Drug Ratings for ZYRTECAverage Rating: 2.1 (1499 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from longest to shortest 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 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZYRTEC | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 3 | 9 month old taking for allergies | Drowsiness at first, but now seems to make her irritable/agitated. | My daughter has been on Zyrtec since she was 7 months old for allergies. Nothing else would work. Benadryl caused her to break out in hives and made her wired, she's also allergic to pseudoephedrine, and Palgic doesn't seem to do anything at all. At first, it knocked her out at bedtime. She slept soundly through the night for the first few days. But since then, she goes to bed and sleeps for about an hour, and then she's up and down constantly. She also rolls and tumbles while she's sleeping. She seems so irritable and agitated. I'm glad to hear this from other mothers. I'm going to stop it to see what happens. The only bad thing is that it has actually helped her allergies and congestion. | F | 32 | 2 months | 6/13/2005 | 3 | allergies | although it did help my daughter's allergy symptoms, it was not worth the emotional side effects she seemed to experience -- sadness, irritability, fatigue, depressed. I took her off Zyrtec, and she is back to her happy, normal self. | F | 5 | 2 months | 1/12/2005 | 2 | severe allergies/sinuses | Totally lethargic - I could not get through the day without having to take a two hour nap; decreased sex drive; increased irritability | Not worth all the added side effects- I'll stick with Claritin | F | 24 | 2 months | 3/16/2007 | 2 | Allergies | I have gained 20 lbs in one month, am tired all the time, my hips, knees, ankles hurt, along with my lower back, my periods keep coming earlier and earlier and I am having leg and foot cramps. I went to an internist who thought I might have rheumatoid arthritis but that test was negative. He referred me to a sleep specialist for possible sleep apnea. My regular dr. ran tests for lupus, lyme disease, ms, diabetes etc and no one can figure out what is wrong. After reading this site I am going off zyrtec and see if my symptoms get better. | F | 44 | 2 months | 7/27/2006 | 2 | dust, mold, pollen allergies | loss of smell mixed with everything smelling like peanutbutter - - uncontrollable appetite and weight gain - - depression | F | 53 | 2 months | 10/28/2005 | 2 | seasonal allergies | extreme exhaustion, headaches, body aches, flu like symptoms. Urinary tract infection | This medication worked great for me for the first 5 weeks. Weeks 5-8 were absolutely horrific. I thought had a horrible case of the flu. My body hurt so badly I could barely lift my arms. I could barely work all day (sitting at a desk) and have to come home and sleep for 2-3 hours just to make it to 10pm. The light bulb went came on for me when I read that a side effect is the urinary tract infection. I had an infection 3 weeks ago and had not ever had one prior in my life (39 yrs). It was such a gradual change for me that I had no idea that it was the zyrtec making me feel this way, just thought it was the allergies... 2 days off and I feel amazing again... allergies and all... I'd rather deal with allergies than feeling that way ever again. | F | 39 | 2 months 1X D | 5/7/2010 | 2 | dizziness, restlessness, lethargy, drowsiness | Zyrtec worked great at solving my allergies issues (including stuffy/itchy nose and dry eyes) however, the side effects have not been as kind. In the past two months, I've taken the pill two or three times a week right before I go to bed. While I sleep through the night, the next day I always feel dizzy and restless, as well as can barely keep my eyes open. This only happens after taking the medicine (otherwise I'm fine). the final straw with the meds, was my inability to keep my eyes open while on the road. Having an hour and a half commute home, I found it extremely hard to stay awake. This was scary because I have never had this issue before. I don't know if I would recommend this to anyone. | M | 23 | 2 months 1X D | 5/27/2010 | 2 | Seasonal Allergies | My 4 yr old experienced severe depression (as I call it considering she is 4). She withdrew from her favorite activities, like singing and dancing, stopped eating her favorite foods, would constantly say she felt like crying or she was sad. Did not want to go to school, would wake up ALL night long with nightmares, said her sheets were bumpy, it was crazy and my family was going crazy. She was extremely clingy and weepy, she also would have outbursts of crying or whining for no apparent reason. Took her off the zyrtec and within two weeks, I had my joyful, loving, playful, full of life daughter back. | Never taking zyrtec again, especially for extended periods of time for children....NEVER! | F | 4.5 | 2 months 5 - 7.5mg 1X D | 6/15/2010 History | 2 | allergies | low-libido, mood swings, irritability, depression, extreme exhaustion, migraines/headaches, weight gain | I am so glad it is not just me! I didn't take it last night for the first time in weeks and I woke up like I used to today. 