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 |
| 1 | Allergies | Zyrtec induced severe short-term memory loss in me for several *months*. I was out of work for much of the time because of it. This is a very rare and isolated case, so you shouldn't have to worry about it, but be warned that it might cause temporary memory loss. | M | 29 | 1 days | 4/11/2005 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | Extreme depression/anxiety, sadness, constant pulsing migrant that would not go away with any medication, eye pain/dryness, blurry vision, dry mouth, scarre to drive, gained 10 lbs in a week, muscle pains, very drowsy and just wanted to be asleep, weird ugly thoughrd of dying driving over the bridge, outrages bursts of anger towards my family and others, could not stand the site of others, everything and anything would tick me off and I would really blowup, anxious, constipation, drained out, no energy at all, its hard to say but I told my husband I just wanted to leave them all and I wanted to die I didn't know why I felt so much hate and anger to everything.around me Omnia sorry everyone.and ringtone I've been giving this medication to my children forbears that explains there side effects, I will throw away the zyrtec and never take this poisonous drug or give it to your children, uninstall waiting for my headache to go away. Thank you for this website it explains slot. | 29 | 3 weeks 10 | 11/30/2011 | 1 | Allergies | I started taking Zyrtec for allergies and it stopped my blocked nose and sneezing quite well. I could not pin point why throughout the week I was angry and irritable for no reason. I woke from first thing in the morning irritable and I was on holidays. I can only describe the symptoms as similar to PMS. On the two morning that I did not take the medication I felt my normal self again but when I took the product at night before bed again I woke just about ready to throttle anyone who spoke to me. I am really disappointed that I was not warned about this type of side effect, consumers have the right to know the severity of such things. | This should not be sold over the counter!!!!! I would rather have a blocked nose than feel irritable and angry all day and everyday I took it. | F | 29 | 7 days 5mg 2X day | 1/18/2012 | 1 | allergies | Fatigue, tiredness, overeating, stomach aches. | Took zyrtec for 7 days - only took 5 mg (1/2 a pill) at night before bed. Was tired, sleepy, fatigued the entire time. Also over-ate. When stopped taking Zyrtec, felt nauseated and had sinus headache. Tried Claritin as well, but it made me feel very jumpy and had hard time sleeping. | F | 29 | 7 days | 5/16/2006 | 1 | Allergies | Only took it for a couple of weeks on and off, but took it steadily for about a week and became extremely lethargic, I couldn't focus, and I had a definite mood change (and definitely not in a good way). As soon as I stopped taking it I felt a definite improvement in brain activity within a day and felt better overall. I flushing it down the toilet. | M | 29 | 6 days 10 mg 1X day | 4/16/2010 | 5 | allergies | Sleepiness | F | 30 | 6 days 10 | 6/7/2012 | 5 | Seasonal Rhinitis | None | Only thing that works for my allergies anymore. Wish that the FAA would approve it for pilots so I can take it to work with me! | M | 30 | 2 years | 2/19/2006 | 5 | allergies | none | F | 30 | 7 days | 2/26/2005 | 5 | Kimura's & chronic conjunctavitis | extreme somnolence, agitation, dry mouth, mild 'delirium' | Zyrtec is the only treatment ive found for Kimura's disease, a rare inflammatory condition Zyrtec is also very effective in treating my chronic conjunctivitis Zyrtec (cetirizine) is most effective with a healthy metabolic system. If you have metabolic problems it will increase the intensity of side effects such as extreme somnolence, agitation and dry mouth as the drug will stay in your system longer. Using the drug has been very effective over the years. I was originally prescribed this over 10 years ago for chronic red-eye and found it was, when taken consistently for a 1-2 weeks will improve inflammation and will remain effective for a period of upto a month. The problem with taking zyrtec for this amount of time is the side effects become much more noticeable and compound to the point where I have to decide on to continue or stop taking zyrtec for a time. After continual doses over a few days i become agitated, have confused dreams, and lose sleep. The immediate side effect is extreme somnolence that persists for hours or days after the last