Levocetirizine, sold under the brand name Xyzal, among others, is a second-generation antihistamine used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and long-term hives of unclear cause.
It is less sedating than older antihistamines.
It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects include sleepiness, dry mouth, cough, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Use in pregnancy appears safe and use when breastfeeding is of unclear safety.
It is a second-generation antihistamine and works by blocking histamine H1-receptors.
Levocetirizine is used for allergic rhinitis symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, hives, and itching.
Levocetirizine is a non-sedating antihistamine as it does not enter the brain in significant amounts and is therefore unlikely to cause drowsiness.
Cardiac safety may be better than some other antihistamines, as levocetirizine does not significantly prolong the QT interval in healthy individuals.
Some patients experience some slight sleepiness, headache, mouth dryness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, palpitations and fatigue.
Levocetirizine antihistamine acts as an inverse agonist that decreases activity at histamine H1 receptors, preventing the release of other allergy chemicals and increases the blood supply to the area.
It provides relief from the typical symptoms of hay fever.
Its bioavailability is high.
Protein binding 91-92%
Metabolism is minimal with less than 14%, primarily-CYP3A4.
Elimination half-life 8 to 9 hours.
Excretion Urine: 85%
Feces: 12.9%
Chemically, levocetirizine is the active levorotary enantiomer of cetirizine.