| Key to ratings for zyrtec: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
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| 1 | i had hives | I had fogginess in my head. That shit belongs in the dumpster! | I rather have hives than take this crap. | F | 46 | 3 weeks | 2/7/2010 | 1 | Chronic sinusitis | Extreme lethargy, to the point that I had trouble keeping my eyes open at work and I only took it at night. It made my head feel foggy and like I was in a stupor. THEN, despite feeling absolutely exhausted, I had trouble falling asleep AND staying asleep! I also felt grumpy, although whether that was from the medicine or lack of sleep, I couldn't tell you. In any case, it made me feel completely out of it! | I would not recommend this to anyone, unless you are having really severe allergy problems and nothing else will work. The side effects are just not worth it! | F | 31 | 2 days | 1/29/2010 | 1 | eczema & itching | Our son (age 5) was put on Zyrtec to control his itching, which would improve his eczema. We saw amazing results the first week and were very pleased with it. After that week, he developed a severe cough, sore throat & severe headaches. Has miss school several days due to the headaches. We skipped the medicine for a few days and he is back to himself. Won't be giving it to him anymore. | 5 | 20 days | 1/27/2010 | 3 | allergies | Severe itching and irritability when trying to stop taking it | I started taking zyrtec on occasion for seasonal or pet allergies, and quickly found myself itching, angry and moody when I don't take it. It worked relatively well on my allergies, but after 10 years of being on daily pill I started getting sudden severe allergic reaction to unknown allergen in my house, that is not controlled by zyrtec at all. | F | 40 | 10 years | 1/25/2010 | 4 | allergies | none | Did not work as well as Claritin for clearing my sinuses, but at least it didn't have the side effects that Claritin did. Although I was pleased, I stopped taking Zyrtec after reading numerous accounts of people suffering from itching fits when trying to get off the drug. I'm now taking chlorpheniramine maleate because I know it won't give me side effects or withdrawals (10 year history), and it works just as well as Zyrtec for me. | F | 25 | 15 days | 1/12/2010 | 4 | Year round allergies | Racing heart,headaches, mood swings, weight gain, sleepiness, coughing, dry mouth, always hungry and being in a complete daze. | I am so glad I found this site. I have been suffering from tons of side effects and I couldn't figure out why. I started researching after My headaches and my mood swings have been getting progressively worse. Sometimes my head hurts so bad that I have to run to the ER to get shots in my arm to stop the pain. Several times I have attempted to stop taking Zyrtec and I would break out in this itch all over my skin that is just unbearable to deal with. I always thought it was my allergies that was causing this itch but I guess it just might be the medication. | F | 32 | 8 years | 1/12/2010 | 4 | dermetagraphism | a little drowsiness | great! it's helped me so much. i've been taking zyrtec for about 9 years. | F | 19 | 9 years | 1/5/2010 | 3 | Year-round allergies, asthma | Itching, Weight Gain, Night Terrors, Many sleeping problems | It does help me with my allergies a lot, but the withdrawal symptoms after (severe itching, rashes/bumps) are not so awesome. | F | 16 | 2 years | 1/5/2010 | 2 | Asthma & Allergies | Dry skin, EXTREME itching when stopped, some weight gain, sleeping problems, mood swings/emotional issues, "stupor"/confusion/"in a daze", | Does help allergies, but the side effects are sometimes severe. It actually had an adverse effect on me and instead of becoming drowsy, I became hyper, so I had to switch to taking this in the morning. This helped somewhat with sleeping problems, because the weird/graphic dreams stopped, but I would still give this a 2 b/c of the other side effects. It also did not help with excess throat mucus/throat clearing. | F | 0 | 3 years | 1/5/2010 | 1 | allergies | Our doctor recommended zyrtec for our 2 yr old daughter for a an extreme allergic reaction/hives(cause undetermined) we will never gives this drug to her again, never, extreme irrational temper tantrums, not a normal tantrum, aggressive odd behavior. we stopped taking giving her this drug after reviewing all these similar posts. extremely disappointed in doctor for not warning us of these possible side effects. | F | 2 | 7 days | 1/1/2010 | 4 | Allergies | Dry mouth, mild sedative effect, more hungry all the time, some weight gain. | Zyrtec works well, but I do sometimes feel foggy and more tired at times. Hunger and weight gain are the only other issues, but, compared to the Claritin, I'd rather do without the anxiety. | M | 38 | 5 years | 12/29/2009 | 1 | My young son- allergies | Our little boy had extremely negative and agressive behavior. He had uncontrollable temper tantrums at home and in public. He also displayed seemingly depressive behavior. This is just to name a few of the side effects he experienced while taking zyrtec. | Our son began taking zyrtec on a daily basis at 15 months old. It was suggested to us by our pediatrician to assist in our ongoing battle with ear infections and allergies. Initially, we contributed his behaviors to his age and "being a boy" although our first child, also a boy, had never experienced quite these same things. As he got older, we saw a significant increase in his physical agression as well as his extreme temper tantrums. His behavior would turn on a dime and was almost impossible to anticipate. As his primary caregiver during the day, I was beginning to feel like I was losing my mind. By the time my husband came home at night, I was often in tears. Finally, on a whim, I googled zyrtec/negative behaviors...I found a world of parents experiencing the same things as us. At this point, my little boy had been on the medication for over a year and a half. I felt like we had never seen his real personality. After that day, we never gave him Zyrtec again, EVER. His behavior,literally, changed overnight. He is now 4-1/2 and has never ever behaved again as he did while on that drug. Although not all children will react in such a negative way, for us, it was truly a nightmare. When we look back on that time, both my husband and I feel so sad about the fact that we were constantly giving him consequences for behavior that was truly out of his control. | F | 35 | 2 years | 12/29/2009 | 4 | pet and tree pollen allergies | None we are aware of yet | The Zyrtec has helped my daughter reduce red- ringed eyes. Before, people were constantly asking us what was wrong with her eyes. Also it has helped reduce her reactions around animals. I am worried about long term effects. The comments on this site about emotional reactions many have seen in their children cause me concern; I am going to monitor her behavior closely. | F | 5 | 1.5 months | 12/20/2009 | 5 | Asthma, respiratory issues | My 11 year old takes this medication. No side effects at all when she takes it at night. Some slight drowsiness when she takes it in the morning. | This medication has been a blessing. My daughter used to miss school all the time becuase of respiratory issues. Her asthma was getting worse and lasted longer. Our doctor first suggested inhaled steroids but we tried zyrtec first and it has been a miracle for her. NO asthma for 6 months so far. This is unheard of for us. I have seen no negative behavior changes. If anything her behavior, mood, and concentration have improved significantly. I can only attribute that to the better health this drug has given her. | F | 11 | 6 months | 12/17/2009 | 1 | sinus/allergies. | Clear signs of depression. Mood swings. Weight gain. | Please I strongly recommend that everyone look at the clear side effects BEFORE TAKING ZYRTEC. | M | 47 | 7 days | 12/10/2009 | 3 | allergy to cold air | irritable, very tired in the evenings | Worked fairly well for my allergy, but my family asked me to stop taking it since I was so grumpy! | F | 36 | 14 days | 12/9/2009 | 1 | SON 2-3 yr old for allergies multip | Irratable Violent mood swings anxiety stubborn. Horrible