dose if i havent taken it for a period of time. Yes, zyrtec is a life saver for my conditions but it comes at a cost of effectiveness vs side effects. I am trying to stay healthy to improve the effectivness of zyrtec so I can take less of it and still get the benefits. | M | 30 | 12 years 25 1X W | 10/3/2015 | 4 | allergies | EXCESSIVE weight gain, constantly tired, hard to sleep. | I've been on Zyrtec for nearly 7 years. It is currently the only medicine on the market that helped me breathe...however I've gained nearly 80 pounds while on it. I still work out 3-4 times a week at the gym, and walk daily. It's like exercise effects in reverse. Since Zyrtec went OTC, my allergies are back in high gear and I take the Walgreens version which works like the Rx version of Zyrtec. My sister has been on Zyrtec for 5 years and not only did she hit the massive weight gain too-- she was the nicest person before taking it--now she's a nightmare--from nice and calm to violent rage in less than a second! My doctor blamed me turning 30 as the reason for weight gain and even put me on a high protien, low carb diet...did it work--absolutely not. The excessive weight triggers my asthma so then around the circle we go again being prescirbed steroids to calm my lungs down. While it works for my allergies great...it's not worth it. | F | 30 | 7 years | 6/12/2008 | 4 | Sinusitis | HORRIBLE itchiness after stopping Zyrtec | I have taken this medicine for many years, and was happy with the results until I decided to stop (my allergies had lessened after a move to the city). In 2 -3 days after stopping the medicine my entire body is covered in a horrible, hot itch that usually begins in my hands and feet- and only gets worse if you actually itch it; welts begin to raise in the places I touch. At night, the stinging itch gets so bad that I feel like there are bugs crawling all over me; I truly start to go crazy. The itch was so bad, I kept going back on the Zyrtec. Under the direction of a concerned allergist (who had never heard of this type of withdrawal before)I have been trying to wean myself off of it by lengthening the days between taking Zyrtec, and using over-the-counter Benedryl to curb some of the itching. Though the Benedryl does help a little, the itchiness has gotten more intense, and always comes back at day 2. At this point, I have made it 7 days off of the Zyrtec, and the itching has not beg | F | 30 | 9 years | 7/31/2007 | 4 | HIVES/DERMAGRAPHISM | WEIGHT GAIN!! | I WAS IN CHICAGO JULY 2005 WHEN I FIRST HAD MY HIVE OUTBREAK. IT WAS 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND I CAN FEEL MY BACK ITCHING. BY THE TIME I CAME BACK TO CALIFORNIA THAT NIGHT I CAN SEE WHAT SEEMED TO BE WELT MARKS. IT WAS ALL OVER MY BODY (MAINLY BACK, ARMS, LEGS AND OCCASIONALLY FACE). IT WAS BURNING, ITCHING AND MY FEET AND HANDS WERE SWELLED UP. I WAS PRESCRIBED CLARITIN AND THE DR GAVE ME A SAMPLE OF ZYRTEC. THE OVER-THE-COUNTER ALLERGY MEDS DID NOTHING FOR MY HIVES. ZYRTEC WAS THE ONLY MEDS THAT SUPRESSED THE ITCH, BUT THE WELT MARKS WOULD STILL SHOW. I'VE BEEN ON ZYRTEC FOR 6 MONTHS NOW. I HAVE TO TAKE IT DAILY AND WHEN I MISS A DOSE MY HIVES WOULD FLARE UP. SINCE THEN I'VE GAINED WEIGHT. I AM AT THE HEAVIEST I'VE EVER BEEN. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE I TURNED 30(AUGUST) AND MY METABOLISM HAVE SLOWED DOWN OR IF IT'S ZYRTEC. BUT I RATHER FACE THIS WEIGHT GAIN THAN THE UNCONTROLLABLE ITCH OF THE HIVES. I DIDN'T HAVE A NAME FOR THIS BUT AFTER READING THIS SITE, I KNOW NOW I | F | 30 | 6 months | 1/3/2006 | 3 | Constant runny nose, allergies | Doc recommended Zyrtec after a combination ear infection and sinus infection, so I started taking it every day. Been dealing with some really bad anxiety, depression, and constant fatigue and lack of motivation.... Ran out of my pills one day and got lazy about taking more, so I just stopped. Slept like crap for a week (withdrawl?) but suddenly realized I wasn't NEARLY as tired as I used to be, and have a bit more motivation to do things now. I'm convinced it was the Zyrtec. | Worked great for my allergy issues, but it's not worth it feeling like a worthless zombie EVERY SINGLE MORNING. | F | 30 | 2 years 1X day | 5/2/2012 | 3 | Allergies/Asthma | Moderate Depression and Mood Swings, Tinnitus, Decreased Libido | Been off it for 2 days, and my mood and sex drive back to normal... It did help the allergy symptoms, though. Given that it helped me breathe, I guess it was worth it. Now that the mold we had in the house is gone and