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 |
| 2 | extreme hives | None on 10mg or 20mg/day | 10mg completly knocked out my hives for 5 days and then they came back. 20mg redueced them for 3 days and then they came back. For me this is not working for my hives. | M | 48 | | 12/2/2005 | 2 | allergy cough that is always there | With-in an hour I felt morbidly depressed and hopeless. I thought it was my imagination. But I had the same outcome for the entire 5 dose package about 10-40 minutes after taking it. After I stopped, this completely stopped! Then my left eye started acting weird-like spots that come and go. | It did help the cough. One of the only things that ever has.. But now I am spooked about taking it. I wonder if this medication has any impact on eyes (retina/ response to bright light) or if that has been considered? My eye is still not right. I see a DR Friday. Kind of scary-these drugs with their harmless happy-go-lucky candy store advertising. | F | 48 | 5 days | 6/10/2009 | 1 | allergy control and sleep aid | Was suggested I try a similar product after taking one benadryl a night for about 2 years. It was suggested to help aid skin irritation and sinus.Benadryl left me feeling a little groggy but workable. I took one 10mg Zyrtec at night. I was frustrated it didn't help all that much, I was surprised I felt more groggy for what I was told is not as strong of a medicine as benadryl. I didn't connect things until I decided to stop taking it about a week ago. I had become noticeably more sad and I was gaining weight and no longer up to working out. I was shocked I noticed the sadness went away that had been building and I dropped a pound, water weight likely almost immediately. I didn't connect any of this then and suddenly realized it had to be the Zyrtec, only new thing I had added to my system. I got online and saw many have had similar reactions. Thank goodness people have written about their experiences. I do NOT recommend Zyrtec. Not for sleep and nor for allergies which at lea | I did not connect the itchiness until I read others comments! Thank you for sharing,I was frustrated with why my skin was itching even worse than before the Zyrtec! And I had only been taking it maybe 6 months! | F | 48 | 6 months | 6/13/2009 | 1 | Allergies | Severe mood swings, anxiety, sleeping more but never feeling rested,apathy, depression, no desire to do anything, excessive gas (bloating/flatulence), increased appetite, weight gain. | I just began having allergies last year. I was taking Sudafed or Advil Sinus(as needed) but still having sinus/allergy problems. Doctor suggested I try Zyrtec - taken on a daily basis. It worked GREAT for my allergies. Unfortunately, it began to be terrible for my outlook on life. I didn't know what was happening to me. I have stopped taking this medication. Within two days of not taking this stuff, the depression, apathy, gas and increased appetite I was experiencing disappeared. I have energy again. It feels like I have crawled out of a dark pit. I didn't even realize how bad the depression was. It's been five days without this medicine now. I've had mild nausea, dizziness and insomnia but all are fading with each day. The weird thing was the itching that began on day three. I have never had hives or itching before. This is not a symptom of my allergies returning for me...this is a withdrawal. I will NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICINE AGAIN! I'll deal with my allergies some other way. | F | 48 | 60 days | 6/23/2009 | 1 | Nasal drainage | Blurred vision, rage, anxiety, lack of concentration, dry mouth | This stuff is awful. I had no idea what was causing me to suddenly have such anger and blurry vision. I started to think of what I had changed in my diet or otherwise. It was then that I remembered I had started Zyrtec, at my doctors recommendation. I won't be taking it again and hope this all goes away quickly! | F | 48 | 3 weeks | 2/13/2016 | 1 | allergies-rhinitis and sneezing | Lips became tingly and dry like severely chapped/ burned lips. Nothing helped to soothe them. Stopped taking med 2 days ago. and now lips are peeling. Hope this clears up soon. | F | 48 | 14 days 10 mg 1X day | 12/1/2015 | 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 | 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 | enviro and seasonal allergies | Horrendous drug -- zombielike while on it, unsatiable hunger, marked edema, "disconnected" feeling, itching when trying to get off it. | This is the first drug I've ever taken that I absolutely *hate*. Prescribed for nasal symptoms in combo with Zantac, I don't think it actually helped that at all - just loaded me with awful side effects such as feeling tired and very, very lethargic, disconnected