ZYRTEC Reviews (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 2.0 (1816 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ZYRTEC with similar:
Type: Over-the-counter Drug
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Results are sorted by Age from youngest to oldest (reviews with no age reported listed first). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 |
More on ZYRTEC: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZYRTEC | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | Seasonal Allergies | No noticable side effects when I am taking Zyrtec, but when I stop taking it or skip too many doses, I get a light skin rash that covers almost my entire body. This typically clears up in a few days (or when I restart the Zyrtec) and is not so bothersome that it would cause me to stop taking Zyrtec altogether. It has been a miracle drug for my seasonal allergies. | F | 25 | 6 months | 4/10/2007 | 4 | Seasonal Allergies | A touch of anxiety upon initial usage | 10mg daily, Works great, it does take a bit of adjustment, however the pros outweigh the cons. Also prescribed Elestat (which suprisingly makes me feel a lot more strange than the Zyrtec) and Nasonex (this stuff works great). If you have seasonal allergies I would definately recommend this combo, only problem I notice is a touch of eye redness/itching (but rarely during the day). This is definately not for kids, and for sure exaggerates any existing conditions. If you are taking a bunch of other meds and already have psychological problems/tendancies you should lay off the pharms. | M | 25 | 30 days | 10/17/2007 | 4 | Year round allergies | Uncontrollable itching that starts on hands, feet, and scalp and moves to my whole body when I forget doses | Works great on my severe allergies. Forgetting doses is miserable though | F | 25 | 5 years 10mg 1X day | 1/4/2011 | 4 | Dermatographism | I experienced fatigue when I first started taking it, so switched dosage to bed time. Sleep like a baby with this stuff but getting up can be very hard. | I have to say that zyrtec has worked wonders for my dermatographism. I very rarely get itchy, and if I do, scratching only results in redness and not hives. However, I recently decided to try to come off of zyrtec to see if diet changes (removing gluten and dairy for a few weeks) would help the dermatographism. I have trouble believing that taking a drug for so long can be good for you. Anyways, so far (after only 3 days!), I have a ton more energy especially in the mornings, but my skin is borderline unbearable. I'm a little worried I won't be able to tell between itching from my actual dermatographism and any possible withdrawal symptoms from the zyrtec. The next few weeks should be interesting, but I'm determined to stay off this stuff! For anybody with dermatographism: Aloe and an ice cube work wonders for the bad flareups. | F | 25 | 5 years 10 mg 1X day | 11/5/2011 | 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 | 3 | Allergies | Confusion, forgetting alot, talking in my sleep and sleep walking. | I've only been taking zyrtec otc for less than a week. I'm convinced my sleeping problems and forgetting things that I shouldn't be forgetting are because of the zyrtec. The first day I took it, it was in the middle of the day because my allergies were so horrible I just wanted them to be lessened a bit. Started taking them at night and now I talk in my sleep and sleep walk which I have never done. I'm also forgetting things that I shouldn't be forgetting. I can't say whether or not its helped my allergies because it was a full blown allergy attack when I first took it. It lessened my symptoms dramatically but they haven't dissapeared completely yet. I'm going to continue taking it for a while and hope for the best. | F | 25 | 5 days | 1/15/2009 | 3 | Hives | Hair loss, exhaustion, dizziness, anger, no sex drive, weight gain, headaches. | I've been allergic to several foods all of my life. I've been taking allergy medicine all my life. I believe I've been taking zyrtec for about 10 years now. It works most of the time. My body has suffered though. I am constantly tired, my hair is falling out, I have headaches, a very short temper, very emotional, dizziness, I cant seem to lose any weight no matter how hard I try. My sex drive is pretty much non existent. I have tried to stop taking it, but because I'm allergic to so many things, I end up breaking out in hives. Every year I develop an allergy to something new. This sucks. | F | 25 | 10 years | 12/2/2007 | 2 | seasonal allergies | depression, weight gain, | I never suspected Zyrtec until I read this board. I have been taking this med for about a year and blamed everything else in my life for my symptoms. I gained 40 pounds in about 6 months-I am not kidding. My migraines have become more intense and less responsive to treatment. I take 10 mg at night but I still feel drowsy and I was wondering why I was feeling tired all the time, even though I take Adderrall too. I did have some reduction in my allergy symptoms but there has to be another alternative. I keep gaining weight, I have a black cloud hanging over me and migraines that last for days! And I still get sinus headaches. | F | 25 | 1 years | 6/1/2006 | 2 | Seasonal Allergies | Weight gain, extreme irritability, overly sensitive, moderate depressive symptoms, extreme lethargy (I have been consistently late to work because it is so hard to get out of bed). | All it really did was get rid of my sinus headaches and the sneezing. I still had itchy, watery eyes and a really stuffy nose. | F | 25 | 25 days | 8/13/2006 | 2 | severe allergies | My son's pediatrician and allergist recommended Zyrtec for his severe allergies (certain trees and grasses, ragweed, cats). Soon after starting it his mood changed. He became violent and had uncontrollable tantrums. He began hitting and throwing and throwing fits about the smallest thing. I never related the behavior to the Zyrtec until he became sick and I stopped the Zyrtec in order to give him cough medicine. He almost immediately returned to the caring loving little man that he always was. | Please pay careful attention to your children if you give them this medicine. I feel so bad that I did not relate my son's behavior to the medicine. | F | 25 | 1 years 5 ML 1X day | 2/17/2010 | 2 | Seasonal Allergies | Drowsiness, headaches | Worked well for