Contraindications
You should stop taking the drug in the following cases:
- increased susceptibility to any component of the drug;
- kidney disease;
- period of bearing a child;
- lactation period;
- children under 6 months.
Can be used with caution when:
- epilepsy;
- elderly people;
- chronic renal failure;
- tendency to urinary retention.
The medicine in tablet form is also contraindicated in case of galactose allergy and in children under 6 years of age.
Symptoms suggesting the use of medication
An antiallergic drug is prescribed for a number of diseases:
- runny nose caused by a seasonal or year-round allergic reaction of the body;
- inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyeballs and adjacent areas;
- Quincke's edema;
- hives;
- any dermatitis, including atopic;
- asthma and chronic eczema, only in combination with other medications to ensure the effectiveness of complex treatment.
Quicke's edema
Adverse reactions and overdose
Common negative side effects from taking the drug include:
- headache;
- lethargy;
- dizziness;
- excessive fatigue;
- vomiting, nausea;
- feeling of dryness in the mouth.
Slightly less common:
- stomach upset;
- nervous state;
- allergic skin reaction.
- peripheral edema;
- hives;
- abnormal heart rhythm;
- weight gain;
- aggressive or depressive state;
- disturbed sleep;
- convulsions.
It is extremely rare:
- taste disturbance;
- tremor;
- fainting;
- blurred vision.
There may be cases of overdose, manifested by the adverse reactions described above. In this condition, you need to induce vomiting or rinse the stomach. You can also start symptomatic therapy.
How to take Zyrtec
Drops
The dose is determined depending on the age category of the patient:
- a child over 6 years old and an adult can be given 10 drops (if necessary, you can gradually increase to 20 drops);
- children aged 2-6 years are given 5 drops 2 times a day or 10 drops per 1 dose;
- a child from 1 to 2 years old can be given 5 drops up to 2 times a day;
- from 6 months to a year, 5 drops are prescribed once a day.
Pills
An adult patient and a child over 6 years old can be given ½ tablet per day (depending on the condition, a whole tablet may be prescribed).
Up to 6 years of age, the drug in tablet form is contraindicated.
Features of drug treatment
Reviews from patients claim that the medicine rarely causes side effects and complications.
The drug is used exclusively until the symptoms of an allergic reaction disappear, therefore, you should not just use the drug for the sake of prevention (or for the sake of prevention). Typically, the course of treatment with Zirtrek is about 7 days, but can reach 10, with particularly severe inflammation of histamine receptors.
Seasonal allergies are suppressed through daily use of the medicine for 25-30 days. After the course of treatment, you must take a break for 2-3 weeks and only after that you are allowed to take Zirtrek.
- Drops can be diluted in any container and washed down with plenty of water due to the unpleasant taste and smell of the medicine.
- The tablets are taken with plenty of water.
With long-term use of Zirtrek, its effect on histamine receptors does not decrease, because the drug is not addictive.
special instructions
Shelf life is 5 years from the date of production of the drug. Can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. It should be kept in a cool place, out of reach of children.
The drug should not be taken together with alcohol, since alcohol increases the likelihood of negative effects on the central nervous system.
The drug should be taken with extreme caution in conditions such as spinal cord injuries, prostatic hyperplasia, which can lead to urinary retention. The medicine may cause the condition to worsen.
After taking the medication, it is better to refrain for some time from driving a vehicle or other mechanisms that require increased concentration.
Under no circumstances should the drug be given to children under 1 year of age who are at risk of sudden death syndrome.
Features of the use of antihistamines
Before considering how compatible antihistamines and alcohol are, it is necessary to understand the role of histamine in the human body.
Gitsamine is a neurotransmitter released in the body during allergic reactions.
An allergic reaction is the response of the immune system to an irritant entering the body. At this moment, histamine, one of the neurotransmitters, is released. In the human body, these substances are involved in the regulation of vital functions.
Normally, histamine is present in the body in bound form. That is, it is inactive. With the development of various pathological processes and the entry of certain chemicals into the body, histamine is released, that is, activated.
In its active form, histamine causes a number of pathological processes:
- smooth muscle spasm;
- expansion of capillaries;
- lowering blood pressure;
- blood stagnation with a subsequent increase in the permeability of the vascular wall;
- increasing blood clotting ability;
- tissue swelling.
In response to the action of histamine, the adrenal cortex releases adrenaline, which causes constriction of arterioles and increased heart rate.
