Compare Zyrtec D vs. Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold And Flu
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Relieves congestion and allergy symptoms.
Zyrtec D (Cetirizine / Pseudoephedrine) relieves allergies and congestion without causing daytime sleepiness. It can keep you up at night if you take it too close to bedtime.
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3.7/ 5 average rating with 927 reviewsforZyrtec D
Relieves cold and flu symptoms, and helps you sleep.
Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) is good for multiple cold symptoms at night, but it's more medicine than you need if you only have one symptom.
Upsides
- The antihistamine (Cetirizine) in Zyrtec D (Cetirizine / Pseudoephedrine) causes less drowsiness than other medications like Benadryl.
- The decongestant (Pseudoephedrine) in Zyrtec D (Cetirizine / Pseudoephedrine) is stronger than other decongestants. It can also help relieve congestion-related headaches and ear pressure.
- The stimulant effects of Pseudoephedrine can give you some extra energy during the day.
- Doesn't give you rebound congestion (worse congestion symptoms after you stop taking the medicine) like decongestant nose sprays can.
- It's available without a prescription, unlike other strong allergy medicines.
- Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) is a combination medicine that relieves multiple cold symptoms. It's good to use if you have a stuffy nose, a cough, fever, and pain.
- The decongestant (phenylephrine) has fewer side effects than other decongestants like pseudoephedrine. It doesn't raise your blood pressure and heart rate as much, or cause as much trouble falling asleep.
- The cough suppressant (dextromethorphan) works well and has very few side effects.
- The pain reliever (acetaminophen) is easier on your stomach and has fewer drug interactions than other pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.
- The antihistamine (doxylamine) can help you sleep.
Downsides
- You can have more side effects when using combination pills than when using single-ingredient medications.
- The antihistamine (Cetirizine) can cause more drowsiness than similar antihistamines, like Allegra D (which contains Fexofenadine) and Claritin D (which contains Loratadine).
- The decongestant (Pseudoephedrine) can make your heart race or give you anxious or restless feelings.
- You might not sleep as well due to Pseudoephedrine's effects and you can also have strange dreams while taking it.
- Pseudoephedrine can raise your blood pressure, so don't take it if you have high blood pressure or other heart conditions.
- Although you don't need a prescription, you do need to show a photo ID to buy this from behind the pharmacy counter.
- If you don't really need all of the medications in this combination, you're taking extra medicine and might have extra side effects for no reason.
- Phenylephrine doesn't last as long as other decongestants like pseudoephedrine.
- You shouldn't use it if you have high blood pressure.
- To avoid hurting your liver, you have to keep track of the total amount of acetaminophen (APAP) you're taking since it's a very common ingredient in pain and cold/flu combination medicines.
Used for
Dosage forms
- Extended release
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$11.23
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Reviews
927 reviews so far
75%
saidit'sworth it
43%
saiditworked well
9%
saidit'sa big hassle
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Side effects
The Zyrtec D (Cetirizine / Pseudoephedrine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
The Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold And Flu (Acetaminophen / Doxylamine / Dextromethorphan / Phenylephrine) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
Risks and risk factors
- High blood pressure
- History of high blood pressure
- Heart problems
- History of heart problems
- Age 65 or older
- Seizure
- History of seizure
- Harm to fetus
- Women of childbearing age
- Taking the wrong medication
- Increased side effects
- Age 65 years or older
- Driving impairment
- Taking with alcohol
- Taking other medicines that make you less alert
- Overdosage
- Current kidney disease
- Current liver disease
- Liver damage
- Drinking more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day
- Taking with other Tylenol-containing medicines
- History of liver disease
- High blood pressure
- History of high blood pressure
- Taking MAO inhibitors
- Chronic cough from an infection
- History of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- History of smoking
- Driving impairment
- Taking with alcohol
- Taking with other medicines that make you less alert
- Antihistamine side effects
- Age 65 years or older
- Glaucoma
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
- Serotonin syndrome
- Using other medications that affect serotonin