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Levocetirizine dihydrochloride (Lee-voh-set-teer-riz-een dye-hi-droh-clor-ride) is a medicine which isused in allergic rhinitis and urticaria.

 Your medicine

Levocetirizine dihydrochloride is an antihistamine. Itblocks the effects of a chemical which causessymptoms of allergy such as itching. It is used totreat allergic rhinitis or urticaria which has persistedfor a long time.

Do not share your medicine with other people. Itmay not be suitable for them and may harm them.

The pharmacy label on your medicine tells you howmuch medicine you should take. It also tells youhow often you should take your medicine. This isthe dose that you and your prescriber have agreedyou should take. You should not change the dose of your medicine unless you are told to do so by your prescriber.

If you feel that the medicine is making you unwell or you do not think it is working, then talk to your prescriber.

When to take your medicine

Some medicines work best if they are taken at a

specific time of day. Getting the most benefit fromyour medicine can also be affected by what you eat,when you eat and the times at which you take other medicines.

Specific information on when to take Levocetirizinedihydrochloride can be found in the PatientInformation Leaflet that comes with this medicine or on the medicine label. You can also ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about when to takeyour medicine.

How to take your medicine

Some medicines have specific instructions abouthow to take them. This is because they work better when taken correctly. These instructions can includegetting the right dose and special instructions for 

preparing the medicine.Specific information on how to take Levocetirizinedihydrochloride can be found in the PatientInformation Leaflet that comes with this medicine or on the medicine label. Alternatively, you can requestinformation about how to take your medicine fromyour doctor or pharmacist.

If you are having problems taking this form of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride, you should talk toyour prescriber or pharmacist. They may be able togive you advice on other ways to take your medicineor other preparations that are easier for you to take.

Taking too much of your medicine

Taking extra doses of some medicines can beharmful. In some cases even one extra dose cancause you problems. If you take extra doses of your medicine, you must get medical advice immediately.You may need a test to assess the effect of takingextra doses. This is because the effects of takingtoo much medicine are very complex so it is veryimportant that you seek medical advice.

Contact your prescriber, pharmacist, specialist clinicor NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for advice.

Make sure you take all of your medicine containerswith you if you are advised to go to hospital.

Stopping your medicine

Only stop taking this medicine on the advice of your prescriber or if the medicine has had its intendedeffect and you no longer need relief from your symptoms.

If you are in any doubt, contact your prescriber,pharmacist, specialist clinic or NHS Direct on 084546 47.

Looking after your medicine

The instructions on how you should keep your medicine are on the pharmacy label. It is a goodidea to keep your medicine in the original container.This will help to keep your medicine in the bestcondition and also allow you to check theinstructions. Do not take the medicine if thepackaging appears to have been tampered with or if the medicine shows any signs of damage. Makesure that the medicine is out of the sight and reachof children.

Specific information on how to look after Levocetirizine dihydrochloride can be found in thePatient Information Leaflet that comes with thismedicine or on the medicine label. Alternatively, youcan request information about how to look after your medicine from your doctor or pharmacist.

You must not take the medicine after the expiry dateshown on the packaging. If you have any unusedmedicine, return it to your pharmacist who willdispose of it safely.

Whether this medicine is suitable for you

Levocetirizine dihydrochloride is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it.Other people should only use it with special care. Itis important that the person prescribing thismedicine knows your full medical history.

Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicinewith special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

• are allergic or sensitive to or have had areaction to any of the ingredients in themedicine

• have kidney problems• are allergic or sensitive to or have had a bad

reaction to piperazine derivatives in the past• a re e ld erl y

Furthermore the prescriber may only prescribe thismedicine with special care or may not prescribe it at

all for a child under the age of six years.Over time it is possible that Levocetirizinedihydrochloride can become unsuitable for somepeople, or they may become unsuitable for it. If atany time it appears that Levocetirizinedihydrochloride has become unsuitable, it isimportant that the prescriber is contactedimmediately.

Side-effects

 A medicine is only made available to the public if theclinical trials have shown that the benefits of takingthe medicine outweigh the risks.

Once a medicine has been licensed, information onthe medicine's effects, both intended andunintended, is continuously recorded and updated.

Some side-effects may be serious while others mayonly be a mild inconvenience.

Everyone's reaction to a medicine is different. It isdifficult to predict which side-effects you will havefrom taking a particular medicine, or whether youwill have any side-effects at all. The important thingis to tell your prescriber or pharmacist if you arehaving problems with your medicine.

