What is Zyrtec?

Zytrec helps relieve allergies that occur indoors and outdoors. Indoor allergies may come from mold, mildew, house dust, and the pet dander that animals shed. Outdoor allergies may come from the pollen of trees, grasses, flowers, and weeds. Because you spend more time inside, indoor allergies can be harder to avoid. ZyRTEC treats your indoor and outdoor allergies. No other allergy medicine is approved to treat more allergies than ZYRTEC. Just one dose gives 24 hours of allergy symptom relief.

What does Zyrtec do?

ZYRTEC helps relieve the following allergy symptoms:

• Itchy, red, watery eyes
• Sneezing, runny, itchy nose
• Postnasal drip
• Reduces chronic hives and itching that comes from hives.

One dose gives 24 hours of allergy symptom relief.

What are the side effects?

In ZYRTEC studies in adults and children 12 years and older

• Side effects were mild or moderate and included drowsiness, fatigue and dry mouth.
• Drowsiness occurred in 11% to 14% of adults, depending on dose, compared to 6% taking placebo (sugar pill).
• 2.9% stopped taking ZYRTEC because of side effects—about the same percent that stopped taking sugar pills (2.4%).
• Only 1.0% stopped taking ZYRTEC because of drowsiness—about the same as for people taking sugar pills (0.6%).

In ZYRTEC studies in children 2 to 11 years old

• Side effects were mild or moderate and included drowsiness, headaches, sore throat, and stomach pain.
• Drowsiness occurred in 2% to 4% of children depending on dose, compared to 1% taking placebo (sugar pill).
• Less than 1% of children under 12 years old stopped taking ZYRTEC because of side effects, and no child stopped taking it because of drowsiness.

How to take Zytrec

You can take ZYRTEC with or without food. ZYRTEC comes in two tablet strengths: 5-mg and 10-mg. For kids, ZYRTEC comes in a banana-grape flavored, dye-free and alcohol-free syrup that most kids like. One teaspoon of ZYRTEC syrup is equivalent to a 5-mg ZYRTEC tablet.

• Adults and children 12 years of age and older should take ZYRTEC once a day.
• Children 6 to 11 years: Give ZYRTEC once a day.
• Children 2 to 5 years: Your doctor may want you to give the full dose once a day or half the dose twice a day. Follow your doctor's instructions. Use a special medicine-dosing spoon when measuring ZYRTEC syrup. Household teaspoons are not accurate.
• Babies 6 months to 23 months: The recommended dose is 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mg) once a day. The dose for babies 12 to 23 months can be increased to a maximum of two 1/2 teaspoon doses: one 1/2 teaspoon dose every 12 hours. Use a special medicine-dosing spoon when measuring ZYRTEC syrup. Household teaspoons are not accurate. Check with your child’s doctor for the proper dosage for your infant. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.

Giving Zyrtec to your kids

ZYRTEC has been safely treating indoor and outdoor allergies in kids as young as 2 years since 1998. Since 2002, ZYRTEC has been approved to treat indoor allergies from mold, dust, and pets in babies as young as 6 months. No other prescription or over-the-counter allergy medicine can say that. Clinical studies of babies and children with different allergies have shown that ZYRTEC is a safe and effective allergy treatment. Children are often treated with medicines without the benefit of adequate studies to determine their safety and efficacy or dosing information.