Dosing Zyrtec Facts

About Dosing Zyrtec

About Dosing Zyrtec in Q&A

Other than Strength, what's the difference between 5mg and 10mg Zyrtec? I don't know which dose I should start w/. I want to know if there is any difference between the 5mg and 10mg dosages of Zyrtec. (i know allready the strength is different and the pills are probably different colors too)...

lindyj2936 replied: "10 mg is the normal adult dose."

FlaChic replied: "10 mg is twice as much as 5 mg......DUH!"

ruby doo replied: "5mg is the typical starting dose for kids around age 6 and 10mg is the typical starting dose for adults. Overall, this medication is well tolerated but it does make about 10% of people who take it a little sleepy. This effect goes away after taking it for awhile. If you are an adult, I would recommend the 10mg starting dose."

Kristin C replied: "The usual starting dose for adults is 10 mg daily."

Jaded replied: "1 is a 12 hour pill and the other is a once a day dose. Some people cannot take a 24 hour pill because there allergies are much stronger and the meds start to wear off after a certain time so taking it in divided doses of 5 mg's gives them a little boost just when it is wearing off."

storeonwheels replied: "ask the pharmacist"

Shannon V replied: "you need to check with your doctor."

mystical s replied: "there is not a differance other than the strength the 10 mg will make you sleepy or at least it did me dont drive a car until you see how it is going to react on you after you get it in your system you should not feel sleepy anymore the 5 would be what I would go with for now if it doesnt do the job then you will have to move up to the 10 it is better to go with a less dose first so you will know what will be better for you and I hope you feel better soon love mystical"

joyce_41144 replied: "The 10mg is the normal dose for an adult. Why do you need to ask if the RX is for you? If not then you need to see a doctor to get your own RX."

sharrona replied: "It is double the strength...you always start with the lower dose first (5mg) then increase if the symptoms call for it. Check out Merck.com put in the med and see. good luck"

What would be the maximum doses if I am taking Singular and Zyrtec for allergies.? My trees were cut yesterday and today they cut the grass, my eyes are extremely red and itchy and runny nose. Want to increase my dosage.

Nedra E replied: "They give you dosages on your bottle. If you want to take more, you should talk to your doctor. You could also use an anti-allergy eye drop... there are some out there and that may help your eyes."

Marcus R. replied: "Do not increase the dosage of Singular, it was made for once every 24 hours and thats it. If you do take it more often you put yourself in danger of breathing spasms which I did and spent 9 hours in an emergency room where an Iron lung was being preped if I stopped breathing. Takee Benydryl which is an over the counter allegy drug."

thewebster_123 replied: "The maximum dose of Zyrtec and Singulair is 10 mg once a day. Instead of increasing you dose you might try taking Benadryl. That can safely be used with both Zyrtec and Singulair. If you have any nasal sprays now would be the time to start squirting! Good luck and hope you feel better!"

Harmony replied: "The maximum dose of both is 10 mg daily. Do not increase your dose without talking to your doctor. You could try an over the counter medication."

Anyone Else feel sick when taking Zyrtec.? I feel tired after I take Zyrtec. Does that happen to anyone else? What can i do about it? Do they make a half dose Zyrtec thanks

Valerie replied: "I wanted to try out Zyrtec instead of Claritin. I wanted to see what allergy medicine was better. When i first took Zyrtec, I felt really tired, even though it says "No drowsiness". I like Claritin better. I am not going to take Zyrtec anymore."

Has anyone experinced zyrtec making their young child hyper? We have doubled our childs usual dose for 1 week (dr order) for out of control allergy symptoms. He seems way more active than usual since doing this, is even restless in his sleep. Has anyone else experienced this?

stargirl replied: "is aggitation, restlessness, hyperactivity or anxiety a side effect of the drug? If it's effecting his sleep you should probably tell the doc."

amazon cheryl replied: "Yes. Our oldest took Zytec liquid as a toddler for allergies. As she got bigger and her dose increased, we found that if we gave it to her more than four days she got hyper. But we have found that to be the case with most anti-histimines (OTC and prescription) since she has gotten bigger. Now we can pretty much only give her Benedryl and Guafenesin to get any relief without side effects other than drowsiness. And since they are pulling cold meds off the market left and right, we are not sure what we will do if they say kids can't take those anymore."

jenn_jenn02 replied: "Both my son and I actually. I don't know that I'm "hyper" per se, but I do know that I'm definitely NOT tired. And my poor son (age 4) will not go to sleep on any anti-histamine. Don't get me wrong, the Zyrtec works GREAT on his allergy attacks. I just have to remember to give it to him in the morning rather than at night. It has something to do with your son's body chemistry. It probably won't do him any harm, as long as the meds are working. It's only when they STOP providing relief that you need to worry. Be sure to let your pediatrician know that it doesn't make him drowsy. You may have to remind them each time you get a script. I do it, if for no other reason, to remind my doctor that the label needs to be written "take in the a.m.""

midnightmoon62 replied: "Common side effect for zyrtec. I am 24 and have this problem. My doc just switched from the 'd' version to reg a seperate sudefed pill. Seems to be helping a lil."

