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Side Effects of Citirizine

The Asthma and Allergies Foundation of America reports that 60 million people in the United States suffer from allergies, a condition that occurs when your body mistakenly identifies a foreign object as dangerous. As a result, your body utilizes the natural defenses of the immune system to try and fight off this perceived harm with a substance called histamine. In your body, histamine causes a number of effects, such as sneezing, itching, and watery eyes. There are a number of drugs available to help relieve the effects of allergies, including citirizine, also called cetirizine or Zyrtec. Despite its effectiveness, citirizine is not for everyone as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

  1. Common Side Effects

    • Between 11 and14 percent of Zyrtec users report headaches and 2.8 to 6.2 percent experience inflammation of the throat, making these the most common side effects of the drug. Abdominal pain and coughing are also common, occurring in at least 3 percent of users. Between 1.9 and 4.2 percent of people who take citrizine experience drowsiness.

    Other Side Effects

    • Zyrtec also has the potential to cause a number of other troublesome or annoying but not dangerous side effects. Some users experience gastrointestinal side effects from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gas and an increase in appetite. Patients also report nose bleeds, twitching, ringing in the ears and joint and muscle pain. Respiratory side effects of citirizine include an increased incidence of sinus and upper respiratory tract infections. Women sometimes report an increase in menstrual cramping and breast tenderness while taking Zyrtec. The drug can also cause confusion, anxiety and depression in rare instances.

    Drug Interactions

    • There are some medications which produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with citirizine. Because Zyrtec often causes drowsiness, you should be careful not to mix citirizine with other drugs that make you sleepy, as this could seriously impair your ability to remain alert. Examples of drugs to avoid include narcotics, sleeping pills and sedatives, antiepileptic drugs and anti-anxiety medications.

    Risks

    • In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, citirizine has the potential to cause serious medical complications. These types of side effects are all extremely rare, occurring in less than 1 percent of users. In some cases, Zyrtec has been linked to cardiovascular problems, including heart failure, irregular heartbeat and increased blood pressure. Effects upon the brain, nervous, and sensory systems include poor circulation, temporary paralaysis, deafness, blindness, bleeding of the eyes, glaucoma and paranoia. Zyrtec can also cause the onset of type 2 diabetes as well as toxic skin reactions to sunlight.

    Considerations

    • Since it impairs reflexes and alertness, you should not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery while taking citirizine. It is also important to avoid alcohol, as drinking exacerbates the side effects of Zyrtec. Because there is not yet sufficient evidence that citirizine has no unwanted effects upon the fetus, doctors typically do not prescribe the drug for pregnant women. Also, Zyrtec is not approved for use in children under 6 months old. Doctors also limit the use of citirizine in patients who have impaired kidneys as without proper urination, levels of Zyrtec can build up in the body and become toxic.

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