and totally "out of it" during the day, voracious hunger and unbelievable weight gain even when watching what I eat, and edema like I experienced only when pregnant. Legs with 1/2 inch deep pitting edema, hands swollen, etc. Trying to get off of this is difficult as itching is scary... | F | 48 | 3 months | 12/6/2005 | 1 | Allergies | Nervousness, volatile, easily annoyed and enraged, generally irritable, frequently irrational and sometimes down right psychotic. | This drug, as well as Claritin and any other antihistamines for that matter (and their respective generic brands), are incredibly dangerous and destructive to some sensitive peoples psyche and emotions, and should carry MUCH STRONGER warnings of these risks. The problem is that they work well in addressing allergies so a person is anxious to get that relief; however, to some of us sensitive people, they cause an underlying feeling of nervousness, make you volatile, easily annoyed and enraged, generally irritable, frequently irrational and sometimes down right psychotic. I am so grateful that after 10 years of struggling with these periodic and totally uncontrollable emotional issues, my beautiful new boyfriend made me realize that it was the antihistamines causing all of my behavior issues. OMG I FINALLY HAVE MY LIFE BACK!! Do some research on the Internet the link between psychotic behavior and antihistamines is well documented. Since stopping these drugs, I am back to the calm, rational, loving and reasonable person I used to be. DO YOURSELF (and your loved ones) A COLLOSAL FAVOR - if you are taking any antihistamines get off of them immediately. Instead, address your allergies with a saline nasal rinsing system (I do it up to 3 times a day every day) like the SinuCleanse, readily available at Walgreens and CVS. I also use allergy drops in my eyes, when necessary. I am forever grateful to my loving partner for | F | 48 | 10 years 5MG/120MG 1X day | 6/24/2012 | 1 | Allergies | Extreme abdominal pain & constipation, urination problems, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, cold/numb hands and feet, red/irritated/puffy eyes, insomnia, anger/rage and mood swings. | Allergies are a problem for me in the spring & late fall in Oklahoma. I felt great this summer and when October came the allergies hit like clockwork. The first few weeks went by seemingly uneventful and about the last of Oct I noticed I had no zest for life anymore. Anxiety and depression had set in on me and I was not even aware of it. I did not want to go anywhere, do anything or be around people. I am restoring an old car and up until late October this was my passion and I had no desire at all to continue working on my car. I also noticed that I hurt all over my body...muscle pain, joint pain, cold hands and feet. I also noticed that I would snap at my wife and kids for the smallest things and at the time I felt this was warranted. Rage was a problem as well. I had difficulty urinating and would spend what seemed like an hour for a process that usually takes 10-15 seconds. While zyrtec did control some very bad allergy symptoms for me I have decided that the allergy problems are nowhere near as bad as the side effects caused by zyrtec. As I look back over the last 2 years of my life I can clearly see the problems I had and were all due to zyrtec. I'll never take this med again. | M | 48 | 2 years 10mg 1X day | 1/6/2012 | 1 | severe allergies to grass and trees | My 14 year old son became a completely different person - formerly happy, cheerful kid turned severely angry, moody and suicidal. Also developed skin rashes. Didn't appear to help his nose symptoms either | My son took this drug haphazardly which is probably the thing that saved him. He took it most regularly when he started going in for his allergy shots every Friday. Then every weekend he was a depressed mess. Looked up ways to commit suicide on the internet. We started to wonder if it was the allergy shots and then made the link to zyrtec. He was off it for two weeks and became more normal. Two days back on it, suicidal again. I don't think this drug is appropriate for children!!!!!!! | F | 48 | 4 months 1X day | 11/16/2010 | 1 | Feel like a Zombie ! Feel depressed ! Mood - Mad at everyone and don't know why i'm so upset . Have no energy to get up to do anything worse on fourth day ! | I came to the internet to see what was going on with Zyrtec. It's the only thing i had changed this week and I can NOT get up out of the bed in the morning. Feel like a Zombie and not connected with the world. I will not be taking anymore of this ! | F | 48 | 4 days 10 1X day | 5/14/2011 | 1 | seasonal allergy | Exhaustion and severe anger. | Additional warnings are needed for this drug. Use caution if operating an auto