5 am, HAPPY and ready for the day! I started taking Zyrtec OTC again last spring upon recommendation of my allergist. I took this medication ~10 years ago also. This time around- the first few weeks were ok, it really helped my increasing allergies to things including photo-sensitivity hives. However, I put on 8 pounds in the first 4 weeks and another 3 in the last 2 weeks. I started getting migraines and frequent headaches always at 530 pm (I take it at 10pm) I could never get enough sleep. I never felt awake and the past 3 weeks my libido went to the crapper. In the last week I started these mood swings, I felt like the world was against me, I yelled at strangers if the spoke rudely to me, I have been crying at the drop of a hat. Looking back to my experience from 10 years ago, I was 19ish and I chalked my migraines, sudden weight gain, crying and everything | F | 29 | 2 months | 6/13/2008 | 1 | Hayfever | My partner has been taking Zyrtec for 2 months over summer for the last 3 years to treat hayfever and allergies. I have noticed every summer a slow but steady change in his disposition - including aggression, irritability, unusual thoughts and nightmarish, vivid dreams, fatigue, mood swings, bloating, low libido and not being in the present..not happy or unhappy. | For the last 2 monthe I have been wondering where my usually happy and loving partner has gone. I would not recommend this drug to any-one and will be encouraging more natural remedies next summer. | M | 36 | 2 months | 1/28/2009 | 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 | Severe mood swings, sadness, anger, rage. | My 9 year old son has very bad seasonal allergies. I have tried everything from Singulair to Benadryl to this medicine. My son is one of the happiest children I have ever met...all of that changed when he began using this. At first it was subtle, but now it is full blown. He is so manic that it actually frightens me. He is very aggressive and violent. He will also cry for no reason. Then apologize for his behavior...and 2 minutes later start all over again. I really think the Zyrtec is causing this because the same thing happened on Singulair. He has stopped taking this and I will see if there is any improvment. | M | 9 | 2 months | 5/28/2009 | 1 | congestion | My daughter,2, started taking the target brand and every day, all day was a fight and tantrum. She started banging her head HARD. She also stopped eating which I thought the tantrums were coming from.I had forgot to give her her med. and I noticed the tantrums stopped, her behavior returned to normal, and she stopped banging her head. Its like night and day.I wouldn't recommend this for any child. Especially if you as a parent don't want to jump off a cliff! | NEED TO POST SIDE EFFECTS!!! | F | 2 | 2 months 2.5 ml 1X D | 6/28/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | My son committed suicide because of this drug. He was 18 years old with seasonal allergies. He had tried Clariton before but didn't work too well. Heard about Zyrtec and decided to try it. Was on it for two months then committed suicide. We found out he had been depressed,became withdrawn, hearing voices, not sleeping well. Never took anything else, never had any problems mentally before. Was a straight A student, happy, had everything going for him. The only thing different in his life was taking the Zyrtec. I attribute Zyrtec to his suicide! Especially after reading all the negative comments from everyone else. | F | 53 | 2 months 10 mg 1X D | 5/27/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | shortened sleep cycles, lethargy, irritability, insomnia, disorientation, rapid/irregular heart beat | Like many others, seasonal allergies that have never been a real issue before are knocking me out this year. Zyrtec was great for the first couple weeks, then started losing it's effectiveness at night. I will be symptom free for an hour, then suffer allergies for an hour. I skate in and out of sleep, confused and disoriented, and in the morning I never feel like I've gotten any rest. Go through the day like a cranky robot. Now that I know other people are having these problems I am pitching this stuff and making an appointment with an allergist first thing on Monday. | F | 30 | 2 months 120 1X D | 4/18/2010 | 1 | Allergies | Nausea, increased anxiety, severe fatigue, insomnia, extremely painful itching all over body, watery eyes, stomach upset, extreme skin sensitivity and weight gain. | HORRIBLE I could not stand these symptoms!! DO NOT USE ZYRTEC! | F | 19 | 2 months ? 