Side effects from Zyrtec? My just turned 2 year old son has a lot of food allergies and recently he had a small allergic reaction which made his eczema flare up really bad. His pediatrician increased his Zyrtec dose to 2tsp a day and also put him on predisone for 3 days. He has been a raging maniac!! When the doc called me to check on him I told her how mean and nasty he has been, I blamed it on the steroid, she said it's probably from the Zyrtec. Anyone else experience this?

Shannon replied: "My son has to take Zyrtec every day for his allergies and we have never experienced anything like that. My doctor warned me that usually it can cause drowsiness, but in some kids it may make them a bit hyper. My son has also had to take predisone for asthma and eczema reasons and from my experience it only makes sense to blame predisone for the change in behavior. However, a change in dosage of any medicine can cause changes in a child. So, if it keeps up let the doctor know so that he can reduce the dosage as needed."

sunkissedheart replied: "My 2 year old also has allergies and the doc put her on Claritin but she got a runny nose so she switched me to Zyrtec and she is alot better but my doc told me to only give her half a teaspoon and give it to her at night. Maybe 2tsp is way to much for his little body to handle."

BC replied: "It is most likely the steroid. One of the more common side effects from taking steroids is mood changes, especially if given too close to bedtime."

should I stop giving my daughter Zyrtec? Yesturday I took my 22 month old to the doctor and he gave her Zyrtec for allergies. I gave it to her when we first got home and not long after that she fell asleep. She slept the rest of the day, all night, and didn't wake up untill this afternoon. I gave her another dose and she is starting to nod off again. I called my doctor and he said just to keep giving it to her, but I feel like I'm drugging my child. What do you guys think I should do?

Mamma M replied: "Mother insinct says your drugging your child? So do I. I would listen to your self and not give it to her. If her allergies get really bad, give her half the dose. that's too long for a baby to sleep. I've heard that zyrtec is pretty strong and for adults, my question is why would the doc prescribe this?"

kat70359 replied: "Maybe you should double check the dose, call your local pharmacy and tell them how much your child weighs, and they will tell you how much to give her. Your doctor may have presribed too much."

sarric replied: "My son has taken Zyrtec once a day since he was around 2, he is almost seven now. At that age I gave him 1/2 teaspoon. Now he gets 3/4 of a teaspoon. He never had any drowsy issues, but I know that is a side effect. Check the dosage, if you are giving her more than 1/2 a teaspoon that is too much. I agree that you should not continue to give her Zyrtec if it has this effect. There are other liquid allergy medicines that can be prescribed. Good luck."

Mandy S replied: "Weigh the benefits against the risks, ask if there is anything else you can give her, and make an informed decision. Oh, and my youngest has allergies and has been on Zyrtec and Claritin (not at the same time). He slept so heavily on his first 48 hours on Zyrtec I was a little worried. Then I recalled the way for weeks before going on it, he got NO sleep. I think he slept it off, and was fine after about a week. Try giving it to her on a full stomach, if the pharmacist or doctor ok's it. Most drowsy reactions to drugs are minimalized if taken on a full stomach. Also, don't allow her to sleep that much. Allow her to sleep a normal (maybe somewhat longer than usual) amount, but after ten at the latest, wake her up. She may still be groggy, but she'll have more alert hours in the day if you wake her up well before the next dose. Remember, though, what it feels like when you are sick, sufferring from allergies or a cold, or on medication that causes drowsiness. If it continues for an extended period of time, don't continue without consulting her doctor, but it could be she just needs that sleep to help her feel better. Good luck."

