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Levocetirizine
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Description
Levocetirizine is an antihistamine medicine used widely to relieve allergic symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, redness of the nose, watery eyes, itching, rash and hives. It stops the action of a natural substance called histamine produced in your body during an allergic reaction. Levocetirizine is available as a tablet and oral solution on prescription.
Levocetirizine is generally safe to use. However, it may cause some side effects like drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, and tiredness. These symptoms are mild and go away with time.
It is recommended to take Levocetirizine in the evening. The dose and duration will depend on what you are taking it for. Do not increase the dose or take this medicine more often than prescribed. Consult your doctor if you do not see any improvement in your symptoms after the treatment.
Before taking Levocetirizine, tell your doctor if you have any medical condition like liver, kidney or heart disease. Your doctor should also be aware of any other medications that you are taking because many of them may reduce or alter the efficacy of this medicine. If you are pregnant or nursing, you should consult your doctor before using this medication.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Levocetirizine
Headache
Dry mouth
Diarrhoea
Nausea or Vomiting
Increased heart rate
Nose bleed
Weight gain
Uses of Levocetirizine
What is it prescribed for?
Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis, often known as hay fever, is a common disease that arises as a result of the body's response to external factors such as allergens. The body's defence system (immune system) produces a response by releasing antibodies to the allergens or foreign substances. Allergens are usually harmless and may cause a minimal allergic response in the body. Levocetirizine is used to relieve allergic symptoms or responses produced in your body due to allergic rhinitis.
Utricaria
Urticaria or hives are itchy rashes that are found on the skin. It is triggered by an allergic reaction to food, medicines (like some antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, high blood pressure medicines such as captopril) or other irritants in the environment. Levocetirizine is used to treat symptoms of urticaria like itchy skin, swelling. redness, etc.
Concerns
Commonly asked questions
Onset of action
The effect of Levocetirizine can be observed within an hour of taking it.Duration of effect
The effect of Levocetirizine may last for about 1 to 2 days.Safe with alcohol?
You should avoid or limit the consumption of alcohol if you have taken Levocetirizine as it may increase the risk of dizziness, drowsiness and difficulty in concentrating.Is it habit forming?
No habit-forming tendencies were reported.Usage in pregnancy?
Levocetirizine is generally safe in pregnancy to treat allergic symptoms. It is not known to cause any harm to your foetus. However, you should only use it on your doctor's recommendation.Usage while breast-feeding?
Levocetirizine can pass into breast milk. Hence, you should only use this medication if your doctor recommends it. Prolonged use or higher dose treatment may cause drowsiness and other side effects in your baby, as well as a reduction in milk supply.
Allergy
Avoid using Levocetirizine if you are allergic to it. Seek an immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of allergic reactions such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulties, etc.
Kidney Disease
Do not take Levocetirizine if you have severe kidney disease (creatinine clearance less than 10 ml/min). This medicine is excreted out from your body through kidneys, and impaired kidney functions may lead to severe adverse effects.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Levocetirizine is generally safe in pregnancy to treat allergic symptoms. It is not known to cause any harm to your foetus. However, you should only use it on your doctor's recommendation.
Breast-feeding
Levocetirizine can pass into breast milk. Hence, you should only use this medication if your doctor recommends it. Prolonged use or higher dose treatment may cause drowsiness and other side effects in your baby, as well as a reduction in milk supply.
General warnings
Other Medicines
Levocetirizine may raise the risk of drowsiness and impaired thinking when used with a sedative (sleep-inducing) medicine. Before beginning treatment with this medicine, you should inform your doctor about all of your current medications, including any herbs or supplements.
Infants
Levocetirizine is not recommended for use in infants younger than 6 months of age. The safety and effectiveness of this medicine are not clinically established.
The tablet form of levocetirizine is not recommended for use in children younger than 6 years of age.
Urinary retention
Urinary retention is a condition where you cannot empty all the urine from the bladder (the organ in which urine is stored). This is a common symptom of prostatic hyperplasia [prostate gland (carries sperm containing fluid) enlargement].
You should take Levocetirizine with caution if you have such conditions or problems. This medicine may cause urination difficulty which can worsen your condition.
Seizures
If you are at risk of experiencing seizures/fits, consult your doctor before taking Levocetirizine. This medicine may aggravate seizures, thus can worsen your condition.
Driving or operating machinery
Levocetirizine may cause dizziness, sleepiness, or difficulty in concentrating to some extent. Do not drive vehicles or operate machines after taking this medicine
Missed Dose
If you missed a dose of Levocetirizine at a given time, then take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not double your dose to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Never take more than the prescribed dose of Levocetirizine. If you suspect that you might have taken an overdose of this medicine, go to the emergency department of your local hospital.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
N/A
Instructions
You should avoid or limit the consumption of alcohol if you have taken Levocetirizine as it may increase the risk of dizziness, drowsiness and difficulty in concentrating.
Interaction with Medicine
Alprazolam
Codeine
Phenytoin
Phenobarbital
Disease interactions
Disease
Information not available.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Levocetirizine with or without food. Do not take in larger amounts than advised/prescribed. Consult your doctor if you experience any undesirable side effects. Ensure that the course of treatment is completed. Do not stop the use of this medicine without consulting your doctor.
Stop taking Levocetirizine at least three days before an allergy test, because it may affect the findings.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Levocetirizine works by blocking the action of a natural substance produced in your body called histamine which is responsible for causing allergic symptoms.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Antihistamines
Schedule
Schedule H
Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. Levocetirizine. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 31 May 2021].
Drugs, H., 2021. Levocetirizine: MedlinePlus Drug Information. [online] Medlineplus.gov. Available at: < [Accessed 31 May 2021].
Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Levocetirizine 5 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 31 May 2021].
Accessdata.fda.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 31 May 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 30 Aug 2021
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.