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Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat;
- weakness, tremors (uncontrolled shaking), or sleep problems (insomnia);
- severe restless feeling, hyperactivity;
- confusion;
- problems with vision; or
- urinating less than usual or not at all.
Less serious side effects may include:
- dizziness, drowsiness;
- tired feeling;
- dry mouth;
- sore throat, cough;
- nausea, constipation; or
- headache.
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Nervous system
Nervous system side effects have included headache (16%), fatigue (5.6%), and somnolence (5% to 20%). Somnolence tends to be dose-related and generally occurs more frequently with doses higher than 10 mg per day. Other nervous system side effects include dizziness (1.8%), insomnia (1.5%), and nervousness (1.1%). Post marketing reports have included aggression reaction and convulsions.
Cetirizine appears to be more sedating than loratadine.
Gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal side effects have included dry mouth (5.7%) and nausea or vomiting (2.2%). Pharyngitis, dyspepsia, and increased appetite have occasionally been reported.
Hepatic
Hepatic side effects have included rare liver function test abnormalities which resolved spontaneously following discontinuation of cetirizine therapy. At least one case of recurrent acute hepatitis has also been associated with cetirizine use.
Respiratory
Respiratory side effects have included relatively rare reports of wheezing, coughing, bronchitis, sinusitis, and asthma.
Dermatologic
Dermatologic side effects have included reports of maculopapular and urticarial eruptions. Fixed drug eruptions have also been associated with cetirizine.
General
General side effects have included epistaxis (1.1%) and accidental injury (1.1%).
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity side effects have included a case report of an anaphylactic reaction.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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