Precautions

Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are: pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant breastfeeding.

 

You should talk to your doctor before taking Zyrtec-D especially if you suffer from heart disease, an enlarged prostate, high blood pressure (hypertension), difficulty passing urine, diabetes, glaucoma, kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure), liver disease, including liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis.

 

Due to its pseudoephedrine component, Zyrtec-D is contraindicated in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma or urinary retention, and in patients receiving monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor therapy.

 

Zyrtec-D should be used with caution in patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, increased intraocular pressure, hyperthyroidism, renal impairment, or prostatic hypertrophy. Patients with decreased renal function should be given a lower initial dose (one tablet per day) because they have reduced elimination of cetirizine and pseudoephedrine.

 

Zyrtec may cause drowsiness. You should use caution when driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery after taking Zyrtec-D. Zyrtec-D tablets with alcohol or other CNS depressants should be avoided because additional reductions in alertness and additional impairment of CNS performance may occur. 

 

Drug Interactions

Use of a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor is not recommended for concomitant use with antihypertensive drugs that interfere with sympathetic activity (e.g., methyldopa, mecamylamine, and reserpine). Taking Zyrtec-D with these medications may reduce their antihypertensive effects. Increased ectopic pacemaker activity can occur when pseudoephedrine is used concomitantly with digitalis.

 

Extreme care should be taken when ingesting Zyrtec-D with other sympathomimetic amines because combine effects on the cardiovascular system may be harmful. Zyrtec may also interfere with blood pressure medications, (Digoxin) and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as: Isocarboxazid (Marplan) Phenelzine (Nardil) Rasagiline (Azilect) Selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar) Tranylcypromine (Parnate).

 

There exists no adequate and well-controlled trials in pregnant women, pregnant woman should speak with a doctor before taking this medication. Clinical trials of Zyrtec-D should not be conducted in patients under 12 years of age. 

 

Adverse/Side Effects

Infrequent but potential side effects include: anorexia, flushing, increased salivation, urinary retention, cardiac failure, hypertension, palpitation, tachycardia, abnormal coordination, ataxia, confusion, dysphonia, hyperesthesia, hyperkinesia, hypertonia, hypoesthesia, leg cramps, migraine,myelitis, paralysis, paresthesia, ptosis, syncope, tremor, twitching, vertigo, visual field defect, abnormal hepatic function, aggravated tooth caries, constipation, dyspepsia, eructation, flatulence, gastritis, hemorrhoids, increased appetite, melena, rectal hemorrhage, stomatitis including ulcerative stomatitis, tongue discoloration, tongue edema, cystitis, dysuria, hematuria, deafness, earache, ototoxicity, tinnitus. dehydration, diabetes mellitus, thirst, arthralgia, arthritis, arthrosis, muscle weakness, myalgia, abnormal thinking, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, decreased libido, depersonalization, depression, emotional lability, euphoria, impaired concentration, insomnia, nervousness, paroniria, sleep disorder, bronchitis, dyspnea, hyperventilation, increased sputum, pneumonia, respiratory disorder, rhinitis, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection,dysmenorrhea, female breast pain, intermenstrual bleeding, leukorrhea, menorrhagia, vaginitis., lymphadenopathy, acne, alopecia,angioedema, bullous eruption, dermatitis, dry skin, eczema, erythematous rash, furunculosis, hyperkeratosis, hypertrichosis, increased sweating, maculopapular rash, photosensitivity reaction, photosensitivity toxic reaction, pruritus, purpura, rash, seborrhea, skin disorder, skin nodule,urticaria, parosmia, taste loss, taste perversion, blindness, conjunctivitis, eye pain, glaucoma, loss of accommodation, ocular hemorrhage,xerophthalmia, accidental injury, asthenia, back pain, chest pain, enlarged abdomen, face edema, fever, generalized edema, hot flashes, increased weight, leg edema, malaise, nasal polyp, pain, pallor, periorbital edema, peripheral edema, rigors micturition frequency, polyuria, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, aggressive reaction, anaphylaxis, cholestasis, convulsions, glomerulonephritis, hallucinations, hemolytic anemia, hepatitis, orofacial dyskinesia, severe hypotension, stillbirth, suicidal ideation, suicide and thrombocytopenia.

 

Frequent but minor side effects include: somnolence, fatigue, dry mouth, pharyngitis, dizzinessm headache, nausea, abdominal pain, coughing, diarrhea, epistaxis and bronchospasm.

 

If you are experiencing any severe side effects immediately get in contact with your doctor. 

 

Overdose

In case of overdose contact local emergency room or poison control. Overdose symptoms include restlessness and irritability were observed initially followed by drowsiness. Should overdose occur, treatment should be symptomatic or supportive, taking into account any concomitantly ingested medications. There is no known specific antidote tocetirizine. 

 

Storage

Store between 20°C to 25°C (68° to 77°F). Keep out of the reach of children or pets.