side effects | please if your child is small. MONITOR THERE BEHAVIOR WHEN ON NEW MEDS. | M | 3 | 6 months | 12/5/2009 | 1 | Indoor allergies (cats and dust) | extreme mood swings/ irritable, axiety, lack of concentration/ focus, sluggishness, constant complainging of body aches and stomach ache | My 5 year old daughter began taking Zyrtec 3 months ago and I noticed some immediate (within a week of beginning Zyrtec) changes. The slightest conflict produces crying and tantrums that I have never before seen in her. She constantly complains that her legs ache and stomach hurts. She worries about ridiculous things she never was concerned with before, and her grandmother has even gone so far as to call her paranoid. Again, this has all started only since I began giving her the medicine and this site has been eye opening for me. The worst part- she is still having allergy symptoms. She took her last dose of Zyrtec last night and she is scheduled to see an ENT doctor to see if her allergy symptoms are not an anatomical issue. | F | 5 | 3 months | 12/4/2009 | 1 | asthma/allergies (dust, mold, etc.) | uncontrolable behavior, angry outbursts, hitting, biting, extreme mood swings | My son has been taking Zyrtec and Singulair for about a 1 1/2 years and Claritin before that. He was such a good baby, very laid back and happy. We discovered his exstensive allergies after his first birthday. That's about the time we started meds. I never made the connection with his wild behavior until reading these postings. I feel so guilty for thinking he was a bad child when he couldn't control it. We are stopping the Zyrtec and are going to try Allegra. I can't believe none of his doctors ever made the connection! | M | 3 | 1.5 years | 12/2/2009 | 3 | Allergies/Asthma | Cant stay awake more than 3 hours at a time. No matter what I'm doing, watching tv, driving, typing, working, I just cant stay awake. I'm constantly in a fog. | Works great on my allergies though! lol | M | 43 | 2 months | 12/1/2009 | 2 | Nasal Allergies & Sinus Issues | fatigue, sluggishness, systemic body aches, depression, irritable, difficulty concentrating | I was started on Zyrtec some 3 yrs ago to help alleviate constant Sinus pressure and headaches do to allergies. The side effects were noticeable after about 3 months. Fatigue & irritability are the worst. I didn't mind to much at the time as I recognized it and living alone I was able to manage it. Now I have been trying to get off the drug for the last year and seems like every time I quit I go through a stage of feeling fine then I become extremely irritable and just bite every ones head off for the smallest of things. | M | 40 | 3 years | 11/30/2009 | 3 | uticaria / severe itching | severe fatigue, sluggishness, systemic body aches, depression, irritable, loss of interest, anxiety, weight gain, social withdrawl, difficulty concentrating | This drug had worked extremely well to treat my chronic uticaria (dermographism) and on most days completely eradicates the severe itching. However, the side effects that I experienced to this drug are simply not worth taking it. The most significant of these side effects would be fatigue. Since I've been taking cetirizine hcl (zyrtec generic), I have been able to sleep for hours and always wake up more tired than before. Throughout the day I constantly feel weak, unmotivated, and emotionally distraught causing me to have difficulty concentrating and doing well in school. I'm going to try switching to another antihistamine because I want to be able to enjoy life again. I recommend this drug for uticaria for people who don't care about the down side effects. | M | 19 | 5 months | 11/28/2009 | 2 | asthma/allergies | Moody, cranky, emotional highs and lows, sleeplessness, aggression | 8 months ago the doctor prescribed 1tsp a day for my 4 year old who has asthma that is triggered by common allergies. It wasn't until he transitioned from childcare to school that a red flag was raised concerning his moodiness, behavior issues, sleeplessness, etc. I thought it was a phase, but he really wasn't himself. I spoke to his teachers, counselors, the doctor and everyone said he was just having transition issues. I didn't buy it and at my mother's suggestion, started to research all of the medications he was taking for the asthma. Low and behold, Zyrtec has all of these crazy side effects. Who knew?! Why would you prescribe that for a child?! I took him off of it 2 weeks ago and he's done a 180. He's a happy go lucky kid who's back to being himself. | M | 4 | 8 months | 11/18/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | moodiness, unstable balance | my 3 yr old took zyrtec in the spring for allergies and didn't have a problem. now that fall is here he has been very moody and losing his balance easily. he fell off a chair by not doing anything and got a concussion. very scary! read about other children who had similar issues with this. | F | 28 | 1 months | 11/18/2009 | 1 | allergic asthma/hives | My poor baby was on zyrtec AND pulmicort (inhaled steroid) for about 3 years (from 2 1/2 until age 6) and we had such worries about his behavior. He had been a happy, easy baby and, after starting preschool (and having his first allergic/asthmatic problem, resulting in us starting these meds), he CHANGED. We never associated the meds with the problem...went to child therapist even....and we noticed some improvement in behavior as he grew (and we understand now, as his body got bigger and the dosage stayed the same...making the side effects a bit less potent). Finally, the Dr. suggested taking a "summer off" the meds to see what would happen (medically not behaviorally) since he had not had any asthma issues in a while. So, the summer when he was six, we weaned him off. We didn't make the connection yet but, he gradually became such a delight....we attributed it to maturity..and he started first grade like a new boy! THEN, he got a cold and had some mild asthmatic compl | I cried when I put all the pieces together...and had a talk with the Dr. who denied that what I was describing was possible. We consulted with antoher DR. (our pediatrician) who supported our decision to keep him OFF the zyrtec completely (we use low dose of benadryl for the hives...hassle to dose every 4 to 6 hours but, he does not react to 1 t. and it does the job!) and the inhaled steroid only when he is sick (and we know to expect some behavior changes). | M | 6 | 3 years | 11/18/2009 | 1 | Asthma and Allergies | I've been taking this for 5 years. At first I thought it was amazing, my asthma didn't bother me anymore, and neither did my allergies. Last year, I've been experiencing drowsiness constantly, ticks (turrets), never clearly awake, head in a fog, couldn't focus, depression, either really happy good behavior, or really low depressed behavior. | Nothing good about this drug overtime you get more and more depressed and moody. | F | 16 | 5 years | 11/18/2009 | 5 | nasal allergies | I've taken Zyrtec for years with great results and have experienced no side effects. | Some of these postings are probably right for some people, but some of them are "out there". | F | 52 | 3 years | 11/12/2009 | 1 | allergies | My children took this. My son turns into another person..no reasoning, hyper, mean, whining, clingy, waking up at night...He took it from the day he turned 2 until around the middle of the summer. I was at my wits end..I stopped zyrtec...new person? My daughter becomes clingy, emotional, has anxiety, emotional mess...no more, no more. Nordic Naturals ProEFA fish oil (369)literally stopped his allergies/eczema in its tracks...maybe another option for some of you out there..Never again..A runny nose for a few days is a whole lot better than this. My children are 2 and 5. | F | 5 | 6 months | 11/10/2009 | 1 | Chronic allergies | It took me approximately 4 weeks to recognize that I was suffering from severe depression, anxiety attacks, and paronoia. A freind had recommended it as it is somewhat effective for allergy relief, but the side effects are terrible. | M | 61 | 4 weeks | 11/7/2009 | 1 | year-round allergies | Pounding heart, high blood pressure spikes, racing heart, extreme fatigue, chest pain | Helped