Cetirizine is a second generation antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

Cetirizine is used to treat cold or allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, watery eyes, or runny nose.

Cetirizine is also used to treat an allergic reaction, itching and swelling caused by chronic urticaria (hives) and minimizes or eliminates the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergic rhinitis, chronic idiopathic urticaria, allergic asthma, physical urticaria, and atopic dermatitis.

Warnings

Cetirizine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of cetirizine.

Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as other cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by cetirizine.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, if they get worse, or if you also have a fever.

Rarely, some people have reported severe itching when stopping cetirizine after daily, long-term use of at least a few months or several years. If you experience widespread, severe itching on stopping this medication, contact your healthcare provider.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to or had an adverse reaction to cetirizine.

Before taking cetirizine, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions or if you have ever had kidney or liver disease.

Cetirizine is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Cetirizine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use cetirizine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Cetirizine is indicated for chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children 6 months of age and older.

Older adults may need to take a lower than normal dose. Follow your doctor’s instructions.

How should I take cetirizine?

Take cetirizine exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended.

You may take cetirizine with or without food.

The chewable tablet must be chewed before you swallow it.

Oral doses: measure liquid medicine (oral solution) with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, if they get worse, or if you also have a fever. Store cetirizine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine or add extra doses to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include feeling restless or nervous, and then feeling drowsy.

What should I avoid?

Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as other cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by cetirizine.

Cetirizine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of cetirizine.

Cetirizine acute and common side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any serious adverse effects or any of these signs of an allergic reaction: chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives); difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using cetirizine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat;
• weakness, tremors (uncontrolled shaking), or sleep problems (insomnia);
• severe restless feeling, hyperactivity;
• confusion;
• problems with vision; or
• urinating less than usual or not at all.

Less serious cetirizine side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;
• tired feeling;
• dry mouth;
• sore throat, cough;
• nausea, constipation; or
• headache.

Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

Chlorpheniramine is used to treat runny nose, sneezing, itching, and watery eyes caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.

Chlorpheniramine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Chlorpheniramine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Chlorpheniramine may cause serious side effects. Stop using chlorpheniramine and call your doctor at once if you have:

• fast or uneven heart rate;
• mood changes;
• tremor, seizure (convulsions);
• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
• feeling short of breath; or
• little or no urinating.

Common side effects of chlorpheniramine may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;
• dry mouth, nose, or throat;
• constipation;
• blurred vision; or
• feeling nervous or restless.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Warnings

Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.

You should not use chlorpheniramine if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, an enlarged prostate, if you are unable to urinate, or if you are having an asthma attack.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use chlorpheniramine if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• narrow-angle glaucoma;
• a blockage in your stomach or intestines;
• an enlarged prostate;
• if you are unable to urinate; or
• if you are having an asthma attack.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take chlorpheniramine if you have:

• a blockage in your digestive tract (stomach or intestines), a colostomy or ileostomy;
• liver or kidney disease;
• asthma or COPD, cough with mucus, or cough caused by smoking, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis;
• high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or recent heart attack;
• epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
• urination problems;
• pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor); or
• overactive thyroid.

FDA pregnancy category B. Chlorpheniramine is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medicine without your doctor’s advice if you are pregnant.

Chlorpheniramine may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Antihistamines may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medicine without your doctor’s advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Artificially sweetened cold medicine may contain phenylalanine. If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), check the medication label to see if the product contains phenylalanine.

How should I take chlorpheniramine?

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. chlorpheniramine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.

Do not take for longer than 7 days in a row. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever with a headache or skin rash.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.

If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken this medicine within the past few days.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow the liquid form of this medicine to freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since this medicine is taken when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line .

Overdose symptoms may include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medication guide.

What should I avoid while taking chlorpheniramine?

chlorpheniramine may cause blurred vision or impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of chlorpheniramine.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, cough, allergy, or sleep medicine. Antihistamines are contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of a certain drug. Check the label to see if a medicine contains an antihistamine.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Chlorpheniramine can decrease sweating and you may be more prone to heat stroke.

What other drugs will affect chlorpheniramine?

Taking chlorpheniramine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking chlorpheniramine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine if you are also using any other drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.