my allergy symptoms. Caused extreme drowsiness. I slept great at night, but I could hardly stay awake during the day. I have recently tried to stop taking Zyrtec. I am having major headaches (not normal for me at all.) | F | 25 | 4 months | 6/29/2008 | 2 | Allergies | I have been around the same weight my whole life, but I started taking Zyrtec 4 months ago when the doctor told me that an infection that I had may have been due to allergies. I continued taking it into the spring, b/c I always have seasonal allergies. In these four/five months, I have been gaining weight slowly, but surely. I eat very well and exercise daily, so I was very upset and confused that my clothes don't fit anymore. I gained about 10-15 pounds. I am going off this med today! Id rather suffer with spring allergies than not fit into my clothes! | The medication does work, (I have had NO allergic symptoms, and that is amazing, since I am very allergic to any plant, tree pollen) But I am NOT dealing with these side effects. Going off of it TODAY and staying off FOREVER! | M | 25 | 5 months | 4/25/2009 | 2 | Allergies to grass, pollen, mold | I've been taking zyrtec for 15 years and just started the process of weaning off of it about a month ago. I've always struggled with tiredness/fatigue, memory issues, concentration issues, and recurring low mood & depression, but I never knew why and treated myself with coffee all day long. After forgetting my meds one day, I woke up with tons of energy (even a little anxiety) and a lifted mood. Ever since then, I've been working to get off of it. Weaning off is horrible (I started with half a pill for a week, then a fourth, then an eighth, and now a 16th) because if I quit cold turkey I can't bare the itching, rash, and hives. But it's SO worth it. I'm starting to feel like a normal person again, have cut back on coffee, can think more clearly, remember things better, etc. I wish I never started taking this medicine. | F | 25 | 100 days 10 MG 1X day | 3/3/2022 | 1 | Debilitating seasonal allergies | Fatigue, dizziness, diarrhea, bloating, irritability, sweating, headache, mood swings | The day I started my first dose I started feeling not so hot, I thought I was just coming down with a cold or caught a stomach bug, but after researching and reading up on ZYRTEC, I will NOT be taking it any longer! I have only sneezed a few times in those few days, but I'd rather deal with allergies then these side effects. | F | 25 | 3 days | 5/31/2008 | 1 | Chronic Sinusitis | Took 1 Zyrtec 10 mg at 1 AM and woke up at 4 AM with tremors and shaking and very high blood pressure 155/85. I immediately stopped taking it. Had insomnia for three days. Vomitted several times. My heart was racing and had chest pains! A strange depression set in like the end of the world was about to happen (never had happened before in my life). I got a nosebleed a few days later, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite. Also a dry taste in my mouth and a feeling of ants crawling all over my skin. High anxiety, nervousness and panic attacks. Nausea and headaches! | It has been 4.5 days since I stopped taking it and I feel better and have less axniety. All of my symptoms have subsided to a minimum, still have high blood pressure from time to time. Does anyone know how long it takes to for blood pressure to come back to normal after getting off of Zyrtec? Post the answer if you can, thanks! | M | 25 | 1 days | 7/15/2009 | 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 | Seasonal allergies tree pollen | Depression, easily agitated, angry for no reason, tired all all the time, hair loss. I started taking this 6 years ago for 4 months out of each year for pollen allergies. Each year I realized in the spring and early summer I would become a mean angry depressed person who didn't feel like doing anything. My hair also falls out a lot. Also each time I stop taking it I have intense itchy skin and scalp for 2 weeks or so afterwards but my mind clears up and I feel better mentally but the physical withdraws are terrible also I cannot sleep at night once I stop taking it. I will never take it again I cannot deal with the mental symtoms from it anymore it effects me and the people around me. It worked great for my Sneezing and itchy eyes but the side effects and withdraw are not worth it anymore. | F | 25 | 6 years 10mg | 6/15/2014 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | Anxiety, racing thoughts, head pressure, inability to focus, quickened heart rate. Originally I thought it was my morning coffee that gave me these symptoms, but I've drank two cups every morning for many years. I found that I had an extremely hard time studying school material, retaining information and just feeling at ease. I noticed I would feel better in the late evening which makes sense as the drug would be in my blood to a lesser degree. I take no other medications and have never experienced these effects on other allergy mess. I'll take my mild allergy symptoms any day. Never again will I take Zyrtec! | M | 25 | 2 days 10mg | 6/6/2014 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | Withdrawl, Abdominal Cramping, Foggy, *INTENSE* scary dreams | Always suffered from IBS but had been without a flare for almost a year then suddenly was hit with extreme cramping etc. Traced it back to this med so I stopped taking it. If I go without it I get itchy (ears, face, scalp, hands etc)and get a MASSIVE headache complete with nausea. At first I thought it was just a normal migraine but it didn't follow the right pattern and lasted for days. Horrible medication and there needs to at least be warnings of these side effects on the package. | F | 25 | 3 weeks 5mg 1X day | 5/12/2010 | 1 | allergy symptoms | It made me beyond exhausted, and it did the same thing to my boyfriend. For about an entire day, all I wanted to do was sleep. However, I felt tired no matter how much I slept; sleep didn't make me feel rested. While awake, I felt anxious and my ability to concentrate was squashed. Meanwhile, my allergy symptoms were still pretty bad! The medicine only helped a little bit. I'm never taking a medicine with cetirizine hydrochloride again. It felt as if I hadn't slept for days, and couldn't get any relief. | I took Target's generic version, but it's the same as Zyrtec and even says to compare the two on the box. | F | 25 | 1 days 1X day | 5/16/2010 |