs)
Preparations
5 mg, 10 mg tablets; 5 mg, 10 mg chewables; 1 mg/mL oral syrup; OTC
US FDA Max
10 mg/d (adults)
Pharmacology
Routes
Oral
Onset
30-60 minutes
Duration
24 hours
Half-life
8-10 hours (longer in elderly and renal impairment)[1]
Bioavailability
High (oral); not significantly affected by food[1]
Pregnancy
Generally considered safe; widely used. Levocetirizine (the R-enantiomer) is an alternative with similar safety.[citation needed]
Legal status
OTC in US
Purported mechanism
Cetirizine is a selective peripheral H1 receptor antagonist; as a carboxylated zwitterion at physiologic pH it crosses the blood-brain barrier far less than first-generation antihistamines, producing materially less sedation while retaining peripheral antihistaminic activity.0 Minimal CYP metabolism; mostly renally cleared unchanged. Cetirizine is the active racemate; levocetirizine is the active R-enantiomer marketed separately[1].
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 FDA Prescribing Information, Zyrtec (cetirizine HCl), Johnson & Johnson Consumer, current revision. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/019835s062lbl.pdf