Xyzal
® (
levocetirizine dihydrochloride) is a prescription antihistamine medication that is approved to treat the following conditions:
- Allergies, including seasonal allergies and allergies that occur all year long (known as perennial allergies)
- Chronic hives due to unknown causes (known medically as chronic idiopathic urticaria).
Brand-name Xyzal is made jointly by UCB, Inc. and sanofi-aventis.
Allergies occur when the body's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances that do not bother most people. This reaction is partly caused by the release of histamine from certain cells in the body. Xyzal is an antihistamine, which means it blocks histamine from binding to histamine receptors and causing
allergy symptoms. Because histamine is responsible for many of the symptoms of allergies, blocking it can be helpful.
Histamine is also responsible for the formation of hives. By blocking histamine, Xyzal can alleviate the itching due to hives.
Xyzal has been evaluated in several different studies for treating allergies.
In these studies, the drug helped reduce allergy symptoms, including sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy nose and eyes. These studies also showed that Xyzal begins to work quickly, usually by the second day of treatment.
Xyzal has also been studied for treating chronic hives and rashes that are due to unknown causes. In these studies, people who took Xyzal had fewer and smaller hives and experienced less itching, compared to people who took a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredient).
When and How to Take Xyzal
General considerations for when and how to take the medication include the following:
- Xyzal comes in tablet and liquid form. It is usually taken once a day in the evening.
- You can take it with or without food. If the medication bothers your stomach, try taking it with food.
- If necessary, the tablets may be broken in half.
- Try to take your dosage at the same time each day to maintain an even level in your blood.
- Some people may need to take the medication all year long, while others take it only during allergy season.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. It will not work if you stop taking it.
The dosage that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- Your age
- Other medical conditions you may have
- Other medications you may be taking.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
As with any medicine, side effects are possible. However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.
Common side effects of Xyzal include, but are not limited to:
(Click Xyzal Side Effects to learn more, including potentially serious side effects that you should report immediately to your healthcare provider.)
Drug Interactions With Xyzal
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking Xyzal if you have:
- Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
- Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
What If I Take an Overdose?
People who take too much Xyzal may have overdose symptoms that include:
- Drowsiness
- Agitation
- Restlessness.
What Should I Do If I Miss a Dose of Xyzal?
If you forget to take your Xyzal dose, take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Xyzal comes in two strengths and forms:
- Xyzal 5 mg tablets (which may be broken in half to achieve a lower dose of 2.5 mg)
- Xyzal oral solution (liquid), which contains 0.5 mg of Xyzal per mL (equivalent to 2.5 mg per teaspoonful).
Is There a Generic Version of Xyzal?
Currently, there is no generic version of Xyzal licensed for sale
(see Generic Xyzal).
