Can You Take Zyrtec And A Z-Pak Together?

Jess asked

Hello, I am wondering if it is safe to take Zyrtec with a Z-Pack?

Answer

Hi Spike and thank you for your great question. I always appreciate when my patients ask me to double check that their prescription medications are safe with their OTC drugs.

Cetirizine (or by the brand Zyrtec) is a “second generation” antihistamine. It works by binding to histamine receptors in the body so that histamine can’t bind to them. This helps to reduce the symptoms typically caused by allergies. It is generally well tolerated and lasts about 24 hours.

Azithromycin (or under the brand names Zithromax or Z-pak) is a macrolide antibiotic. It’s one of the easiest to take treatments as it’s almost always dosed once daily due to the long time that the medication stays in your system. It’s used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections, but most commonly used for sinus or respiratory infections. 

The good news is that there are no known drug interactions between these two medications. In fact, I’ve recommended cetirizine to patients picking up their azithromycin prescription. It’s perfectly safe to take these both together.

Thanks for reaching out to us and I hope this helps.