dissipating, I'll be saying goodbye to this drug for the foreseeable future. | M | 30 | 14 days 1X day | 4/10/2012 | 3 | Allergies | Depression, anger, sadness, dry mouth | For the past few weeks I have been feeling deeply depressed. I was blaming my job, money, etc. Typically I am normally a pretty happy guy. I would call my wife during the day and tell her how sad I was feeling and I didn't know what was wrong. I only put tied these feelings back to Zyrtec this weekend as I stopped taking it mid-week and was feeling "great" again by Friday evening. I started to suspect that it my be Zyrtec since that is the only "thing" that has changed recently in my life. I read about the side effects online and noticed the only thing I had in common was dry mouth in the morning which seemed normal as my nose was also dry! My allergies were acting up again last night, so I took a Zyrtec. Once again, I woke feeling extremely angry and very depressed! After reading all the posts, I realized this must be the problem. I have never had a reaction to any medication like this before; too bad it had to be Zyrtec. The flip-side, it worked GREAT for my allergies! I wish it didn't cause those awful feelings. Unfortunately I won't be taking it again :-( First time in my life I have allergies, and this?!??! | M | 30 | 2 weeks 10mg 1X day | 8/9/2010 | 3 | Allergies | Fatigue, drowsiness, headache | Not sure that this drug is a good fit for me! I felt ok during my first dose yesterday -- a bit tired, but I think my allergies improved. My second dose today, however, made me extremely lethargic!! | F | 30 | 2 days 1X day | 4/23/2011 | 3 | Severe Seasonal allergies | Dry itchy mouth during first couple of weeks. Nightmares started after 3 weeks Depression and apathy started around the same time. | I looked up this site after a conversation with my wife where she asked me why i was depressed, we have a beautiful 3 month old a great house and good job ... odd that the last couple of nights I've also had nightmares. This is my 3rd season on zyrtec and its the only thing that stops my debilitating allergies bu i think the side effects might just be too much .... | M | 30 | 4 weeks | 5/17/2007 | 3 | dermatitis | none | it didn't do away with dermatitis to my satisfaction, but helps. | M | 30 | 2 years | 4/27/2004 | 3 | seasonal spring allergies | I just googled zyrtec and light sensitivity b/c I have been terribly light sensitive lately and wondered if that was a side effect. I also have a corneal disease and so was wondering that something had changed with my corneas. I am relieved to learn that this possibly just due to the antihistamine. I am going to try going off it now to see if that helps, although it does seem to help with the allergies. But I'll find another way to deal with that, since right now I don't want to go outside during the day...and I live in Southern California!) | F | 30 | 15 days | 4/22/2007 | 3 | indoor and outdoor allergies | fog-brain, lethargy, sleepiness, irritable due to tiredness | 3 people in my house on zyrtec- 4.5 yr old (since 1 yr old for confirmed dust mite, tree, weed and grass pollen allergy); 2.5 year old (since 1.5 yrs for confirmed tree, weed and grass pollen allergy); me- 30 - started 2 weeks ago for confirmed dust mite, tree, weed, grass pollen allergy). For the people whose children are irritible, "possessed," cranky, etc- they are probably tired and it is probably from the medicine. Make sure you give it to the kids at night! I made the mistake of taking it myself first thing in the morning and could not be my motor going, so to speak- just wanted to nap all day. For me and my older child, it definitely has a sedating effect. For my younger child, Zyrtec works for his allergy symptom relief and seems to have no side effects. Everyone has a different body chemistry. I am allergic to cats as well and so is my youngest, but my oldest is not. I am allergic to dust mites and so is my oldest, but my youngest is not. We do see an allergist and had the testing done and the pediatrician also tells us when to increase the dose for the kids based on age and weight. Make sure you don't give the kids too much - that's a danger of OTC and not asking the doc before you give kids an antihistamine drug. My oldest started on 1/4 tsp and gradually increased based on his age and mostly his weight. If you start a 2 year old on the max. dose per the OTC bottle, it might be too much. PS- My oldest also has reactive airway and we tried Singulair for | F | 30 | 3 years | 4/25/2009 |