Cetirizine

What is Cetirizine?

Cetirizine treats all types of allergies, including hay fever, which is an allergic reaction to pollen and dust mites that usually occurs between March and September (when the pollen concentration in the air is at its highest).

It’s a medication that treats hives too. Hives is a red rash that may be itchy, and it can cause a stinging and burning sensation. It’s when large amounts of histamine are released into the skin. Numerous things can trigger it, including an infection, the body responding to a sting or an insect bite, issues with your immune system or medication itself.

Some antihistamines may leave you tired and unable to drive or operate heavy machinery, but Cetirizine is a non-drowsy treatment. So it’s a great option if you want minimal disruption to your routine.

How does Cetirizine work?

Histamines are substances produced by the immune system when your body feels like it’s under attack. They cause your tissues to swell and become irritated, resulting in effects like watery eyes, itchy throat, sneezing, and a runny nose.^[1] If you have allergies, your body treats harmless substances in your environment like potential threats, so you make histamines when you don’t need to.

Antihistamines are used to block the effect of histamines, and so stop allergic symptoms from developing.

What doses of Cetirizine are there?

Cetirizine is available in 10mg doses. You should take one tablet a day, preferably every 24 hours to get the most out of your medication. If you’re sensitive to medication or you have certain medical conditions, you can break the tablet in half and take 5mg per day.

If a 10mg dose isn’t enough to control your symptoms, you might need a different medication. It’s not safe to take more than 10mg of Cetirizine per day.

How to take Cetirizine

Swallow one tablet a day with a glass of water, preferably at around the same time every day. The effects of Cetirizine last about 24 hours, so it’s better to aim for a set schedule. You can take your tablet with or without food, so you don’t need to coordinate your pill-taking time with your meals.

If you’re not used to taking medication every day and feel like you could forget to take it, you can set an alarm on your phone to remind you when it’s time to take your tablet. You can also buy a pillbox to lay out your medication for the week. This makes it easy to see if you’ve forgotten your medication.

How long does it take Cetirizine to work?

Cetirizine starts working quite quickly. Usually, you’ll be able to feel its effects within one hour of taking it. You’ll get the benefits of the medication for about 24 hours, so it’s better to take your tablet every day at around the same time.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Cetirizine?

If you forget to take your tablet, take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s almost time or time for your next dosage, just skip the missed one and then take your tablet as normal. Never take an extra tablet to make up for a missed dose.

If you accidentally take more Cetirizine than you should take in 24 hours, you should seek immediate medical attention. High doses of Cetirizine may cause cardiac issues, and you will need monitoring to make sure that any adverse effects can be treated immediately.