Common: More than 1 in 100 people who takeLevocetirizine dihydrochloride

• dry mouth• headaches• sl ee pi ne ss• tiredness• weakness

Uncommon: More than 1 in 1000 people who takeLevocetirizine dihydrochloride

• st om ach p ai n

The frequency of these side-effects is unknown

• abnormal laboratory test results• aggressive behaviour • allergic reactions• a ng io ed em a• breathing difficulties• c onvuls ions• eye or eyesight problems• feeling agitated

• hypersensitivity reactions includinganaphylaxis

• itching• l iv er probl ems• muscle pain or tenderness• nausea• pal pi tati ons• skin rash or rashes• ur tica ria• wei gh t g ain

If you feel unwell or if you have concerns about aside-effect, you will need to seek advice. If you feelvery ill, get medical help straight away. Contact your prescriber, pharmacist, nurse or call NHS Direct on0845 46 47.

Taking other medicines

If you are taking more than one medicine they mayinteract with each other. At times your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, in other cases this may not be appropriate.

The decision to use medicines that interact dependson your specific circumstances. Your prescriber maydecide to use medicines that interact, if it is believedthat the benefits of taking the medicines together outweigh the risks. In such cases, it may benecessary to alter your dose or monitor you moreclosely.

Tell your prescriber the names of all the medicinesthat you are taking so that they can consider allpossible interactions. This includes all the medicineswhich have been prescribed by your GP, hospitaldoctor, dentist, nurse, health visitor, midwife or pharmacist. You must also tell your prescriber aboutmedicines which you have bought over the counter without prescriptions.

The following medicines may interact withLevocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• theophy ll ine

The following types of medicine may interact withLevocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• medicines which depress the CNS• cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers

If you are taking Levocetirizine dihydrochloride andone of the above medicines or types of medicines,make sure your prescriber knows about it.

Complementary preparations and vitamins

Medicines can interact with complementarypreparations and vitamins. In general, there is notmuch information available about interactionsbetween medicines and complementarypreparations or vitamins.

Levocetirizine dihydrochlorideLevocetirizine 5mg tabletsWhen used in urticaria

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If you are planning to take or are already taking anycomplementary preparations and vitamins youshould ask your prescriber whether there are anyknown interactions with Levocetirizinedihydrochloride.

Your prescriber can advise whether it is appropriatefor you to take combinations that are known tointeract. They can also discuss with you thepossible effect that the complementary preparations

and vitamins may have on your condition.If you experience any unusual effects while takingthis medicine in combination with complementarypreparations and vitamins, you should tell your prescriber.

Driving and operating machinery

When taking any medicine you should be aware thatit might interfere with your ability to drive or operatemachinery safely.

In the case of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• this medicine could affect your ability to driveor operate machinery

You should see how this medicine affects youbefore you judge whether you are safe to drive or 

operate machinery. If you are in any doubt aboutwhether you should drive or operate machinery, talkto your prescriber.

Diet

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In somecases, this may be harmful and your prescriber mayadvise you to avoid certain foods.

In the case of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• there are no specific foods that you mustexclude from your diet when takingLevocetirizine dihydrochloride

Alcohol

 Alcohol can interact with certain medicines.

In the case of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• this medicine may interact with alcoholYou should seek advice from your prescriber as towhether you may drink alcohol while taking thismedicine.

Family planning and pregnancy

Most medicines, in some way, can affect thedevelopment of a baby in the womb. The effect onthe baby differs between medicines and alsodepends on the stage of pregnancy that you havereached when you take the medicine.

In the case of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• you should only take this medicine duringpregnancy if your doctor thinks that you needit

You need to discuss your specific circumstanceswith your doctor to weigh up the overall risks andbenefits of taking this medicine. You and your doctor can make a decision about whether you are going totake this medicine during pregnancy.

If the decision is that you should not have

Levocetirizine dihydrochloride, then you shoulddiscuss whether there is an alternative medicinethat you could take during pregnancy.

Breast-feeding

Certain medicines can pass into breast milk andmay reach your baby through breast-feeding.

In the case of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride:

• you should only take this medicine whilebreast-feeding if your doctor thinks you needit

You need to discuss your specific circumstanceswith your doctor to weigh up the overall risks andbenefits of having this medicine. You and your doctor can make a decision about whether you aregoing to have this medicine while you are breast-feeding.

Ingredients of your medicine

Medicines contain active ingredients. They may alsocontain other, additional ingredients that help ensurethe stability, safety and effectiveness of themedicine. They are also added to improve themedicine's taste and appearance and to make iteasier to take. Some may be used to prolong the lifeof the medicine.

This medicine contains levocetirizinedihydrochloride.

We are unable to list all of the ingredients for your medicine here. For a full list, you should refer to thepatient information leaflet that comes with this

medicine. You should check that you are able totake the ingredients of your medicine, especially if you have any allergies. You should also checkwhether any of these ingredients are known to haveside-effects.

If you are not able to take any of the ingredients inyour medicine, talk to your prescriber or pharmacistto see if they can suggest an alternative medicine. If you have reacted badly to Levocetirizinedihydrochloride before, do not take Levocetirizinedihydrochloride. Talk to your prescriber, pharmacistor nurse as soon as possible.

Levocetirizine dihydrochlorideLevocetirizine 5mg tabletsWhen used in urticaria

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