1X D | 9/14/2011 | 1 | Vertigo related to allergies | Weight gain, fatigue | Discontinuing it effective today--despite what my ear/nose/throat doc might say. | F | 38 | 2 months 1X D | 2/7/2011 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | My two year old son, who has always been sweet, loving and agreeable started taking Zyrtec for seasonal allergies and his entire mood, demeanor and attitude completely changed. He started acting like a different child. He became angry, violent, didn't want to eat, irritable, weepy and clingy. He would wake up screaming NO at night, when he never had sleeping issues before. He would smash his head on things, hit himself, pull out his hair and crush food and throw it everywhere when he was frustrated, sad or scared. The only thing we can attribute these changes to is the Zyrtec. All these symptoms started when he started the medicine. I have stopped giving it to him after reading this website because I now know I am not crazy! Thank you for posting this information so parents like me are more informed about what their child is really getting. I am disgusted that these possible side effects are not disclosed in the packaging!!!!!!!!! | It is HORRIBLE and I will NEVER give it to my child again!!!!!!!!! | M | 2 | 2 months 10 MG 1X D | 8/30/2010 | 1 | Allergies | Drowsy all day long, Lethargic, Headaches, sick, depressed, shaky at times, irregular heartbeat, | I could not figure out why i was feeling so tired and completely exhausted all day long. I was talking Zyrtec at night but in the morning it was impossible to wake up. Then all day long I would feel tired and depressed. After reading this website I immediatley stopped taking zyrtec. However since i was talking it for two months it felt like my body was going through withdrawl from it. I would feel sick and at night could not sleep at all. This drug is the most HORRIBLE drug on the market and I would not reccommend this product to my own worst enemy. This product can completely ruin your body mentally, physically, and emotionaly. I would rather suffer from allergies all day long. I give it 100 thumbs down | M | 24 | 2 months | 10/27/2006 | 1 | Hives (urticaria) | Dizziness, full feeling in head, feeling of muzziness and dislocation | No effect whatsoever in reducing the incidence or severity of hives | M | 56 | 2 months | 9/26/2005 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | Tired, lack of energy, weight gain, exhaustion, spacey, jello brain, can't focus, irritable, no motivation, muscle weakness, muscle aches, headaches, nightmare | F | 27 | 2 months 1xD night | 5/24/2013 | 1 | Allergies, post nasal drip, earache | zombie-like state, severe feeling of disconnect, inability to concentrate, poor motor skills, confusion, feeling of being in "slow motion", no modivation.... | I felt as if my brains were scambled eggs, I was slow in talking, moving and understanding others. Trouble with my reflexes. I forgot what correct word to use. I wasnt sleepy..just out of it..I really thought I was getting Alzheimer's disease I stopped taking it and my whole world improved and went back to normal. Scared the heck out of me. | F | 68 | 2 months 1X D | 2/28/2013 | 1 | allergies | The problem starts when you stop taking it. I get very itchy, recently I even got hives and I'm wondering if it's also a side effect from stopping Zyrtec. It goes away when I take another dose. Zyrtec helps w. my asthma & allergies but this uncontrollable itching is enough to drive someone mad! It's insane. I will try to wean myself off slowly. I was able to last year but then went back to using Zyrtec because it's the only thing that works. I will work on weaning off again slowly. I'm taking the liquid version now so I can easily control the dose. | Please contact if you have any other tips of getting off this drug! Every single person I know seems to have this effect as well and no one is willing to stop it. Even my friends' kids are on it! Awful. | F | 30 | 2 months 10mg 1X D | 7/6/2012 | 1 | Allergies | It works but the side effect that never goes away for me is the fatigue. I've tried taking it at night. I still cant get the sleepiness to go away. I feel drugged.... | F | 41 | 2 months 10 MG 1X D | 5/31/2012 | 1 | Allergies | At first, extreme increase in hunger; could only think about food! Later, abject depression, total loss of self-worth, crying spells, loss of motivation. When I stopped taking it, I developed a hypersensitivity to any antihistamine that caused extreme anxiety. | This drug literally ruined, and is still ruining, months of my life. I am now on Clonazepam and Abilify and still severely depressed; I can't seem to enjoy any of the things I used to and