or machinery! | M | 48 | 4 days 1X day | 5/16/2010 | 1 | allergies | eye dryness,sleepieness | Thought I must have scratched eye so went to opto doc,had dry eye so drops helped.Then was seeing designs in vision,tingly fingers,tiredness,heart pulpitations,dizzyness,finally awoke one night thinking heart attack. Doc sent me to Cardio doc ,did extensive testing to find nothing wrong with heart.Stopped Zyrtec!! and VWELLA.. All troubles are gone!! HMMM ZYRTEC?? | F | 48 | 1 years | 10/1/2007 | 1 | Allergies; Chronic Cough | Extreme drowsiness; irritability; mood swings | I'd been taking this drug at around 6 p.m for the past two days. I'd had a horrible time waking up in the mornings and a totally exhausted feeling throughout the day. My mental focus was way way, way low and I felt like a total zombie that was fighting just to stay awake. I was also very irritable and angry others. Meanwhile, my chronic cough was just as bad as it was before taking this medication and it did nothing for my itchy, watery eyes either. | F | 48 | 2 days | 4/16/2008 | 1 | allergies | Another upset parent : I'm an intelligent, college-educated and (so I thought) informed parent and started giving my then 3 1/2 year old son Zyrtec about 1 year ago. I trust(ed) his pediatrician. I didn't notice any immediate change in his behavior and can't directly put my finger on when I got seriously concerned about it since initially he was given it intermittently. However, his allergies got so that it was almost constantly that he would have the sniffles and a runny nose, so I finally started nightly doses. I attributed his behavior initally just to a "phase". This "phase" continued while I kept waiting for him to grow out of it. My sister even suggested oppositional defiant disorder. i was upset enough to ask his pediatrician about his behavior and after interacting with him early last month at his well-check she assured me he was fine while writing out a new Zyrtec prescription. His behavior is much the same as other parents have reported: instant a | So what happened?? I ran out about a month ago and had switched pharmacy plans and hadn't gotten around to taking care of the 3 mos. mail order supply. We went on vacation for 2 weeks and then last week I finally filled the prescription but he had a cold so I didn't bother giving it to him. 4 days ago I went in to get him out of bed and he said, "Good morning Mom", got dressed the first time I asked him, brushed his teeth and sat down for breakfast. Everyday since has been the same and I've been waiting on pins and needles for my "old" angry son to reappear. A tiny light in my brain a couple of days ago asked if it could be a Zyrtec side effect and I finally googled tonight and here I am. I can't believe it's something this simple and am angry to think about all the learning and love my son and our family missed out on due to his anger and aggression and am mad at myself for trusting his pediatrician so much that I didn't perform due diligence. | F | 48 | 1 years | 12/21/2007 | 1 | seasonal allergys | DEPRESSION..poor sleep..thoughts of suicide..anxiety and heart palipataions..lethargy.. loss of concentration and focus..diminished sex drive.. | 1 yr ago i ended up in a psychologists office with severe depression and suicidal thoughts.. im a healthy male with proper diet and normal sleep habits.. after 1 yr of therapy im back to the same feeling.. the depression follows the use of this product and its cousin xyzal.. this morning i thought i was having a nervous breakdown.. thank God i found this web site and knew it was the drug causing my altered mental state. the dr put me on xyzal last month..with little results, so i switched back to zyrtek and the feeling grew unbearable.. | M | 48 | 3 years | 10/11/2008 | 5 | Allergy symptoms leading to asthma | fatigue, weight gain, feeling nervous and "fluttery" when I first wake up. | I went through a series of perscription allergy medicines until I was perscribed Zyrtec. It stopped my onset asthma because it controlled my allergy symptoms. My body does not react as strongly to the side effects, so I am thankful for that. From what I read, this should be a "last resort" medication for children when uncontrolled symptoms are causing a serious health problem. My side effects list also says that it should NOT be given to the elderly. But for me, Zyrtec halted the development of asthma, and the side effects are tolerable in my system. | F | 49 | 1 years | 10/19/2007 | 5 | allergies | only side effect is some tiredness but i take it at night and it helps me sleep thru the night | LOVE it... been taking it about two years, ECSTATIC it went over the counter and generic cuz now i can afford to take a full pill every night. | F | 49 | 2 years | 2/19/2008 |