allergies but side-effects sent me to ER thinking I was having a heart attack. Doctors said I had too much job stress. GP said I needed something for anxiety. My heart was pounding even when at rest. During the night I would wake up with a rapid fluttering. Thought I had heart trouble. I realized the problems started with the Zyrtec because I keep a blood pressure diary and it all coincides. Asked the pharmacist if Zyrtec could cause any of the symptoms I was having and had an AHA moment. All symptoms stopped after off of it for 4 days. When I get cold, I have an intense itch that I never had before. Hope that goes away. It is only where skin is exposed to cold - like face and hands. Will never use this drug again. | F | 59 | 31 days | 11/7/2009 | 1 | HIVES/ALLERGIES | My son has been taking this for 2 yrs. and yesterday I decided to research the side effects and I came to this website and I was reading all the different reports I was frozen like a turkey. My son is super hyperactive, has leg cramps, nervouseness, is getting white stops in his face many symptoms that other users said they had. Omg! I've gone to bed crying so many nights and wondering what I was doing wrong. Only a few people really now my son and understand me, now I wonder if it's the medicine, he was only 1yr when he started to take it and from dawn to dusk he is a wild child :( My husband & I decided to stop giving him Zyrtex and it's been 1 day so far and hope and pray that it was that but at the same time I hope that the medicine did not do more harm. Now I'm just watching him closely for any changes. I will post at a later time the outcome. I just pray it's for the best and that my little guy gets better and undercontrol. I love Him so much :) | I give it a 5 because since he's been taking it, the Hives have not come back. But I give it a 1 if it's the cause for his abnormal behavior that we had to live with for 2 yrs. | M | 3 | 2 years | 11/6/2009 | 3 | Allergies | Drowsiness, slight confusion. | My only real complaint was that it didn't work as well as other allergy medications, but the side effects weren't so bad when compared to other medications. | F | 21 | 4 months | 11/3/2009 | 1 | For children | Well, I am taking it and I am wide awake- so I was looking up to see if it effect others in that matter- When my son was younger 5-6, he could not take zyrtec or clartin. He was mean on both- even his teachers asked what had I put him on. He can take d-allergy or allegra and he doesn't have the side effects. He also has asthma...I guess I need to take in the am....considering I have to be at work in 6.5 hours and I'm WIDE AWAKE!!! | F | 32 | 11/3/2009 | 1 | coughing, allergies | My 3 yr. old son was taking this medicine, prescribed by our Dr., for 5 days. Since he started taking this he has had major breakdowns over the littlest things. I associated this with his age, but wondered why it just happened over night. I was telling a friend of mine about how he had became very angry, was back talking, hateful, and very emotional. He would have temper tantrums like I have never seen him have before, even in public...which never happened. She was telling me about how her Dr. wanted her son to take this too, and so she researched it. She found that many moms were complaining of these same symptoms so she chose not to use it. I decided not to give it to him this morning and I can not believe the difference it has made. We were blessed that he hadn't been on it long so hopefully he will just continue to quickly improve. | F | 31 | 5 days | 11/2/2009 | 1 | allergies/sinus | extreme sluggishness, some tightness in my chest | I felt very clear and lucid at first...then it hit. 15 later and I still can't get it together. This medicine is horrible. Not taking anymore. So gald I found this. Other people were telling me to just hang in there and take it a few more times. | F | 44 | 1 days | 11/2/2009 | 5 | Allergies -Cough, Asthma | Only take in the evening because of drowsiness. Some dry mouth also. | I have been on various medications to find something to stop my allergic post nasal drip which produced a constant dry cough and asthma for the past two years. I tried Nasacort, Depomedrol shots, Claritin, Advair, and numerous other medications which either did nothing or had horrible side effects. Zyrtec finally has me functioning normally again! I have had to figure out the right dosage and that was 5mg every other day. I take it in the evening since it does make me very drowsy but I am fine in the morning. Zyrtec is great. | F | 47 | 1 months | 10/30/2009 | 5 | itchy skin and allergies | No side effects. This drug is a wonder for me. | I love this drug. Nothing else worked for me. My itchy skin depends on it. I have to take it everyday or I am miserable. I have no side effects and am thankful since I see so many negative responses. I'm not anti-social, not depressed, not irritable, no panic attacks, no bad dreams,etc. Looks like I"ll be taking this drug for as long as it helps me. 10 years and couting. I'm very glad it's OTC now. | F | 29 | 10 days | 10/28/2009 | 2 | severe itching | I've had horrible nightmares and freaky dreams, hallucinations, and severe drowsiness. I first time I took it, I took it right before bed and got to sleep about an hour later. I kept waking about every hour from these weird dreams that scared the crap out of me. I keep hearing noises in my room, I feel slightly dillusional and I can't keep myself awake. I would only recomend this if it's a last resort (which is the reason why I'm taking it) because you'd probably be better off without it! | F | 19 | 4 days | 10/27/2009 | 1 | possible allergies/asthma | This drug affected my 4 year old son's sleeping and waking hours. He had five or six night terrors that he could not wake from every night. His behavior changed during the day, from a sweet mild mannered boy to a hyper, manic, agressive and angry preschooler. I came here and read all of the same side effects that other children were having and I stopped giving him Zyrtec. This upset our family so much that I wrote a blog about it: http://raisingcalifornia.blogspot.com/2009/10/zyrtec-is-evil.html | Don't give this to your children! | M | 4 | 6 weeks | 10/21/2009 | 1 | Year round allergies | depression, bad body aches, exhaustion, mood swings | I took Zyrtec for approximately 10 years and it really helped my allergies, last year I started to have terrible body aches, mood swings and exhaustion so that I didnt feel good at all. I saw the docter on several occasions thinking that maybe I was having thyroid issues or possibly starting to have diabetes issues since it runs in my family, the doctor could not find anything wrong with me. I started losing my hair and a friend told me to look up Zyrtec and hair loss on line I did and found this site. I quit taking Zyrtec and have been off it now for about 4 weeks and immediatly the cloud lifted! I feel great no more body aches, exhaustion or mood swings! I did have a period where I had alot of itching but that went away. The hair loss was not due to the Zyrtec. I was tested for allergies and I do have severe allergies so the nurse gave my another allergy medicine Xyzal which is pretty much the same thing as Zyrtec and immediately the exhaustion was back, I was yelling at the kids and felt horrible. I am looking into other alternatives now for the allergies. I will not take this drug again. | F | 45 | 10 years | 10/21/2009 | 2 | dust/pollen allergies | Uncontrollable itching for days after stopping zyrtec. | Don't quit abruptly. If you do, you may have uncontrollable itching all over your body. If that is the case, you have two options: 1) take a half dose of zyrtec for about 10 days. Or better yet, 2) take claritin for about 10 days to relieve the itching. Most people can then quit taking the claritin with no side effects. | M | 30 | 6 months | 10/20/2009 | 2 | Allergies | It helped with my allergies such as the drainage, the runny nose, the itchy eyes, but it made me extremely drowsy. So much so it worried my coworkers that something was wrong with me when I passed out in front of my computer. I even dozed off while standing. That amount of drowsiness can be dangerous and it didn't even