Zyrtec (Cetirizine): Side Effects & Eye Pain - What You Need to Know

Zyrtec is an over-the-counter medication used to treat a variety of ailments. This includes seasonal allergic rhinitis, perennial allergic rhinitis and chronic uticaria. The medication is available in tablet form or as syrup with no prescription required.

Recommended Dosage

• Exact dosage depends on the age of the patient. For adults and children 6 years of age or older, 5mg or 10mg should be taken daily. Syrup is recommended for younger children.

Common Side Effects

• Side effects most commonly associated with the use of Zyrtec include somnolence, headache, coughing, abdominal pain, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

Serious Side Effects

• There are also several serious side effects that may occur as a result of using Zyrtec. Cardiac failure, hypertension, anorexia, confusion, migraines, rectal hemorrhage, dermatitis, deafness, bronchitis, sinusitis and muscle weakness have all been reported.

Eye Pain

• Many reports of eye pain and general vision problems have also been documented. Blindness, conjunctivitis, glaucoma and ocular hemorrhage have all been seen in users of Zyrtec.

Overdosage

• Several patients have overdosed on Zyrtec, though the effects of overdose have been rather mild. In most cases at least 150mg of Zyrtec had been ingested, with side effects consisting of somnolence, restlessness and irritability.