all I want to do is lie in bed. My sense of self-worth is still gone and everything seems hopeless. I used to be a very cheerful, positive, roll-with-the-punches sort of person, and now she has been replaced by a humorless wreck. I'm amazed that an antihistamine could do this, and that given the number of similar stories here, that the drug company denies that it could cause these problems. Obviously, it does, and more warning should be given to patients about the potential disaster this drug can make of your life. I so wish I could go back in time and never put this horrible substance into my system. | F | 29 | 2 months | 12/20/2006 | 1 | allergies, sinusitis | I have been on Zyrtec for 2 months. The past 3 weeks I have been put on medical leave from work due to fatigue, inability to concentrate, dizziness, and nausea. I have spend hundreds of dollars on tests and Dr. visits b/c my doctor thought I had a serious problem. So far all tests are normal which made me feel like I was "going crazy". Then I found this site, and am quitting Zyrtec immediately. There is no doubt in my mind that it is the reason I have missed the past month of my life. | DO NOT TAKE...I work in the healthcare field and actually thought I had suddenly developed depression and anxiety over night. Has anyone else felt very nervous on this medication??? I would love to hear other responses. | F | 24 | 2 months | 1/14/2007 | 1 | allergy dog/cat | vomiting right after and screaming fits. Notice a runny nose. | can't believe all the comments I feel the same way, noticed my daughter was not the same screaming banging her head staring off into space. When stop using ZYRTEC she will scratch til she is covered in blood. Tonight I looked up side affects after I looked at my shoulder her face and her PJ's,'s, all covered in blood. After reading I am feel awful, and can't believe this. At night she will lie in bed and whimper and whine all night long. | F | 1 | 2 months | 10/9/2007 | 1 | Allergies, facial hives | Increased appetite and weight gain | I started Zyrtec because I was getting hives, a new occurrence for me. At first I was very happy; I have no noticeable behavioral side effects - no fatigue, dry mouth, or any of the effects listed on the prescription bottle or here on this forum - my goodness, this sounds like a bad drug for some people! It is the only drug that has helped with my hives; Allegra-D gave me headaches, and OTC medicines didn't work. However, I have been eating like a horse, and have gained 5-7 lbs. in about a month. I missed my dose one day and did not have any adverse effects; I'm going to try going off Zyrtec and see if my hives stay away and if I can drop the weight. | F | 34 | 2 months | 4/13/2005 | 1 | seasonal / pet allergies | Dizzeyness, Confusion, Out of it feeling. SCARY irregular hartbeats, laziness, cough, | I was given the perscription about 2 months ago for trial because of severy allergies at the start of pollen season. It worked great at first and still does. I just started to notice Im not myself all the time. I turned into evil kenivel on the highway and no logical sense while doing it. I go through mood swings that dip real low to the point of why not just end it now. I have never been or have i ever experienced such crazy thoughts. I keep gaining weight although I have no appetite. I don't even eat that much yet can't loose a pound. 175lbs. for reference. Was usually 165-170. The past couple days I took myself of cause I just figured I was falling apart cause of zyrtec. Anything that makes your heart feel anyother way than normal is no good. DO NOT TAKE IT! | M | 30 | 2 months | 5/6/2005 | 1 | hives | sleepiness,fatigue,dull,chestpain | M | 28 | 2 months | 6/2/2004 | 1 | sinus drainage | burning and dry eyes, headach, fatigued and anxious, body felt heavy, depression, wanted to sleep more than usual, people noticed a change in my attitude and disposition | I thought something else was wrong with me until I read this link and realized my symptoms were validated by others taking this drug. I stopped taking Zyrtec 4 days ago and I'm experiencing withdrawal symptons of itchy skin mostly on the back of my neck and arms. Side effects of taking this drug are just not worth it. | F | 45 | 2 months | 8/7/2008 | 1 | Seasonal Allegies | nosebleeds at night, numbness in limbs, substantial hair loss. | My whole life I have always had thick, healthy hair...that was until I went on Zyrtec. Overnight, I started loosing entire fistfulls of hair. It was falling out of my scalp and also bleeding at night. My limbs were constantly falling "asleep" or going numb as well, and this was especially while I was asleep at night. Sometimes, it would worsen to the point of pain and would wake me from sleeping at night. I was terrified that something was really wrong