show up until about a week after taking the Zyrtec. The day I stopped taking it, there was an immediate difference in how drowsy I felt. I even switched between taking it in the morning to taking it at night with no difference except that taking it at night made it really difficult for me to wake up in the morning. | Beware of extreme drowsiness | F | 21 | 10 days | 10/20/2009 | 3 | Seasonal Allergies/ Skin issues | Our 4 year old son has been on and off Zyrtec for two years. We are just now connecting behavior, mood, and aggression to Zyrtec. We thought that his behavior was due to being 3 (an age we have found to be very difficult in boys). Our son has had sleep issues since he has been out of a crib and severe behavioral issues for the last year and a half. I have actually talked to the Pediatrician about his behavior and have even considered looking into therapy. Our son has been extremely tough to deal with, very strong-willed, emotional, and aggressive at times. We recently took him off Zyrtec for three weeks and noticed a definite change in behavior. Our "melancholy" kid was happy, fun, goofy, social, and a joy to be around. We didn't connect the Zyrtec and put him back on it after a visit with the Allergist. He has been on the full teaspoon for 2 weeks now and we have had rages, crying, out-of-control behavior. He will no longer be taking Zyrtec after tonight. He does | Don't put your kids on it! It's not worth it!!! | M | 4 | 2 years | 10/18/2009 | 2 | Allergy drainage | I took my first dose of Zyrtec-D and felt sleepy, but my symptoms were gone. Felt no different than taking Benadryl. Then, I made the mistake of taking one before bed. I also took this dose two hours before the last dosage was supposed to wear off, accidentally, since I was immediately going to bed. About an hour after taking the second dose, I started having chills and shakes. I couldn't get to sleep, either. Whenever I did doze off, I immediately went into strange, graphic dreams. Not nightmares, but just straight-up disturbing strangeness. When my alarm clock went off, I woke up to my heart racing. I even had mild chest pain and dizziness I was terrified that I was having a heart attack. Fortunately, the pain and palpitations faded within an hour. For the rest of the day, I was tired and depressed. | I would much rather take Benadryl than take this, since I know it's at least a bit safer. Zyrtec should still be prescription only, in my opinion, due to the very strange side effects. | M | 19 | 2 days | 10/13/2009 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | My 8-year old daughter took it for terrible allergy symptoms during July '09. She bacame anxious and said "I don't feel right in my body". She wouldn't sleep alone -- she made a "nest" on the floor in my room and wanted a big light on, not just a nightlight. | A friend at work told me about the side effects recently and that was when I realized my daughter had the personality problems during that period. Her behavior is back to what it was. | F | 8 | 15 days | 10/11/2009 | 1 | allergies | Ran out of my usual Nasacort and took Zyrtec for 3 days while waiting for a refill of the Nasacort. Did not put the symptoms together with the Zyrtec use at first, but symptoms started to clear up as soon as the last dose started to wear off. Experienced extreme fatigue, overall achy feeling with no specific spot that hurt, severe mood change - depression, anger. Never experienced such feelings before, or since. Decided it's much better to deal with the allergies for a few days while waiting for the refill rather than continue the zyrtec. | F | 41 | 3 days | 10/8/2009 | 2 | allergies | The very first pill I took I didn't sleep. I thought it was just because it was new. Less than 12 hours later I found myself yellng at my children and telling them to stay as far away from me as possible. I was angry all day, for no reason. Then when I took the 2nd dose (12 hours later) I got a severe headache and decided to google Zyrtec side effects. I cannot believe my doctor recommended this! Now I know why my husband is always grouchy! | F | 28 | 1 days | 10/7/2009 | 3 | pet dander, seasonal, sinus | I took my first dose Saturday, 2 days ago, and am struggling with whether I should take another dose. As my symptoms go, I have been feeling almost allergy free since Sunday morning. But I cannot come to grips with my emotions. I feel spaced out, disoriented, and extremely tired all while simultaneously feeling alert, sharp and clear minded. It is like I am living in a bubble. And I dont think I have really slept since taking this, since I seem to have been "awake" while dreaming the most bizarre and graphic dreams. I have even yelled out in my "sleep" . Very unusual. I go from being happy to outraged in one minute, over the most simple things. | This medicine has somehow made me feel really smart and energetic but has also dulled my senses. I cannot smell anything and feel just strange altogether. I do not think I will take it again. Being this aware of myself will drive me into the ground. | F | 41 | 2 days | 10/5/2009 | 3 | sinus problems caused by allergies | crazy and bizzare dreams and unrestful sleep which caused waking up and feeling like I'd been drugged which all led to being exhaused all the time. | I only gave a rating of 3 because it has helped my sinus problems/allergies; however, I can't handle the craziest dreams I have ever had in my life. I spend all my time asleep with my thoughts/dreams going at lightening speed all night; the dreams are all scattered snipits and don't make sense at all. Not to mention, they are dreams that have an underlying constant feeling of panic and stress. I think I would rather of sinus headaches. I have always slept very well and rarely dreamed - this pill will age me in no time flat. | F | 44 | 1 months | 10/3/2009 | 5 | seasonal allergies | no side effects. controls allergies without making me drowsy. | F | 45 | 4 years | 10/2/2009 | 1 | allergies | About an hour after taking noticed EXTREME fatigue. Allergy symptoms same. | F | 49 | 1 days | 10/2/2009 | 2 | seasonal allergies | It did help my seasonal allergy symptoms; however, the side effects were not worth it...at all. I became tired, achey, and extremely irritable after just one dose. My husband, and two teenagers have begged me to never take it again. | consider the side effects, seriously before taking Zyrtec. | F | 39 | 2 days | 9/25/2009 | 3 | Allergies | OMG. My 10 year old son has had a complete personality change after 4 weeks on Zyrtec. I just googled "Zyrtec irritabiity" and found this site. Thank you. I ordered child behavior books this afternoon because his anger is through the roof. He will never take another one! | M | 10 | 4 weeks | 9/23/2009 | 1 | eczema, allergies | my daughter is four years old and the zyrtec side effects were just terrible. She was acting out of control and very difficult to say the least. She was very aggressive at preschool and that was a direct result of this drug as she has had no problems in the past. This was recommended to us to use by a dermatologist, but I would not recommend it AT ALL for children's use!!!!!!!!!!! | F | 40 | 5 days | 9/23/2009 | 3 | allergy | insomnia x10, energy, motivation | I'm in college, recently they were cutting down a forest behind my house. I would sleep with the windows open with a fan sucking air into my room. allergies went through the roof. started taking ZYRTEC. First day I could not fall asleep at night, didnt know if this was drug related or another source. finally after laying in bed for 5 hours I was able to fall asleep. Second try. Today. cleared up my allergies but it is now 4:30am with 2 exams tomorrow and no matter what I try I cannot fall asleep. Im wide awake ready to run a marathon. P.S. im only running on 12 hours of sleep over 2days, I would think my body wants to get a good nights sleep. | M | 22 | 2 days | 9/21/2009 | 2 | allergies | I become so irritable and angry about 12 hours after taking this drug. I frequently am in dire need of an antihistamine and all my physicians recommend zyrtec over the others. But I have a 2 yo son that tries my patience enough; at least now I know that these feelings are irrational