Greg Panico, a spokesman for Janssen Pharmaceutica, which is owned by Johnson and Johnson, said that the withdrawal was a voluntary business decision. “The decision to voluntarily discontinue it recognises that the allergy marketplace is crowded with a number of other drugs,” Mr Panico said.

Prescription Xyzal is now discontinued by the manufacturer, but the generic prescription levocetirizine is still available on the U.S. market. Insurance in the U.S. does not typically pay for OTC products, but may pay for prescription drugs, with generic options preferred.

Xyzal starts working in one hour so you start feeling better faster. And it keeps working for 24 hours. That's right –– Xyzal is as effective at hour 24 as it is at hour 1. Take Xyzal once at night for continuous allergy symptom relief.

Since both medications have a common core chemical structure, Zyrtec and Xyzal generally have the same level of effectiveness, onset of action, and range of allergy symptoms treated. Xyzal is slightly less drowsy, so if drowsiness is an issue with your allergy medicine, Xyzal is better than Zyrtec.

Our Verdict. Xyzal is an antihistamine used to relieve a variety of indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms, as well as hives. A 24-hour over-the-counter allergy medication, Xyzal is safe and effective at the recommended daily dose, but it may cause drowsiness, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to levocetirizine or cetirizine (Zyrtec). You should not take levocetirizine if you have end-stage kidney disease or if you are on dialysis. Any child younger than 12 years old with kidney disease should not take levocetirizine.

Yes, you can take levocetirizine (Xyzal Allergy) only when you need it if you have allergy symptoms once in a while. But if you have allergy symptoms on a daily basis, taking it regularly according to the manufacturer's directions or your provider's instructions might give you the most relief from your allergies.

Each tablet of Xyzal Allergy 24HR contains 5 mg of levocetirizine. The usual adult dosage is 5 mg (1 tablet) by mouth once a day in the evening. But if your allergy symptoms are mild, you can take 2.5 mg (one-half of a tablet) by mouth once daily in the evening. Don't take more than 5 mg per day.

For mild to moderate allergy symptoms, Allegra or Claritin are preferred because they are non sedating and do not make you feel sleepy. For more severe symptoms that can interfere with work, school or daily activities, Xyzal or Zyrtec may be more effective.

Our Verdict. Xyzal is an antihistamine used to relieve a variety of indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms, as well as hives. A 24-hour over-the-counter allergy medication, Xyzal is safe and effective at the recommended daily dose, but it may cause drowsiness, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Clinically significant acute liver injury has been very rarely associated with its use. Only 2 cases of acute liver injury associated with levocetirizine have been reported in the literature. We describe the case of a 67-year-old man who developed clinically significant acute hepatic injury after using levocetirizine.

Yes. Xyzal® is safe to use every day in the evening. Use only as directed and please read the product label for complete dosing instructions and warnings.