Patient leaflet - Zirtek Allergy solution 1 mg/ml oral solution
1. What Zirtek Allergy Solution is and what it is used for
Cetirizine dihydrochloride is the active ingredient of Zirtek Allergy Solution.
Zirtek Allergy Solution is an antiallergic medication.
In adults and children aged 2 years and above, Zirtek Allergy Solution 1 mg/ml oral solution is indicated
- for the relief of nasal and ocular symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.
- for the relief of urticaria.
2. What you need to know before you take Zirtek Allergy Solution
Do not take Zirtek Allergy Solution
- if you have a severe kidney disease requiring dialysis;
- if you are allergic to cetirizine dihydrochloride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6), to hydroxyzine or to any piperazine derivatives (closely related active ingredients of other medicines).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Zirtek Allergy Solution.
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 (like spinal cord problems or prostate or bladder problems), please ask your doctor for advice.
If you are an epileptic patient or a patient at risk of convulsions, you should ask your doctor for advice.
No clinically significant interactions have been observed between alcohol (at the blood level of 0.5 per mille (g/l) corresponding to one glass of wine) and cetirizine used at the recommended doses.
However, there are no data available on the safety when higher doses of cetirizine and alcohol are taken together. Therefore, as it is the case with all antihistamines, it is recommended to avoid taking Zirtek Allergy Solution with alcohol.
If you are scheduled for allergy testing, ask your doctor if you should stop taking Zirtek Allergy Solution for several days before testing. This medicine may affect your allergy test results.
Other medicines and Zirtek Allergy Solution
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Zirtek Allergy Solution with food and drink
Food does not affect absorption of Zirtek Allergy Solution.
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.
Zirtek Allergy Solution 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. A risk of side effects in breastfed infants cannot be excluded. Therefore, you should not take Zirtek Allergy Solution during breast-feeding unless you have contacted a doctor.
Driving and using machines
Clinical studies have produced no evidence of impaired attention, alertness and driving capabilities after taking Zirtek Allergy Solution at the recommended dose.
You should closely observe your response to the drug after you have taken Zirtek Allergy Solution if you are intending to drive, engage in potentially hazardous activities or operate machinery. You should not exceed the recommended dose.
Zirtek Allergy Solution contains sorbitol (E 420), methylpara-hydroyxbenzoate (E 218), propylparahydroxybenzoate (E 216), propylene glycol (E 1520) and sodium.
This medicine contains 1575 mg sorbitol (E 420) in each 5 ml which is equivalent to 315 mg/ml. Sorbitol is a source of fructose. If your doctor has told you that you (or your child) have an intolerance to some sugars or if you have been diagnosed with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI), a rare genetic disorder in which a person cannot break down fructose, talk to your doctor before you (or your child) take or receive this medicine. Sorbitol may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and mild laxative effect.
This medicine contains methylparahydroxybenzoate (E 218) and propylparahydroxybenzoate (E 216) which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).
This medicine contains 250 mg propylene glycol (E 1520) in each 5 ml which is equivalent to 50 mg/ml.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take Zirtek Allergy Solution
Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The solution can be swallowed as such.
Adults and adolescents above 12 years old:
The recommended dose is 10 mg once daily as 10 ml oral solution (2 full measuring spoons)
Use in children between 6 and 12 years old:
The recommended dose is 5 mg twice daily as 5 ml (one full measuring spoon) twice daily.
Use in children between 2 and 6 years old
The recommended dose is 2.5 mg twice daily as 2.5 ml oral solution (a half-measuring spoon) twice daily
Patients with renal impairment
Patients with moderate renal impairment are recommended to take 5 mg once daily.
If you suffer from severe kidney disease, please contact your doctor who may adjust the dose accordingly.
If your child suffers from kidney disease, please contact your doctor who may adjust the dose according to your child’s needs.
If you feel that the effect of Zirtek Allergy Solution is too weak or too strong, please consult your doctor.
