NEW YORK, May 23 (Xinhua) -- As pollen peaks for the season, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that some popular allergy medications could cause a rare but severe itching side effect.
The FDA said in a safety warning issued in mid-May that some patients who have taken oral allergy medicines daily for long periods of time, at least a few months but often several years, have experienced a severe type of itching, which is known medically as pruritus.
"The affected medicines include cetirizine, which is popularly sold under the brand name Zyrtec, and levocetirizine, sold as Xyzal," reported USA Today on Thursday about the warning.
While reported cases of the severe itching side effect are rare, some have been serious and required medical intervention, according to the FDA.
The FDA said cetirizine and levocetirizine are the allergy medicines that could cause the itching side effect. They are sold under the brand names Zyrtec and Xyzal, respectively.
Both medicines are available over-the-counter or through a prescription. The FDA said it has revised the prescribing information for both medicines to include a warning about the possible effect.
