Claritin vs. Zyrtec: Cost, Side Effects, Effectiveness | Articles

Man working from home due to respiratory allergy to the climate

Cetirizine is an antihistamine often used to treat allergy symptoms. Both Zyrtec and Claritin are brand names of cetirizine that help to treat allergy symptoms. Both brands have relatively similar results, however Zyrtec has a quicker onset and is known to cause more “sedation” feeling amongst those who take it.

Key Takeaways

The only major differences between Zyrtec and Claritin is the onset and slightly more feeling of “sedation” when using Zyrtec. Zyrtec is known to have a faster onset than Claritin.
There are no major side effect differences or major cost differences between the two brands that offer a cetirizine antihistamine.

Claritin vs. Zyrtec: Everything You Should Know

Claritin and Zyrtec are both brands that offer allergy medications using cetirizine. Here are the key differences between the two brands.

Effectiveness of Treatment

Here are the general effectiveness of treatment when comparing Claritin and Zyrtec:

Characteristic	Zyrtec	Claritin
Risk of Sedation	Low risk, but more likely to cause sedation compared to Claritin	Low risk
Onset of Action	One hour	Up to three hours
Duration of Action	24 hours	24 hours
Effectiveness	Equal effectiveness for allergic rhinitis and urticaria	Equal effectiveness for allergic rhinitis and urticaria
Comparative Studies	Studies have not compared the effects for conditions like postnasal drip	Studies have not compared the effects for conditions like postnasal drip

The effectiveness of both brands is nearly identical. However, Zyrtec does have a quicker onset time with it being only one hour compared to Claritin which has an onset of up to three hours, on average.

Dosage Comparison

Here is the common dosage comparison between Claritin and Zyrtec:

Medication	Usual Dosage	Dosage for Children (2-6 years)
Claritin	10 mg per day	5 mg per day
Zyrtec	5-10 mg per day	Not specified

Average Cost Comparison

Here are the average costs of both brand name drugs:

Medication	Average Retail Price	Manufacturer Coupons
Zyrtec	Around $25	SingleCare coupon card can reduce the price to as low as $4, Walgreens offers a $5 manufacturer coupon for Zyrtec “24 Hour Allergy” Relief Tablets
Claritin	Around $30	Manufacturer coupons are often available

In short, we can see that both treatment options are generally within the same price range. Varying by only a $5 amount.

Comparing Side Effects

Both Zyrtec and Claritin have near the same side effects:

Medication	Mild Side Effects
Zyrtec	Headache, feeling drowsy or tired, dry mouth, sore throat, dizziness, stomach pain, eye redness, diarrhea, constipation
Claritin	Headache, feeling drowsy or tired, dry mouth, sore throat, dizziness, stomach pain, eye redness, diarrhea, constipation

We can see that both treatment options and brands have identical side effects, meaning that many patients are not choosing a brand based on varying side effects, rather, choosing based on personal preference or potentially by health insurance coverage.

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Sources

FDA. "Zyrtec (cetirizine hydrochloride) Tablets, Chewable Tablets, and Syrup." U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed January 2022. [PDF] Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2000/20641s7lbl.pdf
FDA. "Claritin (loratadine) Tablets, Chewable Tablets, and Syrup." U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed January 2022. [PDF] Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2002/19835s15,%2020346s8lbl.pdf
WebMD. "Cetirizine Oral." WebMD. Accessed January 2022. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-12065/cetirizine-oral/details