experience with Xyzal in kids?

[wapiti]

I'd love to hear the Hive's collective experience with this medication.  In particular, what side effects (both good and bad, but especially good) did you notice?  Any changes in behavior, mood, attention, sleep, digestive stuff?  Anything at all, no matter how unrelated to allergies?

 

(eta, we have been told to take it before bed)

 

Thank you :)

[wapiti]

trying one more time...

[Orthodox6]

I am not familiar with this medication.  What does it purport to do?

[Tap]

I work in pharmacy.

 

It isn't dispensed very often in my little corner of the pharmacy world. Most insurances either won't pay for it or it has a high copay, since it is very similar to OTC Zyrtec.   We only have a few people who use it, one teen and rest are adults.  If Zyrtec (cetirizine) works for your child but they have side effects on it, then it may be worth a trial, otherwise I would personally skip it. 

 

 

A brief bit on the science behind it:

Zyrtec has both an active and inactive form of cetirizine in it ( mirror images, a left and a right version).  Since the body only uses the left version, the right doesn't do anything, except potentially cause side effects.A loose analogy is that your left hand can only use the left  hand version of a pair gloves. Your body is similar, in that it can only use the left side version of the medication (the right side goes unused).  Xyzal is a streamlined version of cetirizine. They have removed the inactive right version, and only the left version is in the medication.  Because the inactive side has been removed, the dose can  be lower and get the same results because you aren't taking the extra inacitve medicine in every pill. Due to this, there are potentially fewer side effects. Less medicine=less side effects.   BUT....if you have no side effects on Zyrtec....then paying extra for Xyzal isn't really worth it.   Also, if Zyrtec doesn't really work for you, then is is highly unlikely that Xyzal will either. 

 

Zyrtec is cetirizine

Xyzal is levo-cetirizine. Levo has a Latin origin and is used as a word for 'left'. 

[Orthodox6]

Thank you, Tap!  I was a bit familiar with drug isomerism, if this is an example, or is something similar.

[Tiramisu]

When dd had hives last year, she was given Xyzal. Then a week later we found out the only things she tested positive for were wheat and milk. So we stopped wheat and milk. She was great for the first few weeks, and I wondered if it would more the Xyzal contributing to her good mood than cutting out the allergens. She had no bad side effects but she was wonderfully calm and peaceful for a while. We did not continue the Xyzal because she no longer had reactions, but I still wonder if that had helped her in more ways than just the hives.

 

I'm a little distracted, but I wanted to try to answer. I hope that makes sense.

[Cera]

My younger daughter took it for a few weeks for a nasty cough and had no issues with it.  It worked wonderfully.

[Momofeat]

My dd(11) takes it every day for allergies. Zyrtec affected her mood/behavior, but Xyzal is much more neutral. We haven't had any problems with it, but boy is she sniffly if she misses a dose!