Levocetirizine

Order Levocetirizine Tablets Online UK

By Clinical Pharmacist Hywel McGlinchy

You can request to order Levocetirizine online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. To order it, simply fill out an online medical consultation form. This is then assessed by our doctors to make sure it is safe to prescribe for you. 

If your order is approved, a prescription is sent to our online pharmacy team who will dispense and dispatch the medicine to your address. Next working day delivery options are available.

For more information on hay fever, see our blog post on how to improve your hay fever symptoms.

What is Levocetirizine?

Levocetirizine is an antihistamine medication used to treat hay fever and hives. Antihistamines are commonly used to treat hay fever symptoms (seasonal allergic rhinitis). It is chemically similar to another antihistamine called cetirizine but is more potent, which means it can be taken at a lower dose than cetirizine. 

The active ingredient is Levocetirizine dihydrochloride.

How to take Levocetirizine

Levocetirizine tablets contain Levocetirizine 5mg. The usual dose is one 5mg tablet taken once a day. The dose should be swallowed whole with a glass of water and can be taken with or without food. It can also be prescribed as an oral solution.

You should always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you to. It is not suitable to be taken by children under the age of 6.

How does it work?

Hay fever is caused by the body having an allergic reaction to pollen from plants and trees. When pollen comes into contact with areas like the mouth, throat, eyes, and nose, the body reacts by producing a chemical called histamine. This can cause a number of symptoms in these areas such as watery and itchy eyes, a runny or blocked nose, and a sore throat.

Antihistamines like Levocetirizine, work by blocking the effect of histamine on the body. This helps to improve the various symptoms that people experience with hay fever.

Alternative treatments

Several antihistamines are available for the treatment of hay fever. Loratadine, Cetirizine, Piriton, and Periactin are all examples of antihistamines available to buy over the counter at UK pharmacies. Other treatments include nasal sprays like Pirinase Nasal Spray and eye drops like Optrex Itchy Eyes. These are also available from our online pharmacy shop.

Other antihistamines are only available with a prescription, like Levocetirizine. This includes Telfast and Desloratadine as well as more targeted treatments such as Optilast Eye Drops and Avamys.

Levocetirizine summary

Levocetirizine Prices

Levocetirizine Side Effects

The most common side effects of Levocetirizine include tiredness, dry mouth, drowsiness, and headache. These side effects may affect up to 1 in 10 people who take this medicine.  

If you experience a dry mouth after taking a dose, sucking sugar-free sweets or chewing sugar-free gum can help with this. If you have any drowsiness after a dose, do not drive or use tools. Try to sit or lie down until you feel better.

See section 4 of the patient information leaflet for further information on side effects. If you experience any unusual or severe side effects, call your doctor or speak to your pharmacist for medical advice.

Warnings

You should not take Levocetirizine if you have had a previous allergic reaction to the medicine, or any of the ingredients in the tablets, in the past. People with severe kidney disease should also avoid taking this medicine. 

See the patient information leaflet for information on other conditions that can be affected by taking Levocetirizine.

Drug interactions

Levocetirizine is unlikely to interact with other medicines but you should always tell your doctor what medicines you take. When taken with other medicines that can cause drowsiness, it may be more likely to make you drowsy or cause the drowsiness to be more severe. This can also happen if Levocetirizine is taken with alcohol.