The drug is used in the development of a variety of allergic reactions in adults and children. Allergy symptoms significantly reduce the quality of life; during the flowering seasons, a child or an adult patient is forced to stay at home, wear medical masks, and take many different medications. The drug does not cure allergies, but only eliminates unpleasant symptoms and greatly facilitates the course of the pathological process. The dosage of the drug is calculated by the doctor individually, based on the general state of health and weight of the patient. An overdose of Zirtek drops in a child may be the result of prescribing the drug without specifying body weight, as well as the accidental ingestion of a large dose due to negligence due to storage of the medicine in a place accessible to the child.
General characteristics of the drug
We will talk about the overdose of Zirtek in children below.
The drug belongs to the class of modern antihistamines. It has a pronounced anti-allergic effect and practically does not provoke side effects, such as in medicines of this category of the previous generation. The main active element of the drug is cetirizine. This substance is not addictive and is well tolerated by patients of various age groups.
When is the medicine used?
Allergy medicine “Zirtek” is effective for various manifestations of allergies, it is prescribed for the following allergic pathologies:
- hay fever is a seasonal pollen allergy to some varieties of trees and plants;
- allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, both seasonal and year-round;
- Quincke's edema;
- allergic dermatosis, including atopic dermatitis, as well as urticaria and other rashes of allergic etiology.
The drug drug "Zirtek" is also indicated for allergic reactions to insect bites. This medicine is able to eliminate an acute attack of allergies in a few minutes.
Features of the reception
The medicine should be taken orally. In the treatment of allergic reactions in childhood (after 6 years), the recommended dosage of the drug is 20 drops, but the daily volume is given to the child in two divided doses, unlike adult patients who can take the daily dose once.
In the treatment of allergies in young children (age 2-6 years), a dosage of 5 mg of the active substance is prescribed, which is 10 drops. The drug can be given to the baby both one-time and in two divided doses.
This medication is not intended for the treatment of infants, however, some pediatricians still prescribe drops for infants. The dosage of the drug in this case should be calculated especially carefully and the specialist should take into account the kidney or liver diseases in the baby, if any.
The action of an allergy medication in most cases is felt approximately 20 minutes after administration and lasts for a day.
Symptoms of an overdose of "Zirtek" in a child 2 or 3 years old
In medicine, there are no medications that would be absolutely safe, therefore, it is extremely important to follow the recommendations of doctors and doses of substances during treatment, especially when it comes to children under the age of 3 years. Overdose "Zirtek" in a child can cause not only serious conditions, but sometimes extremely dangerous. Symptoms include the following disorders in overall health:
- the child becomes excessively inhibited and sleepy, his consciousness is confused;
- the baby has digestive disorders;
- severe dizziness occurs, which is often accompanied by general weakness and severe sweating;
- there is a violation of the urinary system;
- malfunctions of the heart are noted.
These pathological overdose signals of “Zirtek” in children can occur if the child has taken more than 20 mg of the drug once. The first symptom is usually the occurrence of vomiting. However, this is not observed in every case. The child may be lethargic and drowsy, refuse to eat.
What to do in case of an overdose of Zirtek in children?
First aid
If it was discovered that the child took an excessive amount of a medical product, then it is necessary to provide him first aid very quickly. To do this:
- Rinse the baby's stomach thoroughly with plenty of clean water. To do this, the baby should be given 3 glasses of water to drink, then press the root of the tongue and induce vomiting.
- The second step in case of an overdose of Zirtek in a child 2 years of age or older is to take sorbents that prevent the absorption of the drug in the mucous membrane of the stomach and naturally remove it from the body.
- Then you should drink it with tea.
It is necessary to observe a baby who has been poisoned with medicine, and if there are at least slight signs that it is getting worse, immediately call a team of doctors.
How to treat an overdose of Zirtek in a child?
Treatment with this tool
After providing first aid, especially with a strong overdose in a baby, medical specialists constantly monitor the child’s cardiac activity and monitor his breathing. There is no specialized antidote for this medication, and hemodialysis with excessive consumption of cetirizine, as a rule, does not. Therefore, the treatment of this pathological condition is only symptomatic, which involves taking medications that eliminate the symptoms of a disorder in the activity of the child’s body.
Not only an overdose of Zirtek is dangerous.
When is drug poisoning still possible?
You can get poisoned with a medication in cases where the child has contraindications for its use, but the parents, despite this, gave him this medication. Direct contraindications to the use of the drug are:
- galactose intolerance;
- individual intolerance to components;
- lactose deficiency;
- severe renal failure;
- chronic jaundice.
In the presence of the above conditions or pathologies, the doctor may prescribe Zyrtec as an anti-allergic medication, but only if the intended benefit is higher than the potential harm. The dosage in each case should be calculated individually.
It is important to prevent an overdose of Zirtek. In a child at 3 years old (and at any other age), it can lead to sad consequences.
How to prevent overdose in children?
In order to prevent poisoning of the child’s body with the Zirtek medication, it is enough to follow certain precautions when taking this medicine:
- Parents are not recommended to prescribe medications for their child. In order to correctly determine the dose and frequency of taking the drug, you need to consult a doctor.
- When prescribing a pharmacological drug by a doctor, it is necessary to focus on the weight of the sick child.
- In no case should you exceed the therapeutic dose of the drug, which is prescribed in the instructions or calculated by the doctor.
- All medicines must be stored out of the reach of small children. Most often, cases of overdose are observed precisely in those situations when the child accidentally took a large dose of the medicine found in the home medicine cabinet. Therefore, with the advent of the children’s house, the first-aid kit should be removed to a place where the child definitely won’t find it, because not only the baby’s health, but often his life depends on it.
Allergy in children is a rather unpleasant disease, especially if it is provoked by seasonal causes. The drug Zirtek will help alleviate the condition of the baby and stop unpleasant symptoms, but you should not remember the rules of admission and the possible occurrence of an overdose in childhood.