The principle of action of antihistamines
The interaction of antihistamines and alcohol can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Antihistamines eliminate the sensitivity of histamine receptors to irritants
The release of neurotransmitters in the body causes the following adverse reactions:
- irritation of the respiratory tract (swelling of the nasal mucosa, bronchospasm);
- inflammatory processes in the upper layers of the epidermis (redness of the skin, itching, urticaria);
- inflammation of the walls of the stomach and intestines (increased gastric secretion, intestinal colic);
- dysfunction of the cardiovascular system (dilation of capillaries, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmia);
- smooth muscle spasm.
Antihistamines block the sensitivity of histamine receptors and also bind histamine, depriving it of activity.
Their use allows you to achieve the following results:
- eliminate swelling;
- relax smooth muscles, relieve bronchospasm;
- normalize blood clotting ability;
- reduce the permeability of vascular walls;
- eliminate redness from the skin.
By blocking histamine receptors in the body, antiallergic drugs inhibit the development of their effects.
Types of antihistamines
For the first time, first-generation antihistamines began to be used in the first half of the 20th century.
With their help, it was possible to quickly eliminate allergy symptoms.
But people who took them experienced a depression in their general condition. These antiallergic drugs and alcohol cannot be combined. The first generation drugs caused drowsiness, delayed reactions, and their effect was short-term.
There are several generations of antihistamines
Then second generation drugs were released. They had a less pronounced sedative effect and relieved allergy symptoms for a long time.
Subsequently, scientists managed to develop third-generation drugs that are completely devoid of any side effects.
1st generation drugs include:
- Diphenhydramine (Diphenhydramine);
- Diazolin;
- Suprastin;
- Tavegil;
- Fenkarol.
Long-term use of these drugs is addictive.
2nd generation drugs include:
- Claridol;
- Claritin;
- Clarotadine;
- Lomilan;
- Loragexal;
- Kestin;
- Rupafin;
- Zyrtec.
The latest third generation includes;
- Desal;
- Gismanal;
- Erius;
- Trexil;
- Telfast;
- Xizal;
- Fexadine;
- Levocetirizine;
- Fexofast.
Unlike the previous two generations, these medications are available not only in tablets, but also in syrups and aerosols. They are taken once a day. They do not worsen a person’s well-being and do not affect the reaction speed.
When are antiallergic drugs prescribed?
Before considering how antihistamines and alcohol interact, you need to know in what cases they are prescribed.
Indications for their use are:
- allergic rhinitis (seasonal and permanent);
- allergic conjunctivitis (seasonal or permanent);
- urticaria, skin itching;
- dermatitis (atopic, contact).
This group of drugs has certain contraindications.
They are not prescribed in the following cases:
- during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- with renal failure in the stage of decompensation;
- for epileptic seizures, convulsions;
- for frequent headaches and dizziness;
- in the presence of digestive disorders accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Is it possible to combine antihistamines with alcohol?
Drinking alcoholic beverages with antiallergic drugs can lead to the most unpredictable consequences.
Antiallergic drugs act exclusively on histamine receptors. But they can enhance the negative effects of alcohol on the liver.
Drinking alcohol together with antihistamines is not recommended
This property of antihistamines is due to the fact that they disrupt metabolic processes in the liver. As a result, the filtering organ experiences increased load, which does not allow it to fully break down acetaldehyde, a highly toxic breakdown product of ethanol.
Consequences of concomitant use
Taking antiallergic drugs and alcohol at the same time reduces the effect of the former. Ethanol, on the contrary, enhances its effect on the body.
The results of a failed experiment are:
- redness and swelling of the skin;
- itching on the skin;
- a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
- increased heart rate;
- pain in the stomach and lower abdomen;
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness;
- fainting.
It is not uncommon for people who took alcohol during allergy treatment to fall into a comatose state. Moreover, doctors were not always able to save them. Such experiments often end in death.
Taking antihistamines together with alcohol can lead to the most unpredictable reactions in the body.
The most dangerous are 1st generation drugs. They, along with alcohol, suppress brain activity, which inevitably leads to a sharp decrease in blood pressure and body temperature.
Antihistamines that are compatible with alcohol exist. You can drink alcohol if third-generation medications are used as therapy. They do not affect brain activity and do not interact with other substances entering the body from the outside.
Conclusion
The consequences of drinking alcohol with antihistamines have not been fully studied. Relaxing with a glass or two is sometimes just necessary.
But in this case, you should wait 7 hours after taking antiallergic drugs. During this time, the body will have time to get rid of most of the metabolites.
It should be remembered that without harm to health, each person can take 30 ml of pure ethanol daily. And it’s better not to cross this line.