side effects rather than a legitimate existential crisis. I have never, fortunately, taken it for an extended period of time, only 2-3 doses max. But consistently I have this irritability 12 hours in. | F | 38 | 2 years | 9/21/2009 | 1 | Allergy induced asthma | moodiness, depression, irritable | This drug is TERRIBLE! I can't believe it's sold over the counter. After just 5 days, I was so depressed, I could barely concentrate at home and work. Find another way to treat your allergies! | F | 45 | 5 days | 9/21/2009 | 5 | Chronic urticaria | no side effects | Zyrtec controls my hives along with Allegra without making my heart race. | F | 58 | 5 years | 9/19/2009 | 1 | allergies | The first several weeks, I felt great. Helped with allergies, and I had a ton of energy and motivation. Around week 4, I started experiencing extreme anxiety, depression, rage, hopelessness, sleeplessness, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts -- all of which steadily increased. It scared the crap out of me. I thought I was losing my mind. I gained 10 pounds over the 6 months I took Zyrtec. It also affected my bladder: I didn't sleep for literally nights on end, because every time I'd lie down, I'd feel my bladder spasming and would suddenly have to urinate VERY badly. I'd go, and it was as though I'd just chugged 8 glasses of water. I'd get back in bed, and two minutes later, the same thing, and this lasted ALL NIGHT. I have no idea how I could produce that much urine (sorry, this is gross), but it was clearly abnormal.It stopped as soon as I stopped taking Zyrtec. | I can't believe this drug is sold over the counter. In 2006, my doc put me on it, 1 tablet a day, because I have a history of seasonal and food allergies. After 6 months of taking it, I was trying to figure out what changed in my life when I started having the severe depression, suicidal thoughts, bladder issues, etc., and in an epiphany moment, I realized it all began when I started taking Zyrtec. I immediately saw my doc and told her what had been going on. She confirmed that some people react very badly to this drug and told me to stop taking it. I did, cold turkey, and immediately went into a severe withdrawal that lasted for 3 weeks: I got an itchy rash all over my arms, I had a headache like nobody's business that lasted for 10 days, my muscles were sore -- but within 2 days, my mental state improved drastically. The longer I was off this drug, the better I felt, and I started to immediately drop the weight I'd gained. If you take this drug, PLEASE monitor your mental state and stop taking it right away if your behavior changes for the negative, you become depressed, suicidal, etc. Some seasonal allergies can be greatly helped by changes to one's diet, so look into that as an alternative. Don't give this to child or anyone else who isn't able to articulate potential side effects. Please, please be careful. This is a very dangerous, toxic drug. | F | 34 | 6 months | 9/19/2009 | 1 | allergy induced asthma | My 4 yr old daughter has experienced similar behavioral problems for the past year. I thought was due to an extensive remodel where I was away from her, a move and my return to work. Initially her behavioral issues presented themselves in stores and at ballet and tumbling classes with either all over the place and not listening behavior to spaciness. Behavior has escalated to rage and physical hitting directed at me, defiance, not listening. My husband and I traced back our last year and thought she may have a hearing issue but after reading all of these comments, the zrytec is going in the trash for both of my daughter and I. I have been on zrytec since April and I have experienced the sluggishness, weight gain, head in a vacumn, heart palpatations, anxiety attacks and rage. I also have been less patient with my daughter and husband which was a toxic combination for my daughter and I since we both experienced behavior changes. Thank goodness for this site. Side Bar about Alleg | F | 40 | 9/18/2009 | 1 | Allergies | Severe Itching, Sneezing, Runny nose, Headache, Insomnia | I have taken Zyrtec for about 10 years. Suffered from severe depression and anxiety. At the suggestion of my therapist I went off cold turkey. She feels that the Zyrtec along with Singulair may be causing the Depression, Anxiety and weight gain. | F | 42 | 10 years | 9/18/2009 | 1 | Allergies | My 8 yo daughter took Zyrtec once, ONCE and FAINTED at school the next day. A whole 5 mg of the stuff did it!! It was very unsettling to receive a call at work from the school nurse saying your daughter has fainted. She was eating cheese sticks for lunch and fell back as she lost consciousness. School staff were concerned she could have choked on food parts in her mouth or throat. The sad part of it all (as if the fainting was not enough) is the only reason we gave her Zyrtec was because the local pharmacy didn't have Benadryl strips when I went out on Sunday night to buy some. I'm back w/Benadryl. And will look into natural remedies as well. | Am now further convinced the FDA is really not on the ball, big pharma is out for profits ONLY. | F | 8 | 1 days | 9/16/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | I took Zyrtec two years ago when it was still being prescribed by doctors, and it seemed to help. I did take it after I got a steroid pack to calm my symptoms down. I stated taking it this year. I've been taking it for about 3 months now. Two weeks ago I felt very dizzy and actually had to cancel a trip because of it. I thought I took two pill within a few hours, I couldnt remember. Since then I've been being very careful, and I woke up yesterday feeling very dizzy and nauseous. I know it wasn't because I took too much. This scares me and after reading all of this, I am not taking it anymore, I didn't take it yesterday and I would NOT recommend this. | I have never felt this kind of dizziness before. I also felt very tired lately and thought it was just my allergies, but it might be the medicine. I am curious to see how I feel after a few weeks without being on it. | F | 24 | 3 months | 9/13/2009 | 1 | allergies | our son became irritable, moody, aggressive & had trouble sleeping thru the night. | a relative suggested I google side effects of Zyrtec on the chance this drug could be the cause of negative behavior in my son. Found this website & several others that made me discontinue Zyrtec. Literally, behavior improved overnight. Our son is much more compliant, sleeps great, generally happy & pleasant. I feel like my family has peace again ! | 9/10/2009 | 1 | environmental allergies, ASTHMA | My son's behavior over the last 2 years have been worrisome to say the least...to the point that we have scheduled appts with child therapist. It is like he is constantly surrounded by a bubble of negative energy..moody, slight OCD, anxiety, facial ticks, etc. We constantly try to keep positive energy around him..He has had thoughts to hurt him self. A friend of mine who I totally respect and is very "science oriented" she would never rely on blogs..told me about her son who was on zyrtec and she took him off of it because of the behavioral changes he has experienced. it got me thinking. I was reading all of these blogs and felt like I could have written any of them. I plan to start to wean my son of Zyrtec immediately!!!! | M | 8 | 2 years | 9/7/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | heart racing, trouble breathing, severe anxiety, irrational thoughts, severe depression, low self esteem... | This is by far the most horrible drug EVER created!I'm so sad that I'm just now putting two and two together!My son has seasonal allergies so I've given him zyrtec for 2 weeks now. He approached me yesterday and told me that he needed to talk to me about something.I could see the concern in his eyes. He told me that he was afraid of me not loving him anymore if he told me these things. He told me that he was having very bad thoughts of hurting his family.I was needless to say shocked considering that he's the sweetest kid I know. He had also been complaining for several days about his "heart" hurting, and shallow breathing. he kept describing this weird feeling in his head,described