Antihistamines, which are classified as second generation, are effective in treating allergies in adults. One of these modern medicines is Zyrtec. Can children be treated with this medication and how does the child's body react to it?
Release form
Zyrtec comes in two different forms:
Drops, which are taken internally. It is a clear solution with a mild acetic acid odor. This liquid is colorless and poured into dark glass vials of 10 ml and 20 ml. The bottles are closed with a special dropper cap, which has a picture showing the correct way to open the bottle.
Pills, which have a film shell. They are characterized by a white color and an oblong shape convex on both sides. One blister can include both 7 and 10 tablets, and in one cardboard box 1 or 2 blisters can be sold.
Composition
The main component of any form of the drug, providing it with an antiallergic effect, is represented by cetirizine in the form of a dihydrochloride. One milliliter of drops contains 10 mg of this compound. The same amount of cetirizine is in one tablet.
Auxiliary components of the liquid form are acetic acid, purified water and glycerol. They are supplemented with propylene glycol, methyl parabenzene, propyl parabenzene, saccharinate and Na acetate as drops.
Inside the tablets, cetirizine is combined with colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose and magnesium stearate. The shell of this form of the drug is made from macrogol 400, hypromellose and titanium dioxide.
Operating principle
Cetirizine has antihistaminic properties, as this substance acts on the histamine-sensitive H1 receptors, as a result of which its release is prevented or stopped. It is the release of histamine by mast cells in response to the allergen that triggers the allergic reaction. Cetirizine binds to receptors and strengthens the membranes of these cells, resulting in a decrease in the manifestation of allergies.
In addition to the effect on mast cells, the drug also affects other inflammatory mediators, reducing their release in the late phase of the inflammatory reaction of an allergic nature. In addition, the medication has an antipruritic and anti-edematous effect by reducing capillary permeability. And the spasmolytic effect of cetirizine helps to eliminate spasm in the bronchi if the patient has mild bronchial asthma.
The therapeutic effect begins 20-30 minutes after ingestion and lasts 24 hours or longer. Cetirizine combines with plasma proteins and does not accumulate in the body if the dose is not exceeded. The half-life of the drug in children under 6 years old is 5 hours, in children 6-12 years old - 6 hours, and over the age of 12 years - about 10 hours. It lengthens if the child has liver or kidney problems.
Indications
The medicine is prescribed:
- With a cold, if it is triggered by an allergy. Cetirizine helps with seasonal allergic rhinitis, and with the year-round form of such a cold, the symptoms of which are sneezing, rhinorrhea and itching in the nasal cavity.
- For allergic conjunctivitis, in which the child complains of watery eyes, redness and itching of the eyes.
- For food or drug allergies.
- With hay fever.
- With various forms of urticaria.
- With angioedema.
- For allergic dermatitis, including atopic.
- With an allergic cough.
- With chickenpox, as a comprehensive treatment that helps relieve the itching of the vesicles.
Many doctors also prescribe Zyrtec for adenoids, laryngitis or sore throat to relieve swelling and alleviate the condition of a sick child. In such diseases, the drug is used in addition to the main treatment.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Zyrtec drops are not prescribed for newborns and babies up to 6 months of age, since studies confirming the effective and safe effect of such a drug on children of this age have not been conducted. For a baby at the age of 6-12 months, the drug is prescribed very carefully because of the ability of cetirizine to inhibit the nervous system.
Especially close attention of the doctor when prescribing drops require babies who were born with low weight or ahead of time. Also considered dangerous factors are the mother's age less than 19 years, smoking of a pregnant woman during gestation, attacks of apnea in a child during sleep, or taking other drugs with a depressing effect on the central nervous system.
Coated tablets are given to children over 6 years of age. because at this age the child can swallow them without any difficulty. If you need to prescribe a medication for a child aged 3 years or a baby 4 years old, they prefer to use drops.
Contraindications
It is impossible to prescribe Zyrtec when:
- Intolerance to cetirizine or any other components of the drug;
- Serious kidney problems;
- Lack of lactose, glucose-galactose malabsorption or galactose intolerance (these are contraindications for the tablet form).
The use of the medication with extreme caution is required by small patients with:
- High risk of seizures;
- Epilepsy;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Risk of urinary retention.
Side effects
The child's body may react to cetirizine:
- Headache;
- Feeling of dry mouth;
- Drowsy state;
- Dizziness;
- Nausea;
- Painful sensations in the abdomen;
- Weakness;
- Increased fatigue;
- Rash on the skin;
- Liquefaction of the stool;
- Nervous excitement;
- Rhinitis;
- Paresthesias;
- Pharyngitis.
Occasionally, the drug provokes the appearance of tachycardia, allergies, edema, fainting, problems with vision or taste, aggressive behavior, insomnia, and other negative symptoms. Their appearance should be the reason for going to the doctor to cancel the drug and prescribe another treatment.
Instructions for use
Method of using drops
Usually the drug is dripped in the correct dosage into a spoon and allowed to be swallowed undiluted by the child. If it is difficult for a child to do this, the medicine can be diluted with water in a small volume (there should be enough for the baby to immediately swallow the medicine). After dilution with water, the drops cannot be stored; they must be drunk immediately.
Since food intake slightly affects the absorption of the drug, it is advised to drink drops one hour after a meal or about an hour before it.
If the remedy is used in a baby, the drops can be mixed with mother's milk or a small volume of the mixture, and then given to the baby before feeding.
The average duration of treatment is from 7 to 10 days, but if necessary, the drug can be prescribed for a longer course. Although cetirizine is not addictive, a 1 week break is recommended after 3 weeks of use.
How to take pills
The child is asked to swallow the drug in solid form and then drink a glass of water. If required, the tablet is divided according to the risk that is on its surface.
Dosage
For children under six years of age, the medicine is given only in drops in a single dose of 5 drops, in which cetirizine is contained in an amount of 2.5 mg. In this case, a child of 6-12 months after a doctor's prescription is given drops only once a day, and a one-year-old baby, if necessary, can be given the drug twice.
From 2 years of age, a two-time intake of 5 drops is recommended, that is, the daily dosage of cetirizine is 5 mg (it is contained in 10 drops). In addition, at the age of 2 to 6 years, you can immediately give 10 drops at a time (drink the medicine once a day).
For the treatment of drops of children over 6 years old, the following scheme is used: a small patient is given 10 drops and the therapeutic effect is observed. If the medication works well, continue therapy with this dose, and with a weak effect, the dosage doubles - the child is given 20 drops once a day. This number of drops corresponds to 10 mg of cetirizine and is the maximum recommended daily dose.
A single dose of the tablet form for children from 6 to 12 years old is half a tablet (5 mg of cetirizine). It is given only once a day. Children over 12 years old also begin treatment with 1/2 tablet and monitor the effectiveness of therapy. With a pronounced therapeutic effect, the dosage is left the same, and if the effect is insufficient, it is increased to a whole tablet.
If a small patient has renal failure, the dosage is calculated by weight and taking into account tests showing renal function.
Overdose
Exceeding the dosage of cetirizine leads to severe weakness, restless behavior, drowsiness, fatigue, loose stools, tachycardia, dizziness, tremors, headaches and other negative signs. Immediately after taking a large dose of drops or a large number of tablets, you need to induce vomiting and give the child sorbents, and then consult a doctor for supportive therapy.
Interaction with other drugs
Zyrtec can be combined with many other drugs, among which the instructions mention azithromycin, erythromycin, ketoconazole, cimetidine and other drugs. However, taking pills along with other drugs that can depress the central nervous system can negatively affect the speed of reaction and concentration.
Terms of sale
Both forms of the drug are over-the-counter drugs and are therefore freely available in pharmacies. On average, 10 ml of drops costs 300-400 rubles, and the price of a package of 7 tablets is 200 rubles.
Storage conditions
Both drops and coated tablets must be stored so that the medication is not freely available to young children. It is advised to keep a bottle with drops at home at temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius, and the packaging of tablets at temperatures below + 30 ° C. The shelf life of both forms of the drug is 5 years.
Reviews
Parents respond mostly positively to the use of Zyrtec in children. They confirm the rather quick and persistent therapeutic effect of the drug for various types of allergies. Judging by the reviews, in most cases, after taking the medicine, the child feels better, and the itching decreases.
In childhood, drops are more often chosen. Mothers note that it is very easy to dose such a product, and there are no harmful dyes in the composition. Pills are popular with mothers of children over six years old because they are taken only once a day.
The disadvantages of drops are called not too pleasant taste and the high cost of one bottle, which is why sometimes mothers prefer analogs cheaper. In addition, in some children, taking this medication is accompanied by negative side effects, for example, drowsiness, loose stools, or fatigue.
Analogs
You can replace Zyrtec with other drugs, the main component of which is cetirizine. These include Zodak, Parlazin, Tsetirinax, Cetirizin, Tsetrin, Letizen and other means. They are produced in drops, which are most often prescribed from 1 year old (only Cetrin is used from six months), and tablets used in the treatment of children over six years old. Zodak and Cetrin are also produced in syrup, which is used in pediatrics from 2 years of age.
Also, instead of drugs cetirizine, the doctor may recommend other anti-allergic drugs, for example:
- Claritin. Such a loratadine-based syrup is prescribed from 2 years old. The drug is also available in tablets for use in children over 3 years of age.
- Fenistil. The active substance of such a drug is represented by dimethindene. The drug is available in drops, emulsion and gel form. It is prescribed for children over a month old.
- Suprastin. The main ingredient in this drug is chloropyramine. The medicine is produced in tablets and in injectable form. The tablet form is indicated for children over 3 years old, and injections can be given to infants over 1 month old.
- Erius. The main component of this medication is desloratadine. The syrup is prescribed for children over a year old, and the tablet form - from the age of 12.
- Tavegil. This clemastine-based antiallergic drug is available in ampoules and tablets. Injections are prescribed for children over a year old, and oral administration of tablets is recommended from 6 years of age.
Watch the program of children's doctor E.O. Komarovsky, from which you will learn which drugs against allergies in a child can be used.
