Patient leaflet - DR. Reddys Histease Allergy Relief 10 mg tablets, Tesco Allergy and Hayfever Relief 10 mg tablets, EM Pharma Allergy and Hayfever Relief 10 mg tablets, Asda Allergy & Hayfever Relief 10 mg tablets, Pollenase Allergy & Hayfever Relief 10 mg tablets, Essent
1. What Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets are and what they are used for
The active ingredient (which makes this medicine work) is called cetirizine hydrochloride, which belongs to a family of medicines called antihistamines. Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets are used to treat people who have hayfever (seasonal allergic rhinitis), year round allergies such as dust or pet allergies (perennial allergic rhinitis) and urticaria (swelling, redness and itchiness of the skin). Antihistamines like Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets relieve the unpleasant symptoms and discomfort associated with these conditions, such as sneezing, irritated, runny and blocked up nose, itchy, red and watering eyes and skin rashes.
2. What you need to know before you take Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Do not take Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets if you:
- are allergic to cetirizine hydrochloride or to any of the ingredients listed in section 6, to hydroxyzine or to any piperazine derivatives (closely related active substances of other medicines)
- suffer from severe kidney failure (creatinine clearance less than 10ml/min)
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets.
If you are a patient with renal insufficiency, please ask your doctor for advice;
if necessary you will take a lower dose. The new dose will be determined by your doctor.
- If you have problems passing urine (eg: spinal cord problems or prostate or bladder problems) as cetirizine increases the risk of urinary retention.
- If you suffer from epilepsy or are at risk of convulsions, you should ask your pharmacist for advice.
Children and Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
The use of this medicine is not recommended in children aged less than 6 years since this formulation does not allow for appropriate dose adaptation.
Other medicines and Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Tell your doctor or a pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets with food and drink and alcohol
Food does not affect absorption of this medicine.
Avoid alcohol while you are taking this medicine.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine. Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets should be avoided in pregnant women. Accidental use of the drug by a pregnant woman should not produce any harmful effects on the foetus. Nevertheless the medicine should only be administered if necessary and after medical advice.
Cetirizine passes into breast milk. Therefore you should not take Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets during breast-feeding unless you have consulted a doctor.
Allergy Testing
If you are due to have an allergy test, ask your doctor if you should stop taking Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets for several days before testing. This medicine may affect your allergy test results.
Driving and using machines
Clinical studies have produced no evidence of impaired attention, alertness and driving capabilities after taking Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets at the recommended dose. You should closely observe your response to the drug after you have taken Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets if you are intending to drive, engage in potentially hazardous activities or operate machinery. You should not exceed the recommended dose.
Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets contain lactose
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking these tablets.
3. How to take Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as you doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Take the tablet with a glass of water. Do not take more than one tablet each day. If you do not feel better within a few days, consult your doctor.
Children aged 6 to 12 years: Half a tablet twice a day.
Adults and children aged 12 years and over: The recommended dose is 10 mg once daily as one tablet daily. If the tablets make you feel drowsy or dizzy, taking half a tablet twice a day may be better than taking one table once a day. Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets are not suitable for children under 6.
Patients with renal impairment: Patients with moderate renal impairment are recommended to take 5 mg once daily. If you have kidney problems (or liver and kidney problems together) please contact your doctor or pharmacist who may adjust the dose accordingly.
If your child suffers from kidney disease please contact your doctor or pharmacist who may adjust the dose according to your child’s needs.
If you feel that the effect of Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets is too weak or too strong, please consult your doctor.
Duration of treatment
The duration of the treatment depends on the type, duration and course of your complaints. Please ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
If you take more than you should
If you accidentally take too much medicine, contact your doctor or nearest casualty department at once.
After an overdose, the side effects described below may occur with increased intensity. Adverse effects such as confusion, diarrhoea, dizziness, tiredness, headache, ailing, dilating of pupil, itching, restlessness, sedation, somnolence (sleepiness), stupor, abnormal rapid heart rate, tremors and urinary retention (difficulty in completely emptying the bladder) have been reported.
If you forget to take Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet. If you forget to take a tablet, you should take one as soon as you remember, but wait at least 24 hours before taking your next tablet.
If you stop taking Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Rarely pruritus (intense itching) and/or urticaria may return if you stop taking Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The following side effects are very rare, but you must stop taking the tablets and speak to your doctor straight away if you notice these symptoms:
- Allergic reactions including severe reactions and angioedema including rash, itchiness and fever, swollen throat, face, eyelids or lips. This reaction may start soon after you first take the medicine or it might start later.
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 patients)
- Somnolence (sleepiness) • Fatigue
- Headache • Dizziness
- Dry mouth • Diarrhoea
- Nausea • Pharyngitis, rhinitis cold like symptoms of the nose (children only).
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients)
- Agitation
- Paraesthesia (abnormal feelings of the skin)
- Abdominal pain
- Pruritus (itchy skin), rash
- Asthenia (extreme fatigue), malaise (feeling unwell)
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1000 patients)
- Allergic reactions, some severe (very rare)
- Depression, hallucination (hearing or seeing things), aggression, confusion, insomnia
- Convulsions
- Tachycardia (heart beating too fast)t
- Abnormal liver function test results (your doctor will know what to do)
- Urticaria (hives)
- Oedema (generalised swelling due to water retention)
- Weight increased.
Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 patients)
- Thrombocytopenia (low levels of blood platelets)
- Tics (habit spasms)
Syncope (fainting), involuntary movements and/or jerking of the limbs
(dyskinesia), dystonia (abnormal muscle contractions), tremor, dysgeusia (altered taste)
- Blurred vision, accommodation disorder (difficulty focusing), oculogyration (eyes having uncontrolled circular movements)
- Angioedema (serious allergic reaction which causes swelling of the face or throat), fixed drug eruption (drug allergy)
- Abnormal elimination of urine (bed wetting, pain and/or difficulty passing water).
Not known side effects (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
- Joint pain
- Rash with blisters containing pus.
- Increased appetite
- Suicidal ideation (recurring thoughts of or preoccupation with suicide), nightmares
- Memory loss and/or impairment
- Vertigo (sensation of rotation or movement)
- Urinary retention (inability to completely empty the bladder)
- Pruritus (intense itching) and/or urticaria upon discontinuation
- Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date, which is stated on the blister and carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets contain
Each tablet contains 10mg of cetirizine hydrochloride (the active ingredient). They also contain: lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate, talc, hypromellose, titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 4000 and sodium citrate.
What Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets look like
The tablets are white circular bi-convex, film-coated tablets marked C on one side and a breakline on the other.
Available in cartons containing 7, 14 and 30 tablets.
Marketing authorisation holder and manufacturer
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Ltd.
6 Riverview Road, Beverley, East
Yorkshire. HU17 0LD
Revision date February 2021
Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets PL 08553/0194
© Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (UK)Ltd