it as a feeling of intense pressure. I spent the whole day with him trying to put possitive thoughts in his head. yesterday his allergies were bad,and just as I was about to reach for the zyrtec a little light went off. I looked up this drug and it's possible side effects. I'm so blessed that I found this website.I'm also so angry that so many of you had similar stories! The sad thing about this drug is that it is highly reccommended by so many Doctors!I would NEVER reccommend this to anyone! | M | 12 | 2 weeks | 9/5/2009 | 2 | allergies, including scratching | Took it once and had a very weird dream. It didn't help alleviate general allergy symptoms of rash & scratching, and didn't help even with oral allergies as much as other antihistamines do. Won't take it again. | Somehow I don't buy the fact that the medicine doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier. I mean this was tested on mice, maybe human blood-brain interaction is different. If people have weird dreams after taking this, it's gotta be brain, what else can it be:-) | M | 23 | 1 days | 9/3/2009 | 5 | I have suffered from seasonal allergies my entire life. I felt like I finally found a cure when I started taking Zytrec D. It was wonderful! HOWEVER, when I stopped taking the drug after allergy season, I had mind-numbing headaches, couldn't concentrate, severe panic attacks, beyond tired (and then, as if it was torture, insomnia at night), vivid dreams, no appetite, numbness, shallow breathing -- I am 24 years old and I feel like I have no energy!!!! This withdrawal is killing me! | I have stopped taking Zytrec D for over two weeks and I am still experiencing these symptoms. Please --- how much longer will this last??? I have been taking vitamin and herb supplements to help heal, but nothing is working! HELP! | F | 24 | 1 months | 9/2/2009 | 1 | ALLERGY | SLEEPY SLEEPY SLEEPY! | This thing makes you SLEEEPPYYYYYYY!!!!! | M | 29 | 2 days | 8/31/2009 | 4 | Allergies | No side effects that I have detected. | Have not had some of the complaint posted by others. Before taking Zyrtec my days AND nights would be absolutely miserable. I've tried other allergy medicines and they either didn't work very long or really numbed my mind. I do not have this problem with Zyrtec. I can smell, my nose isn't completely opened but I don't sneeze (or very rarely) anymore - which was my biggest problem before (the sneezing was so bad, I couldn't sleep at all). I think my allergies are from pets (cat) and dust. | M | 43 | 1 years | 8/27/2009 | 1 | Allergies | Social withdrawal, sluggishness, sleeping for very long periods of time and having trouble waking up even after 12 hours of sleep and nosebleeds. | I started giving this to my son when prescribed many years ago. I didn't give it to him for extended periods of time so I did't put two and two together until my husband started taking it and exhibiting strange behaviors himself that I had never seen him do before. My husband began having chest pains, heart palpatations, sluggishness, depressing, an unwillingness to join in family activities, and he was tired all of the time. My son would have some of those symtoms and also nosebleeds. We began researching the side effects of this and realized that it was this drug causing it. My son informed me that every nosebleed he has had was when he was taking the Zyrtec. I thought about it and he was right. He has also used nasal sprays and his peditrician and I thought that was causing the nosebleeds, but he wasn't using it this time. I abruptly threw this drug away and the nosebleeds have stopped and my husband is now going through withdrawal symptoms (he was using it on a daily basis and had been for almost a year). I wouldn't ever use this drug or recommend it to anyone. | F | 42 | 8/26/2009 | 1 | Indoor/Outdoor Allergies | Drowsiness, Mood Swings, Sweating, Depression, Weight Gain, anxiety. | After reading postings on Zyrtec, I just cannot believe how similar my "problems" were to everyone else's. I quit taking it 3 days ago and decided to see if I was crazy or not because I feel so much more like myself again. I am not crazy!!!! I thought that I was a bipolar, fat lazy person and was ready to go to psychiatrist. I have had problems concentrating at my job. I have been on antidepressants a couple of years ago. I have put on weight. I didn't care about my house, etc. My doctor recently had me go get bloodwork to check my Thyroid because of weight gain (Which came back as normal) and the inability to lose weight. I will suffer with allergies. Does anyone know how to get rid of the itching? Even though others are suffering on this drug or have suffered, I was almost relieved that I was feeling the same way. I will never take this drug again. Please stop taking it too. These side effects are horendous. | F | 48 | 4.5 years | 8/26/2009 | 1 | hayfever | I took only 5 doses in March 2009, it cleared up my runny nose and I could breath again. BUT I lost my complete sense of smell! I can't smell at all and I use to have a very good sense of smell. Now days I might get a small whiff of something but it's very rare. | I had never taken this medicine before, this was my first and last time. I want my sense of smell back so bad. | F | 53 | 5 days | 8/23/2009 | 2 | Allergies and Asthma | My 12 year-old daughter has been taking zyrtec off and on for 6 months. She is a lovable, creative kid who gets along well with others. She was having some trouble with her asthma this summer and having a feeling that she was not getting enough air in. We've had two episodes this summer where her anxiety was so bad she was in an uncontrolable state of crying and fear. She felt like she was going to die and wanted to go to the hospital. She's experienced feelings of despair and anxiety that I can't help her come out of. She's become constantly afraid and worried about dying. Not her usual Shirley Temple self. I'm taking her off zyrtec forever. I think it has really produced all of her anxiety. Many thanks to all who have posted their stories. | F | 12 | 6 months | 8/22/2009 | 2 | Allergies | Anxiety, anti social, general sad feelings. | Had been taking this stuff for 5 years and it is now after reading your comments I can put 2 and 2 together. I though I had a disorder and I was gradually getting more anti social and anxious. This stuff is no good and its like a weigh is off my chest now. Havnt really experenced withdrawal except itchy but i'll get off this rubbish reguardless. | M | 26 | 5 years | 8/20/2009 | 2 | seasonal allergies | irritability,"spaciness", lowered social interaction. | my 7 year old daughter experiences seasonal allergies and i gave her this based on rave reviews from friends. since beginning it 4 days ago she has dark circles under her eyes, is spacey and doesn't respond, and is irritable. i am weary of stopping though, because these are also common symptoms of severe ALLERGIES IN CHILDREN. so...? | M | 35 | 8/18/2009 | 1 | itching/allergies | although the zyrtec did control the itching at night, my daughter complained about feeling 'not real', pretend like in a story. She said she felt like she had water in her ears; a stuffy feeling that comes & goes. She said it started around the time 1st grade began. I connected that was when she started taking zyrtec as prescribed by her PCP. | we stopped the zyrtec and after 3 days, she said she said she was feeling more real! I definitely believe it was the zyrtec, especially after reading this database. I was actually looking for a psychiatrist thinking she had a mental health issue. We're turning to homeopath treatments to relieve her allergies now. | F | 7 | 10 months | 8/16/2009 | 1 | For allergies | This seemed to work fine but I always had a running nose. I decided to stop taking Zyrtec and the side effects were horrible. I was getting heart palpitations, depression and a feeling like I was going to die. I felt anxious and very tired. I had to go back taking it again. A week ago, I started taking 1/2 a pill everyday and only had slight side effects. Slight heart palputations and no feeling of depression. In a few days I am going to skip a day until I no longer have this poison in my system. | Don't ever start taking this