Chemical structure of cetirizine
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Zyrtec

Cetirizine hydrochloride is a medication used for the treatment of allergies, hay fever, angioedema, and hives. It is a second-generation H1-receptor antagonist antihistamine and works by blocking H1 histamine receptors. It is a major metabolite of hydroxyzine, and has the same basic side effects, including dry mouth. more...

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Zyrtec
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  • It has long duration of action
  • No reported cardiac toxicity associated with the use of this drug
  • Minimal penetration of the blood-brain barrier
  • Only mild sedating effects, although more than some other non-sedating antihistamines

The medication is produced by UCB, a Belgian pharmaceutical company. The drug is marketed under the following brand names: Zyrtec® in the USA, Zirtek® in the United Kingdom, Zyrlex® in many other European countries, Reactine® in Canada (all by Pfizer ), and as Virlix® in Mexico and parts of Europe (by GlaxoSmithKline ). It can be found under a variety of other brand names in other countries .

Like many other antihistamine medications, cetirizine is commonly prescribed in combination with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, a decongestant. These combinations are marketed using the same brand name as the cetirizine with a "-D" suffix (Zyrtec-D®, Virlix-D®, etc.)

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Allergy Drugs: What's The Difference? - evaluation of Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra
From Healthfacts, 6/1/01 by Maryann Napoli

The relentless promotion of Claritin has paid off for its manufacturer, the Schering-Plough Corporation; it is now the most frequently prescribed allergy medication in the U.S. But Claritin is no more effective than other antihistamines on the market. (For Food and Drug Administration approval, a new drug need only be proven better than a placebo, or dummy pill.) Even Claritin's highly touted non-sedating properties have been overestimated. The drug is sold in 10-milligram capsules, a dosage that isn't effective for most people. Once the dose is raised to an effective level, the non-sedating effect is canceled.

Zyrtec, another popular allergy drug, is sedating to some people even at the recommended doses of 5- or 10-milligrams once a day. Allegra may be the best choice in terms of safety and efficacy, according to The Medical Letter (4/30/01), a physician publication that takes no drug company advertising. This is because Allegra will not make you sleepy even at higher than recommended doses. At $60 for a month's supply, the cost of Allegra is midway between that of Claritin and Zyrtec.

Schering-Plough's overselling of Claritin has backfired on the corporation. Some managed care and insurance companies want to pass its high cost on to the consumer by lobbying the FDA to allow Claritin to become available over the counter. The FDA cannot require Schering- Plough to do so, but last month the agency's advisory panel determined that the move would not pose any health hazard. Claritin has long been sold without prescription in Canada.

Maryann Napoli is the associate director of the Center for Medical Consumers in New York City.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Center for Medical Consumers, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group

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