Contents
You should not use Zyrtec if you are allergic to cetirizine or levocetirizine. “These concerns are really outside of this particular context of severe, life-threatening situations,” Dr. Corry agrees. However, certain food groups also have benefits when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification. Estimated number of prescriptions of cetirizine in the U.S. Pruritus is a condition that causes extreme itchiness.
Claritin is an antihistamine that contains loratadine. It’s used to treat symptoms caused by seasonal allergies. As a second-generation antihistamine, it has a lower risk of drowsiness. Claritin is generally safe, with a low risk of serious drug interactions. When you mix alcohol and Claritin, your liver takes longer to process both substances. You might feel more intoxicated than you normally would.
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. For all of these OTC pain drugs, mixing with alcohol brings on some risk of upset stomach, bleeding and ulcers, and rapid heartbeat. Excedrin contains both acetaminophen and aspirin, for the record.
Up to 14.3% of adults may be affected by drowsiness with cetirizine. Cetirizine will start to work within one hour after you take it. It relieves symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, and itchy nose or throat.
Zyrtec remains in the body for a few hours, even after its effects wear off, so it’s important to wait for at least one day. The liver, when faced with Zyrtec and alcohol, will prioritize metabolizing the alcohol. When the liver does this it causes a delay in the time that Zyrtec is being metabolized. The delay has a chance to cause a build-up of the medication within your system and poses the risk of toxicity or overdose. Depending on the person, Zyrtec can become dangerous to mix with alcohol after only one standard drink. In other cases, it might take several drinks before Zyrtec becomes dangerous to mix with alcohol.
Do not use with any other antihistamines applied to the skin because increased side effects may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. There is a possibility of a drug interaction between cetirizine and theophylline. Theophylline (Theo-24) is a drug that some people with asthma and other lung problems take.
Both substances are central nervous system depressants in moderate to high doses. This causes several severe side effects on the central nervous system and liver. Liver damage – In some rare cases, Zyrtec can result in acute liver damage. Alcohol abuse alone can cause several issues and can impair the liver’s function over time.
When pollen readings are at their highest, minimize outdoor activities such as gardening or sports. Keep your home’s windows closed, and cool your house via air conditioning placed in recirculation mode. We are standing by 24/7 to discuss your treatment options.
Is It Safe to Mix Claritin and Alcohol?
One way to tell how long a what are sugar alcohols sticks around in your system is to go to the manufacturer’s website and look for the half-life of the drug. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Some research has found that alcohol does not appear to worsen liver inflammation in certain people who take medication for their cholesterol. A 2006 Harvard study found that moderate alcohol use did not have a significant negative effect on the livers of men taking statins after heart surgery.
In some cases, mixing alcohol with medications can lead to an overdose or alcohol poisoning—both of which are potentially life-threatening medical emergencies. If you’re taking more than one OTC or prescription drug or supplement, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They can let you know if your other medications contain alcohol and if it’s safe to take them with Benadryl. A Zyrtec alcohol mix is equally hazardous, states the University of Rochester Medical Center. Known generically as cetirizine, Zyrtec has also become a prominent player in the antihistamine market.
Why it’s used
If it makes you drowsy, you can take it at bedtime, or as directed by your doctor. Other drugs may interact with cetirizine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. Older people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcohol–medication interactions. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a person’s system longer.
Zyrtec only puts more strain on the liver when they are combined. When combined with Zyrtec, which can also cause drowsiness and fatigue, the effects of both substances can be amplified. If you or a loved one is abusing either Zytrec, alcohol, or both – don’t hesitate to reach out for help. We offer many different treatment options for you and your loved ones. Please reach out to our amazing team to learn more about our addiction treatment options and other addiction resources. Liver damage – In some rare cases, Zyrtec can result in acute liver damage.
Levocetirizine side effects and how to avoid them
If you have an injury or medical condition that causes pain or spasms in your muscles, you might be given medications to relax them. Muscle relaxants are commonly used to treat back and neck pain, as well as certain kinds of headaches. You might not need to completely avoid alcohol if you are taking a blood thinner. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake to no more than one or two occasional drinks if you are on anticoagulant therapy.
Unlike first-generation antihistamines, cetirizine is less likely to cause side effects such as dangerous drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, and overheating. Here are 14 examples of super common types of medications that can have very dangerous reactions with alcohol, as well as what might happen if you do mix them. Using alcohol with medications used to treat heartburn, both prescription and over-the-counter, can cause tachycardia and sudden changes in blood pressure. If you have a medical condition that puts you at risk for developing a blood clot, your doctor might prescribe anticoagulant medications to “thin” your blood. While these drugs make it less likely your body will form blood clots, they also make you bleed more easily.
- So even if the alcohol doesn’t have an obvious or direct interaction with the antibiotic you’re taking…
- They can help you minimize any interactions with Claritin.
- It’s important to have the right resources to overcome addiction and live a better life.
- Before using Zyrtec tell your doctor about all your medical conditions or allergies, all medicines you use, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- One standard alcoholic drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
- To learn more about a medicine and whether it will interact with alcohol, talk to your pharmacist or other health care provider.
It can also further affect your mental and nervous system functions. Don’t use cetirizine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to it or to any of the ingredients in it. Also, steer clear of cetirizine if you’re allergic to any antihistamine that contains hydroxyzine.
If you take any medication—even over-the-counter products—you should know that drinking alcohol might affect how your meds work. You already know that drinking alcohol and driving is dangerous. Add Benadryl to the mix, and the behavior becomes even riskier. Cetirizine is classed as a non-drowsy (non-sedating) antihistamine, but it does make some people drowsy. In clinical trials, this side effect appeared to be related to the dose of cetirizine, with higher dosages increasing the risk of feeling drowsy. 1.9% of children aged 6 to 11 years experienced drowsiness with 5mg of cetirizine and 4.2% of children experienced drowsiness with 10mg of cetirizine.
Claritin is the brand name of the antihistamine loratadine. This widely used drug has become well known as an allergy, cold and flu medication, notes the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. You should never drink wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, while you are taking any antihistamines. Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention.
Combining an antihistamine and alcohol will likely magnify your sleepiness and drowsiness. Excessive sleepiness makes it tough to concentrate or perform work and driving or operating machinery could be especially dangerous. Alcohol Drug Interactions Learn about the potential interactions between alcohol and other drugs…. Other Zyrtec side effects, especially related to mental health, are still under research. However, alcohol is known to destabilize mood, cause depression, and increase negative thoughts. These side effects alone can be uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous.
Alcohol should be avoided when using cetirizine, and some other antihistamines. Cetirizine may produce drowsiness that may be increase by the use of alcohol, sedatives and tranquilizers. Medications typically are safe and effective when used appropriately. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you determine which medications interact harmfully with alcohol. The only exception to this hard-and-fast rule is if someone has a severe allergic reaction to something, like food or an insect bite, in the midst of alcohol consumption.