medication. It messes you up and it takes away a part of you life. I rather suffer with allergies than to go through these symptoms again. | F | 56 | 5 months | 8/16/2009 | 2 | Seasonal/Pet allergies | Weight gain (lots for me!), irrational thoughts, weird dreams | Wow! I just realized that all of the negative thoughts and 15 pound weight gain is due to my taking Zyrtec...Not sure why I didn't peruse the reviews before because I usually do extensive reading before taking anything. I have gained 15-20 pounds in the last 3 months. Unbelievable because I work out 4 to 5 times a week and eat sensibly. I have only been taking this medicine for about that long too. I quit taking all of my vitamins for perimenopausal symptoms because I thought that they could be contributing to the weight gain. I'm totally freaked out by this medicine. Talk about weird dreams...the weirdest. Also I have had really illogical thoughts which made me even consider committing myself to a mental institution...stay away from this medicine for sure!! | F | 46 | 3 months | 8/15/2009 | 1 | 11 year old son taking it for hives | severe irritability, depression, and anger | the symptoms were pronounced when on the drug and went away shortly after stopping the drug. we had been advised to use zyrtec preventatively and on an ongoing basis. given our son's reaction, this would doom him to a life of mental health problems. he is fine since we stopped it. we will use benadryl in the future for short term relief. | M | 11 | 10 days | 8/13/2009 | 1 | allergies | I now have what's called ototoxicity (permanent tinnitus, a roaring low sound constantly in my left ear, like a foghorn) I had bad hearing anyhow and this made it worse! It drives me crazy and there is no relief. I also seemed to have mood swings and some other odd symptoms (that didn't exist before) such as chest pressure or feeling flushed. I also developed acne in very odd places, it was never a problem before. I've stopped taking it and slowly feel as if I'm regaining some things, but the ear damage appears to be staying. | F | 45 | 1 years | 8/13/2009 | 1 | pet allergy / seasonal congestion | Irritability, moodiness, anger, aggression, appetite changes, sleep problems, personality change | Our son was taking zyrtec on and off as needed for over a year. We thought he was just a high-maintenance strong-willed child. It wasn't until he started taking it daily for a couple weeks straight that he became completely unbearable. We would have honestly sworn the devil had possession over our child, that's the best way I can describe his behavior. It wasn't until I found this site that it made me think it was the medicine causing it. I stopped giving it to him, and within a couple days, he was a completely different child. Much easier to manage, more agreeable, and overall happy. I thank whoever created this site, and just wanted to post our story, so maybe someone else who experiences the same thing can learn from our misery! We have since tried Claritin, and it causes the same symptoms. Now we are on Allegra, time will tell how that fares... | M | 3 | 1 years | 8/13/2009 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | Agressive behavior, rage, sadness, sleeplessness, confusion. | My pediatrician recommended children's Zyrtec for my 3.5 year old daughter to relieve her allergy symptoms. After taking it steadily and then on and off for 4 months I finally put together that whenever she was on it, she was prone to random major rage events to include kicking, biting, spitting, screaming uncontrolably, whining, sadness, crying at the drop of a hat, Etc...it takes a good 3-4 days for her to withdrawl from 1 2.5 ml. dose during which she can't sleep at night and is a zombie during the day. We are DONE with Zyrtec! | F | 35 | 4 months | 8/11/2009 | 1 | Allergies | Everything felt very surreal to me. I felt blurry and spacey and nothing seemed quite real. I experienced rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and blacked out once after getting up. I would feel as though I couldn't breath, like I couldn't get enough air. All of this never happened before I took Zyrtec. I felt sad and hopeless and depressed all summer. Although Zyrtec definitely treated my allergies, the side effects were not worth it. | F | 41 | 4 months | 8/10/2009 | 1 | upper respiratory allergies | excessive sweating, weight gain, dry skin | did not put 2&2 together when I gained weight although I strenuously exercise 3-4x a week regularly. Thought I was going through early signs of menopause when I could not stop sweating and gained weight pretty severely. When the epiphany came to me one day about a month ago I stopped taking Zyrtec and immediately started itching with hives on palms of hands and upper torso ( which, thank God, has now completely subsided). My sleeping pattern has now gotten back to normal - initially after stopping the medication I did feel anxious and restless which is now gone as well. I have already lost some weight -- halleluja!!!! I cannot believe my doctor did not tell me any of these severe side effects when he put me on this medication. Unbelieveable! I will never doubt my own body again and will be my own advocat for sure!!! | F | 40 | 2.5 years | 8/9/2009 | 1 | Seasonal Allergy | anxiety, panic attacks, very aggressive behavior, overly emtional, paranoid, memory loss, confusion, feeling stupid. | This drug is poison. Looking back, I now realize that 5 years ago it was probably taking Zyrtec that caused my need to go on anti-depresants and the onset of panic attacks. Never had a panic attack before taking this drug. This allergy season I have been a miserable person to be around. Ready to fight all the time. Feeling violent. Lots of rage. I never thought that I could get hooked on a drug I only used as needed. Been off it for four days now. Terrible withdrawl. Crazy itchy and feeling sick. I just feel like I'm going crazy. Tell everyone you know to stay off this drug. They may think you're crazy(which is the reaction I've received), but you might save someone some grief. | M | 46 | 5 months | 8/9/2009 | 1 | Allergies | Severe anxiety | Provided some relief from allergy symptoms, but caused constant, major, debilitating anxiety. Did not make the connection at all until I switched to a different allergy medication to see if it would work better, and suddenly the anxiety went away. In hindsight, I realized that the anxiety had started when I started taking Zyrtec. Basically lost 6 months of my life to this medication. | M | 32 | 6 months | 8/8/2009 | 3 | Seasonal Allergies | Very tired, Dry eyes, and vaginal dryness to the point it was red and irritated. It also hurts to go to the bathroom. | One of my friends was taking this and she had the same problems, she has since stopped taking zyrtec and she no longers had these issues. | F | 32 | 2 months | 8/7/2009 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | Very bizarre, disturbing dreams which left me exhausted in the morning. | I thought I was going crazy until I read all the other feedback here about people having weird dreams while taking Zyrtec. I've been on Allegra for years, and thought I'd try switching over to Zyrtec for a change of pace - and to see if it worked better. What a mistake! I haven't slept well in the 3+ months I've been on Zyrtec. At first I was attributing the dreams to stress, but when they continued I pinpointed the start of the dreams to about the time I started Zyrtec. So, I've stopped taking it and gone back to Allegra. The weird dreams have stopped and I am getting great sleep. In the past I have also had odd reactions to Claritin and Seldane (anyone remember that stuff?) I would not recommend Zyrtec. | F | 48 | 90 days | 8/7/2009 | 1 | allergies | Stopped taking this med and the itching was unbearable. Random red, itchy patches on chest, legs, under arms, neck, face, etc. | M | 45 | 2 years | 8/6/2009 | 3 | Cold with allergy symptoms | Loopy and strange sleep patterns | I literally woke up in the middle of the night with the idea that I could time travel. This was in the first night of me taking this drug. | F | 16 | 1 days | 8/4/2009 | 3 | Allergies | Check out Pfizer's fact sheet on Zyrtec: www.pfizer.com/files/products/uspi_zyrtec.pdf "The most common adverse reaction...was somnolence...6% in placebo, 11% at 5 mg, and 14% at 10 mg." Fatigue was a 5.9% incidence vs. 2.6% on placebo. Many of the other symptoms represented on this page were concomitant with Zyrtec use, albeit at less than 2% frequency. | 8/3/2009 | 3 | seasonal allergies | Extreme tiredness, weird feelings, spaciness, slight depression, headaches, hairloss, and dizziness. | I started taking Zyrtec about 3 months ago instead of Xyzal or Allegra because my insurance wouldn't cover those anymore. I am just now realizing that perhaps that is why I lost alot of hair the first month I was on this. I can not take a full dose because I get a terriable headache. I cut the dose in half and take it every couple of days. It's much too strong for me. I also get so tired to the point of being unable to function and have to go to bed. I become real depressed and have weird thoughts. When I went off it for a few days all the symptoms were gone. It's unbelievable the side effects drugs can give you even when they may help you at the same time. I also get dizzy and have some racing heart feelings and palpatations. That could be the drug or some other issue I have with perimenopause of low vitamin levels. Anyhow...it has mainly been going on while being on Zyrtec. I am definately going to search for another option for me. | F | 44 | 3 months | 8/2/2009 | 1 | Seasonal/Persistant Allergies | Anger, severe irritability, irrational fighting, inability to control emotions, hostility, bizarre sleeping patterns, picking arguments that turned into violent rageful combative arguments, anxiety, increase in migraines and panic attacks. | Good god, where do I start? I started taking this in mid June for allergies that sucked, the kind with the itchy eyes, runny nose, sore throat, you know. Basically, i turned into an angry aggressive, angry, hostile, combative, miserable monster woman. My boyfriend (who I had been with over a year) called me a spiteful angry bitch. I would pick fights over comments such as "You seem tired today, take a nap maybe you'll feel better." "Do you need help with (insert action here)?". I cant believe I let this go on this long... My mother asked me if anything on this planet made me happy, because apparently, i was a miserable person. I cried over nothing. Honestly, i cant even remember I time in the past month I cried over something rational. Come to think of it, I cant remember the last time this month that I fought over something rational. I honestly thought I was just a basically bad person. I'm never taking this medication EVER again, and it was this website that made me realize how awful it was before it dawned on me that my symptoms all started last month. I'm starting to with draw though (according to other people on the site saying that they did too, with the same symptoms. Dizzy, restless, headaches...). Id rather deal with the seasonal allergies than with these behavioral issues ever again. | F | 23 | 2 months | 7/30/2009 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | WEIGHT GAIN - HAIR LOSS - BLURRED VISION - MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS | I stopped taking Zyrtec 7 days ago and the withdrawal is terrible. Intense itching on hands, legs and scalp. Prior to taking this, I was slender and in great health. I am not taking any other medication. In the seven years I have been taking Zyrtec, I have gained 20 lbs. I have not changed eating or fitness levels. I began noticing hair loss four years ago. My menstrual cycles have gone crazy and my vision has changed as now I need glasses to read and sometimes cannot focus for the first couple of hours each morning. My advice: DO NOT TAKE ZYRTEC!! | F | 43 | 7 years | 7/29/2009 | 4 | seasonal allergies | some drowziness, but not enough to curb activities. | I only take Zyrtec in the Spring/fall when I know that I will start having issues. Knowledge of what triggers each persons allergy symptoms and when the triggers first appear I feel is crucial to using this medication to make it work. I have been prescribed Zyrtec for about 8 years. So far so good. | F | 59 | 7/25/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | first two weeks---- complete relief of allergies, even excema seemed to improve, some drowsiness 3rd week-2nd month--- sleeping part of the day, nervousness, nearly constant hand tremors, occasional dizziness, daily chest rashes, frequent nausea, feeling 'outside' myself, constant worry, trouble thinking/concentrating, sometimes racing pulse, stopped taking caffeine but still no change after two weeks, went to doctor who prescribed low dose anti-depressant, which did nothing except add to list of side effects 3rd month---- in addition to above side effects, began wheezing at night several hours before my next dose of zyrtec. Took benadryl to help me breath, doctor prescribed inhaler. wheezing episodes would come earlier and earlier. Finally, my husband and I sat down and eventually associated all the above symptoms with the time I started taking zyrtec on a consistent and daily basis. 4th month--- stopped taking zyrtec and antidepressants, had headaches a couple days, felt | This happened about a year ago, after some research online, I believe I had a rare allergic reaction to zyrtec, and that the drug was broken down in my system producing a chemical which caused the psychiatric effects. I think most people can probably take this drug without problem, but should be aware of the possibility of rare reaction. I also react to other allergy medicines, claritin has lost its effect on allergies over the years so I stopped taking it, but I remember it caused restless dreams (not nightmares) so I would take it in the morning always. Benadryl causes drowsiness, and Singular I only took once but both times I had norrible nightmares, one of which I woke up in the middle of the night and I felt like a needle was being pushed through my foot which didn't go away for several minutes. I now take flonase occasionally with allergy eye drops and elidel for my excema, all on an as needed basis and I never get the complete relief that I had with zyrtec. I'm sure steriod shots would work for me but I haven't tried it and I'm not excited about it. We switch between a variety of allergy medications for our son as needed, and including zyrtec. I plan to cautiously try new allergy medications in the future. | F | 25 | 3 months | 7/23/2009 | 1 | Ear Infections | Agressive behaviour,hitting,biting,screaming,throwing things,temper tantrums and not sleeping | I thought my son had the terrible two's, till i read these comments, "possessed" is how some parents describe their children, i agree. I'm a single parent some nights i just sit and cry, he's already been kicked out of one daycare for biting. Stopped the Zyrtec 2 days ago and already see an improvement, pray that it keeps getting better, wish i'd known sooner. | M | 2.5 | 1 years | 7/23/2009 | 3 | itchy skin due to allergic reaction | Well at first starting about 2 months ago I took it maybe once a week and I stopped itching within a few minutes to 15 minutes and didnt seem to have side effects. Although I do remember feeling dizzy sometimes but didnt realize it was the Zyrtec. But then in the past week whenever I felt itchy I would take it. So in the past week I took it every day. The 10mg over the counter product. I would say maybe 4 or 5 days in a row and now I feel wired, and yucky like if I had caffeine. I avoid caffeine cause I dont like that wired feeling. I also have mild nausea. And overall dont fell right. And I do feel bloated. I took a 10mg pill this morning at 10am. I will not take it ever again and will have to report back to tell the changes in how I felt not taking it. I think adding in a caffeinated soda excelarated the side affects. | F | 49 | 2 months | 7/21/2009 | 3 | Nasal allergies | Weight Gain... 20 pounds in 4 months. I just saw the link and I'm horrified. I didn't change anything else in the 4 months except starting to take Zyrtec everyday. | It worked really well for my allergies... but the weight gain is too much! | F | 24 | 4 months | 7/20/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |