Children’s cetirizine dosage
Every chart below is transcribed from a real FDA drug-facts label, and grouped by the strength printed on the bottle. We calculate nothing.
Check the strength on your bottle first
The same medicine is sold at more than one concentration, and a chart is only correct for the bottle it was printed on. Find the “active ingredient” line on your package and match it to the heading above a chart below. If it does not match any of them, use the chart on your own box and ask a pharmacist if it is unclear.
5 mg per 5 mL
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each 5 mL) Cetirizine HCl 5 mg”.
The same chart appears on 16 products, including Allergy Relief Childrens, Childrens Allergy, Childrens Allergy Relief.
Products at this strength do not all print the same chart — check the brand above against your box, and if it is not listed, use the chart printed on your own package.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | 5 mL or 10 mL once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 10 mL in 24 hours. |
| adults 65 years and over | 5 mL once daily; do not take more than 5 mL in 24 hours. |
| children 2 to under 6 years of age | 2.5 mL once daily. If needed, dose can be increased to a maximum of 5 mL once daily or 2.5 mL every 12 hours. Do not give more than 5 mL in 24 hours. |
| children under 2 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
10 mg per tablet
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each tablet) Cetirizine HCl 10 mg”.
The same chart appears on 3 products, including Childrens Zyrtec Allergy, CHILDRENS CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE, Childrens Cetirizine Hydrochloride.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | one 10 mg tablet once daily; do not take more than one 10 mg tablet in 24 hours. A 5 mg product may be appropriate for less severe symptoms. |
| adults 65 years and over | ask a doctor |
| children under 6 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
5 mg per 5 mL
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each 5 mL teaspoonful) Cetirizine HCl 5 mg”.
The same chart appears on 2 products, including Childrens Cetirizine Hydrochloride, CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF.
Products at this strength do not all print the same chart — check the brand above against your box, and if it is not listed, use the chart printed on your own package.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) or 2 teaspoonfuls (10 mL) once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 2 teaspoonfuls (10 mL) in 24 hours. |
| adults 65 years and older | 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) once daily; do not take more than 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) in 24 hours. |
| children 2 to under 6 years of age | 1/2 teaspoonful (2.5 mL) once daily. If needed, dose can be increased to a maximum of 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) once daily or 1/2 teaspoonful (2.5 mL) every 12 hours. Do not give more than 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) in 24 hours. |
| children under 2 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
5 mg per 5 mL
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each 5 mL) Cetirizine HCl 5 mg”.
The same chart appears on 2 products, including Childrens Cetirizine Hydrochloride, Childrens Cetirizine Hydrochloride Sugar Free Grape.
Products at this strength do not all print the same chart — check the brand above against your box, and if it is not listed, use the chart printed on your own package.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | 5 mL or 10 mL once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 10 mL in 24 hours.. |
| adults 65 years and older | 5 mL once daily; do not take more than 5 mL in 24 hours |
| children 2 to under 6 years of age | 2.5 mL once daily. If needed, dose can be increased to a maximum of 5 mL once daily or 2.5 mL every 12 hours. Do not give more than 5 mL in 24 hours. |
| children under 2 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
10 mg per chewable tablet
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each chewable tablet) Cetirizine HCl 10 mg”.
The same chart appears on 2 products, including CHILDRENS ZYRTEC, Childrens Zyrtec.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | Chew and swallow 1 tablet (10 mg) once daily; do not take more than 1 tablet (10 mg) in 24 hours. A 5 mg product may be appropriate for less severe symptoms. |
| adults 65 years and over | ask a doctor |
| children under 6 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
5 mg per 5 mL
On the bottle this reads “ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S) (in each 5 mL) Cetirizine Hydrochloride USP 5mg”.
From the label for CHILDRENS ALLERGY RELIEF.
Products at this strength do not all print the same chart — check the brand above against your box, and if it is not listed, use the chart printed on your own package.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | 5 mL or 10 mL once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 10 mL in 24 hours. |
| adults 65 years and over | 5 mL once daily; do not take more than 5 mL in 24 hours. |
| children 2 to under 6 years of age | 2.5 mL once daily. If needed, dose can be increased to a maximum of 5 mL once daily or 2.5 mL every 12 hours. Do not give more than 5 mL in 24 hours |
| children under 2 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
5 mg per 5 mL
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each 5 mL) Cetirizine hydrochloride USP 5 mg”.
From the label for Childrens Cetirizine Hydrochloride Hives Relief.
Products at this strength do not all print the same chart — check the brand above against your box, and if it is not listed, use the chart printed on your own package.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| adults and children 6 years and over | 5 mL or 10 mL once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 10 mL in 24 hours. |
| adults 65 years and over | 5 mL once daily; do not take more than 5 mL in 24 hours. |
| children under 6 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
2.5 mg per chewable tablet
On the bottle this reads “Active ingredient (in each chewable tablet) Cetirizine HCl 2.5 mg”.
From the label for Childrens Zyrtec.
| Who | Dose |
|---|---|
| children 2 to under 6 years of age | Chew and swallow 1 tablet (2.5 mg) once daily; If needed, dose can be increased to a maximum of 2 tablets (5 mg) once daily or 1 tablet (2.5 mg) every 12 hours. Do not give more than 2 tablets (5 mg) in 24 hours. |
| adults and children 6 years and over | Chew and swallow 2 tablets (5 mg) or 4 tablets (10 mg) once daily depending upon severity of symptoms; do not take more than 4 tablets (10 mg) in 24 hours. |
| adults 65 years and over | Chew and swallow 2 tablets (5 mg) once daily; do not take more than 2 tablets (5 mg) in 24 hours. |
| children under 2 years of age | ask a doctor |
| consumers with liver or kidney disease | ask a doctor |
Transcribed from the FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed.
Frequently asked questions
How much cetirizine can I give my child?
Read it off the chart for the bottle you are holding, above. There is more than one strength of children's cetirizine on sale, and each has its own chart — that is why this page shows them separately rather than giving one number. Dose by weight where the chart offers weight; the label itself says to use weight if you know it, and age only otherwise.
Why does the chart say "ask a doctor" for babies under 2?
Because the label does. The FDA drug-facts chart stops at the youngest age the product was approved to be self-administered for, and below that the manufacturer directs you to a clinician rather than printing a dose. We reproduce that row exactly and do not fill it in — a paediatrician dosing an infant is working from weight and a clinical picture that a chart cannot carry.
Can I use a children's chart with an infants' bottle?
No, and this is the mistake that causes real harm. The same drug is sold at different concentrations: infants' ibuprofen is 50 mg per 1.25 mL, children's is 100 mg per 5 mL. Reading one chart against the other bottle gives the wrong amount of medicine. Check the "active ingredient" line on your bottle against the strength shown above each chart here.
Can I use a kitchen spoon to measure it?
No. Use the syringe or cup that came with that specific product — labels say so explicitly, and household spoons vary enough to matter at these volumes. If the dosing device is lost, ask a pharmacist for one rather than estimating.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each table is transcribed cell for cell from that product's FDA drug-facts label on DailyMed, linked under every chart. We calculate nothing and we merge nothing across products.
More on cetirizine
These charts are reproduced from FDA drug-facts labels for reference. They are not medical advice and cannot account for your child’s other medicines or conditions. Always read the label on the product you are giving, never exceed the stated number of doses in 24 hours, and call a doctor, pharmacist or poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) if you are unsure or think too much has been given.