with me. I gained weight as well, but it was the hair loss and numbness that caused me to panic about my health. My advise would be to avoid this medication all together and to seek a less evasive medication. Allegra D has worked almost as well for me without any of the horrific side effects. It is beyond me how it is that Zyrtec is still on the market. It was a horrible and scary experience!!! | F | 26 | 2 months | 7/9/2007 | 1 | Yes | Nightmares every night, I couldn't wake up and/or get out of my dream, weight gain, 15lbs, feeling swollen and bloated. I never have had had any weight on my stomach and my belly became fat with rolls over 2 months; tired constantly, and again, could not get up from my sleep. | Zyrtec did treat my allergies. I was able to hold my dog and sleep with him for the first time in 10 years. However, I would rather find another drug b/c Zyrtec was causing me to become mentally disturbed from my dreams, crying and not wanting to go to sleep b/c I was scared to. Now I am off Zyrtec, its been a week. Allergies are back, nightmares and belly, body swolleness is gone. For now I'll settle with Claritin, Sudafed, Nasonex, Astelin, and an herbal animal antigen. | F | 32 | 2 months | 5/10/2007 | 1 | Eczema, Asthma | Mood swings, temper tantrums, violent outbursts, crying about little things, irritable. | My son has suffered from eczema and asthma since he was born. He has been diagnosed and misdiagnosed many times. He was prescribed many different things from steroid creams to antihistamines of all sorts. Nothing has worked in the medical world, but zyrtec was the biggest mistake of all. My sweet little boy turns into a demon in front of my eyes and at a drop of a hat. All children have there bad days but let me tell you that this poison makes our kids into different children. My heart breaks that I had no warning from his doctor or on the label. Its not fair that these poor babies suffer not only with the aliment they are cursed with, but with extra symptoms caused by something meant to help them. They are little people with no voice. These drug companies should be ashamed!! Parents if you are here its to late you have given your kid this drug. Please stop ASAP! | M | 3 | 2 months | 7/11/2007 | 1 | seasonal allergies | Overly tired, WEIGHT GAIN, joint aches, I have become very spacey at normal everyday tasks! I am Extremely tired and I thought that most of these symptoms were caused by just a lack of sleep! Well after reading this site I was totally wrong!!!! I'm so glad to hear that other everyday people have similar problems! I have also had a lack of sex drive as well as extreme moodiness! I almost thought that I was pregnant! Thank goodness that I'm not because lord knows what that would have done to a fetus! But my only question is how long has it taken for these symptoms to go away!!!! | The whole thing has scared me really! I thought that I was losing my mind! Literally!!! I just kept thinking just get caught up on your sleep and you'll be back to your normal self but that's never happened! I took Zyrtec today and let me tell you that it will be my last because it has affected me so much that I am about to lose my job!!!!!!! | F | 21 | 2 months | 7/30/2007 | 1 | Allergies | Emotional, irratability, temper tantrums, agressive behavior, edgey, | My 5 year old son has been on zyrtec of and on for 2 years. He recently had his dose increased to 10cc from 5cc. He has been irrated, emotional, and agressive since we increased his dose two months ago. I have gotten calls from preschool, family members, and friends about his change in attitude. I was really concerned something happened to him. Something did happen...zyrtec. I am taking him off immediately. I have spent too many sleepless nights, and punished him too much for something that a doctor should have told us. | M | 5 | 2 months | 5/16/2007 | 1 | Worse allergy season than usual | I went to my allergist to get a script for something other than my shots as allergy season was worse in my area than past years. I noticed a big difference within a few days, that I could breathe better, but then I realized that I couldn't eat without constantly feeling like I was either going to throw up or pass out. I stopped using it after I started getting extremely upset and annoyed over the littlest things, and not being able to sleep fully at night. I felt disorientated if I wasn't sitting 100% still. | In my 21 years of taking medicine, I've never taken anything that has made me feel the way I did when I took this, that made me feel scared, or whether or not I could make it through the day. I'll deal with having to blow my nose more often than not. | M | 21 | 2 months | 10/28/2007 | 1 | allergies dizziness | Exhaustion, hair loss, and most importantly WEIGHT GAIN!!! | I started taking this