Lisa replied: "wow! yes, the dose may be too high. My doctor prescribed Claritin for my son's allergies when he was 18 months old(there is a generic OTC syrup that's cheaper and works the same). Tell the doctor about this ASAP and ask if he recommends a smaller dose, or something else."

resqgirl77 replied: "My doctor suggested the same for my daughter's allergies (she is 16months). I just can't do it. There are too many un-disclosed side effects, not to mentioned the drowiness. I recently tried "Goji" juice. It's an all natural juice made of goji berries and has been said to help with allergies, diabetes, cancer, and a lot of other stuff. I have given my daughter 1oz a day for the past month and a half, it took about 2 weeks, but no more running nose or heavy breathing. I also take it (2 oz) a day and I have a lot more energy. Don't constantly want to take a nap. I'm usually not one for natural "crap," I'm only 29 and don't need to spend the extra money...but now I do, because it has helped with my daughter. You can buy it through idrinkthejuice.freelife.com. A bottle lasts about a week and a half for us. Its got a money back guarentee too. You can try it all and if you don't notice anything or just don't like it, return the empty bottles and get all your money back. It was something I just thought I'd try and it worked for us."

emmy replied: "That sounds odd. Maybe the dose is too much. My daughter has been on zyrtec since she was nine months old, but only give it to her when her allergies are acting up. I dont believe in giving medicine just for the sake of giving medicine. doctor only perscribed I think like hlaf a tsp at that age, maybe less. So check the dosage and if your concerned ask another doctor. i havae switched doctors twice because of situations like this."

IOLA replied: "Maybe she should have less. My kids are on generic Claritan but the allergist advised they take it at bedtime because it can cause drowziness. If you are uneasy ask to see an allergist instead of the regular doctor, some allergies can be controlled by nose spray instead of ones you ingest."

Zyrtec (allergy medicine)? ok Today i took first dose of zyrtec 10 mg in the morning and all day i felt kind of tired and low energy in body and drowsy not sleepiness but something else. can this med have the following side effects.

cluekoo replied: "Zyrtec is known to cause some mild drowsiness, but it's not as strong in that aspect as other allergy medications."

Bunnee replied: "Yes it can make you drowsy. Side Effects should go away after being on meds for a while."

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Kenny replied: "I started taking it when it first came out (it was and still is the only thing that really works for me for some reason). The first few days it is normal to experience side effects. Once you continue taking it for more than a few days in a row, these effects tend to subside."

is it ok to take zyrtec as a one time dose if a person takes lexapro on a daily basis? thanks :)

bucs76fan replied: "My wife has been taking both daily for over a year without any problems"

jeetahay replied: "I think a qualified person like a doctor or a pharmacist can answer the question. You should not take medicine on someones daily experiences."

sandy102675 replied: "Check w/ your pharmacist to be sure, but there shouldn't be a problem unless it is Zyrtec-D, this contains pseudoephedrine & can cause a rise in blood pressure & mood swings."

WiserAngel replied: "No drug interactions there. They don't suggest you take Ibuprofen though due to risk of bleeding."

I give my 4yr old a dose of benadryl every day for his allergies instead of Zyrtec? Any Harm from this? The dr. has prescribed all kinds of RX allergy medicine for him, all of witch I do not like the effects they have on him. Most of them make him feel worse (it seems) or so irratable and contrary no one can deal with him, or knock him out cold and that scares me! Could there be any long term effects on him?

fourcheeks4 replied: "yes they could make him dependent on the medication"

nannyj37 replied: "I see no harm in it as long as you are giving him the non drowsy children's benadryl. it should be fine.. If it helps him, what is the harm."

whatsup replied: "Better talk to a doc. Benydryl is pretty strong."

whatever replied: "not on him but when you finally stop giving it to him and he wakes up out of his drug induced stoned state youre in for a surprise. go see a different dr."

Tammy replied: "Zyrtec is just a stronger type of benedryl. My son, who is only 2, was prescribed zyrtec because he is very allergic to mosquito bites (sp?). Regardless what the other people say about being all drugged up- taking benedryl does help with allergy symptom's and since your son needs some kind of medication to help with allergies- I would stick to it. Sometimes a parent has to do what their gut-instinct says. Hope this helps ease your mind about things. He will not become addicted- his body will build up some immunity to whatever he is allergic to. Just like if he had to take allergy shots."

Amelia replied: "I would do a lot more research. Benadryl is strong stuff. My 3 yr. old has allergies and we were told to give him claritin every day. But I didn't want my child taking allery medicine on a daily basis. I found out that if you can find locally made honey it can lessen allergies. We live in Japan and I happened to stumble upon a place here where they keep bees and package their own honey. It seems to help. We've seen a decrease in his allergies. Now I just give him medicine to help the symptoms if he has them. But I do not keep him on anything on a regular basis. It just cannot be healthy."

Colleen O replied: "And you don't think benydril has any harmful effects? I guess you're not into reading lables are you? Ahhh but if you want a doppy drugged up kid that's your perogative."

mommyl2 replied: "I heard it can build up in their systems and it can sometimes be deadly"