Duration of treatment
The duration of treatment depends on the type, duration and course of your complaints. Please ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
If you take more Zirtek Allergy Solution than you should
If you think you have taken an overdose of Zirtek Allergy Solution please inform your doctor.
Your doctor will then decide what measures, if any, should be taken. After an overdose, the side effects described below may occur with increased intensity. Adverse effects such as confusion, diarrhoea, dizziness, tiredness, headache, malaise (feeling unwell), dilating of pupil, itching, restlessness, sedation, somnolence (sleepiness), stupor, abnormal rapid heart rate, tremors and urinary retention (difficulty in emptying the bladder) have been reported.
If you forget to take Zirtek Allergy Solution
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Zirtek Allergy Solution
Rarely, pruritus (intense itching) and/or urticaria (hives) may return if you stop taking Zirtek Allergy Solution.
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 rare or very rare, but you must stop taking the medicine and speak to your doctor straight away if you notice them:
- Allergic reactions, including severe reactions and angioedema (serious allergic reaction which causes swelling of the face or throat).
These reactions 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)
- Dizziness, headache
- Pharyngitis (sore throat), rhinitis (runny, stuffy nose) (in children)
- Diarrhoea, nausea, dry mouth
- Fatigue
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 1,000 patients)
- Allergic reactions, some severe (very rare)
- Depression, hallucination, aggression, confusion, insomnia
- Convulsions
- Tachycardia (heart beating too fast)
- Liver function abnormal
- Urticaria (hives)
- Oedema (swelling)
- Weight increased
Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 patients)
- Thrombocytopenia (low levels of blood platelets)
- Tics (habit spasm)
- Syncope (fainting), dyskinesia (involuntary movements), dystonia (abnormal prolonged muscular contractions), tremor, dysgeusia (altered taste)
- Blurred vision, accommodation disorder (difficulty focusing), oculogyric crisis (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 frequency of side effects (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
- Increased appetite
- Suicidal ideation (recurring thoughts of or preoccupation with suicide), nightmare
- Amnesia (memory loss), memory impairment
- Vertigo (sensation of rotation or movement)
- Urinary retention (inability to completely empty the urinary bladder)
- Pruritus (intense itching) and/or urticaria upon discontinuation
- Arthralgia (joint pain), myalgia (muscular pain)
- Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (rash with blisters containing pus)
- Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. 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 Zirtek Allergy Solution
- 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 bottle label and carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
- Do not use after 3 months of first opening the bottle.
- This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
- If the medicine becomes discoloured or shows any other signs of deterioration, you should seek the advice of your pharmacist who will tell you what to do.
- Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Zirtek Allergy Solution contains
- The active substance is cetirizine. 1 ml solution contains 1 mg of cetirizine dihydrochloride. 10 ml (equals to 2 measuring spoons) contains 10 mg of cetirizine dihydrochloride.
- The other ingredients are sorbitol (E 420), glycerol (E 422), propylene glycol (E 1520), saccharin sodium, methylpara-hydroxybenzoate (E 218), propylparahydroxybenzoate (E 216), banana flavor 54.330/A (Firmenich), sodium acetate, glacial acetic acid, purified water.
- 10 ml Zirtek Allergy Solution (=2 measuring spoons) contain: 3.15 g glucose equivalents (sorbitol).
What Zirtek Allergy Solution looks like and contents of the pack
Clear and colorless liquid with slightly sweet taste and a banana flavor.
Pack with a bottle containing volume of 200 ml solution.
PL 46420/0689 Zirtek® Allergy Solution 1 mg/ml oral solution P
Who makes and repackages your medicine?
Your medicine is manufactured by Aesica Pharmaceuticals S.r.l., Via Praglia 15, I-10044 Pianezza (TO), Italy. Procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence Holder: Suerte Pharma Ltd, 4/5 Northolt Trading Estate, Belvue Road, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 5QS.
Leaflet date: 13.03.2026
Zirtek is a registered trademark of UCB Biopharma SPRL, Belgium.
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