Okacet: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects
Also known as: Okacet 10, Okacet 10 mg, Okacet tablet, Okacet cetirizine, Cetirizine 10 mg tablet, Cetirizine hydrochloride 10 mg
Okacet is a tablet containing 10 mg of cetirizine, an antihistamine. It is used to relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a runny or itchy nose, itchy and watery eyes, and itchy hives. It is usually taken once a day. It can cause drowsiness in some people, so take care with driving and alcohol.
- Active ingredient
- Cetirizine 10 mg
- Type of medicine
- Antihistamines
- Used for
- Allergic rhinitis
- Starts working in
- About 1 hour
- Effect lasts
- About 24 hours
- With or without food
- Either
- Alcohol
- Avoid
- Pregnancy
- Ask your doctor
- Habit-forming
- No
- Made by
- VERIFY on pack
Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.
On this page
What is Okacet used for?
Okacet is used to relieve the symptoms of allergies.
- Allergic rhinitis, including hay fever and allergy to dust mites or pets
- Sneezing and a runny, blocked or itchy nose
- Itchy, watery or red eyes caused by allergy
- Itchy skin and hives (urticaria)
How does Okacet work?
Cetirizine blocks H1 histamine receptors. Histamine is the chemical released during an allergic reaction that causes sneezing, itching, a runny nose and hives, so blocking it eases these symptoms.
What happens in your body after you take it
You swallow the tablet
The tablet breaks down in the stomach and cetirizine is absorbed from the gut. It can be taken with or without food.
It reaches the blood within about an hour
Cetirizine passes into the blood and many people notice relief within about 1 hour.
It blocks histamine receptors
Cetirizine attaches to H1 histamine receptors on cells in the nose, eyes and skin. Histamine can no longer bind there, so sneezing, itching and hives settle.
A small amount reaches the brain
Compared with older antihistamines, less cetirizine enters the brain, so it causes less drowsiness. Some people still feel sleepy.
The kidneys remove most of it
Most cetirizine leaves the body unchanged in the urine. This is why people with kidney disease may need a lower dose, and why the effect lasts about a day.
How to take Okacet
Take Okacet exactly as your doctor advises or as printed on the pack. It is usually taken once a day, and a doctor decides the dose for children, older people and people with kidney or liver problems.
- Swallow the tablet with water. It can be taken with or without food.
- It is usually taken once a day, at about the same time each day.
- Do not take it together with another antihistamine, such as levocetirizine or fexofenadine, unless a doctor says so.
- Taking it in the evening may help if it makes you sleepy.
- See a doctor if symptoms do not improve, if you have trouble breathing, or if hives keep coming back.
Side effects of Okacet
Cetirizine is generally well tolerated. Sleepiness and dry mouth are the effects people notice most often.
Uncommon or mild
- Sleepiness or tiredness
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Sore throat or nose irritation
Rare but serious: get medical help
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, or a sudden widespread rash or hives
- Difficulty passing urine or being unable to pass urine; tell a doctor promptly
- Fits (seizures), which have been reported rarely
- Fast or irregular heartbeat, or fainting
- Severe itching that begins after stopping the medicine, which has been reported rarely
Who should be careful
Most people can take cetirizine, but some need to check with a doctor first because it is cleared mainly by the kidneys and can cause sleepiness.
When the label says not to use it
- Allergy to cetirizine, levocetirizine, hydroxyzine or any ingredient of the tablet
- Severe kidney failure, unless a doctor has prescribed it
- Kidney disease or liver disease: the dose may need to be lower
- Epilepsy or a history of fits
- Enlarged prostate or other conditions that make passing urine difficult
- Driving, using machines or work needing full alertness, until you know how it affects you
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: use only if a doctor advises it
- Past allergic reaction to cetirizine, hydroxyzine or levocetirizine
- Children: give only at the dose and in the form a doctor advises
- Older adults, who may need a lower dose
Medicines and things that interact with Okacet
Cetirizine has few interactions, but some medicines and habits add to its sleepiness. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take.
- Alcohol: can add to sleepiness; best avoided
- Sedating medicines such as sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medicines and other sedating antihistamines: can add to drowsiness
- Other antihistamines, including levocetirizine: taking two together is not advised unless a doctor says so
- Theophylline (for asthma): may slightly change how cetirizine is cleared
- Ritonavir (an HIV medicine): may raise cetirizine levels
Effects on lab tests
- Skin allergy (prick) tests: antihistamines can weaken the skin reaction and give a false negative result
If someone takes too much
Taking too much cetirizine can cause marked drowsiness, restlessness, dizziness, a fast heartbeat or difficulty passing urine, especially in children. Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital and take the pack with you.
Storage
Store as directed on the pack, usually in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and out of the reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date.
Regulatory status in India
Approved for sale in India. Single-ingredient cetirizine is not on the CDSCO list of banned medicines, but some fixed-dose combinations that contain cetirizine have been banned in India, so check that the pack lists cetirizine only. Check the schedule printed on the pack.
Other brands with the same medicine
Other brands and generic tablets containing cetirizine 10 mg work the same way. Check the ingredients and strength printed on the pack, because cetirizine is also sold in other strengths, as syrup and in combinations with other medicines.
Other strengths and forms
Cetirizine is also sold as syrup and drops for children, as tablets of other strengths and in combinations with other medicines. Check the pack to be sure which strength and ingredients you have.
Common questions
What is Okacet used for?
Okacet contains cetirizine and is used to relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a runny or itchy nose, itchy and watery eyes, and itchy hives. It eases the symptoms but does not remove the allergy itself.
Does Okacet make you sleepy?
It can. Cetirizine causes less drowsiness than older antihistamines, but some people still feel sleepy. Do not drive or use machines until you know how it affects you, and avoid alcohol. Taking it in the evening may help.
When is the best time to take Okacet?
It is usually taken once a day at about the same time. If it makes you sleepy, the evening is often suggested on labels. It works with or without food. Follow the label or your doctor's advice.
How long does Okacet take to work?
Many people notice relief within about 1 hour, and the effect lasts around a day. Allergy symptoms may return as the dose wears off or if you meet the trigger again.
Is Okacet an antibiotic or a steroid?
No. Okacet is an antihistamine. It does not kill germs and is not a steroid. It blocks histamine, the chemical that causes allergy symptoms.
Can I take Okacet with levocetirizine or fexofenadine?
Not without a doctor's advice. These are all antihistamines, and taking two together adds to side effects without a clear benefit. Check the ingredients of cold and allergy products before combining them.
Can I drink alcohol with Okacet?
It is best avoided. Alcohol can add to the sleepiness that cetirizine may cause and can slow your reactions.
Is Okacet safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
Ask your doctor first. Cetirizine passes into breast milk, and larger doses may make a baby drowsy. Do not start or stop any allergy medicine on your own during pregnancy.
Can children take Okacet?
The dose for children depends on age and weight, and children's liquid forms are usually used. A 10 mg tablet is not right for every child, so give it to a child only as a doctor advises.
Is Okacet habit-forming?
No. Cetirizine is not addictive. Some people notice itching for a few days after stopping it after long use; if this happens, tell your doctor.
Sources
- Cetirizine. NHS (UK)
- Side effects of cetirizine. NHS (UK)
- Common questions about cetirizine. NHS (UK)
- Taking cetirizine with other medicines and herbal supplements. NHS (UK)
- Cetirizine. StatPearls, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), US National Library of Medicine
- List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)