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.

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.

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.

Will Xyzal® make me drowsy? Yes, drowsiness may occur. In clinical studies where Xyzal® was administered at night, 6% of users experienced drowsiness. Xyzal® should be taken at night, and users should be careful if driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.

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).

Common Xyzal side effects include drowsiness, cold-like symptoms, and fatigue. Dry mouth can also happen. Trouble urinating is a more serious, but rare, Xyzal side effect. If you have kidney problems, Xyzal might not be the best antihistamine option for you.

Since Xyzal and Zyrtec are very similar medications, they have very similar side effects. A potential side effect of Xyzal and Zyrtec is drowsiness. But both are considered non-drowsy antihistamines. If you feel sleepy or tired while taking one of them, you can switch to the other to see if the side effect goes away.

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.

Takeaway. Both Xyzal and Zyrtec are effective over-the-counter allergy relief drugs with a very similar chemical makeup. Both are likely to make you less drowsy than alternatives such as Benadryl. Ask your doctor for a recommendation about which one might best address your allergy symptoms.

Xyzal® and Claritin® both provide 24 hour allergic rhinitis relief, however, their active ingredients are different. The active ingredient in Claritin® is loratadine, while Xyzal® contains levocetirizine, the medicine that provides effective relief starting in one hour.

As the latest over-the-counter branded oral antihistamine, Xyzal® offers effective relief for symptoms of hay fever or other respiratory allergies year-round. It is designed to be taken at night and allows for up to 24-hours of powerful allergy relief that is just as effective at hour 24 as it is at hour 1.

Xyzal may interact with alcohol, other medicines that can make you drowsy (cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety), ritonavir, or theophylline. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Xyzal, Zyrtec, and drowsiness First-generation antihistamines, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine), are the most likely to reach the brain and affect the nervous system. They're also more likely to result in drowsiness and sedation.

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.

Levocetirizine is the active component in the medication and cetirizine contains levocetirizine (along with the inactive dextrocetirizine). This means that Xyzal (left banana) and Zyrtec (both bananas) are essentially the same drug and should work the same.

Xyzal® and Claritin® both provide 24 hour allergic rhinitis relief, however, their active ingredients are different. The active ingredient in Claritin® is loratadine, while Xyzal® contains levocetirizine, the medicine that provides effective relief starting in one hour.