along with cymbalta (for neuropathy pain) and I IMMEDIATELY GAINED 8 lbs within 1month. I quit the Cymbalta a week ago thinking that this was the problem, but I'm still feeling the same in fact I'm absolutely exhausted and hungry still. I missed work yesterday because I was so tired. I absolutely have to peel myself out of bed in the morning even after 8+hrs. I haven't changed anything in my diet accept the drugs. I will post back in a couple weeks to see if I get more energy and loose weight. needless to say I'm stopping this drug today after reading the comments on here. I asked my Doc and she said absolutely NO Zyrtec wouldn't have this effect! Don't believe it!!!!! | F | 2 months | 11/16/2007 | 1 | Allergies | Severe mood swings, uncontrollable trantrums | My daughter was on the medication for 2 months before and in that time she went from a sweet happy chld to a monster. I was ready to take her to a psychologist or doctor to see what could be wrong and was looking up all kinds of disorders until we realized the behaviors conincided with taking Zyrtec. She was completely back to normal after being off the medication for a week. Be very careful before putting a child on this medication. | F | 37 | 2 months | 1/7/2009 | 1 | Allergies | My 4 year old daughter took Zyrtec for itching from allergies. It didn't take care of the itch, but worked to remove the red under her eyes. Her behavior changed drastically. She became defiant and rude (talking back). She also became overly emotional, crying and becoming angered easily. She really became another person while on the medication. | This is the second time I took her off -- the first time it was because I suspected it affected her behavior, but then her red circles came back so I tried it again. I just took her off last night and plan to call her allergist. She's just not her normal (sweet, confident, respectful) self when she's on the medication. We will NOT try this again. | F | 43 | 2 months | 11/28/2008 | 1 | allergies | Instant change of mood to TOTAL RAGE & ANGER, especially with conflict. | It is about 24-36 hrs after I stopped taking, am restless and cannot sleep. Had bad dreams when I could sleep. Same side effects (irritability, rage, restlessness, insomnia, and an extreme sense of urgency on insignificant things) I had from prescription drugs (Levaquin & others) for sinus infection. Heart hit harder (not severe), somewhat faster at times, but when I stopped taking it my heart felt like it wanted to jump through my throat. Did not put it all together until I finally reasoned through after it got repeatedly BITTER in my relationship due to my dramatic mood swings. Reasoning was easy, first I had to accept there was a problem. My girlfriend telling me I was irrational did not help but she was correct. It was tough to accept what was going on, I would just fly off the handle over nothing/everything. I seemed “fine” until the slightest insignificant conflict, such as not agreeing on dinner. I was not fine, I was a powder keg with a short f | M | 47 | 2 months | 4/23/2008 | 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 | 1 | Allergies | I have had crazy itching to the point of ripping my skin open, mainly on my belly and rear end. However my whole body itches. I have also had a bout of depression, to the point of crying. I felt like living wasn't worth it. Have headaches often. I stopped the medication last night and CAN NOT WAIT for it to leave my system. I want to be itch free!!!! | I'm sorry I ever took this medication, The makers of ZYRTEC should pull this drug off the market, its a shame they will allow people to go through these symptoms! | F | 35 | 1.5 months 10 mg 1X D | 10/20/2012 | 5 | Allergies and sinusitis | My daughter is taking it since a month ago and we have not noticed any wrong side effects, we are giving her the mexican equivalent (called Virlix). I am assuming that the problem of the side effects others are expiriencing could be residing in the formula of Zyrtec. She has been previously on Clarytin, Benadryl, etc. and none has helped her as this one... | Maybe if you could get the Mexican variation of the same drug you could give a try, there is no need a prescription to buy it there... best wishes to you all. | F | 3 | 1 months | 5/16/2006 | 5 | sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes... | I can tell I have been bloated. Increase in appetite. A "little" bit of anxiety. | It works so well against allergies. I am happy to put up with these minor side effects for the month of September when my allergies are terrible in Los Angeles. Weeds I guess? It literally knocks these allergies out and that is usually hard fight for me. I have been getting allergy shots (imunotherapy) every week for a year. It cleared all the other allergies throughout the year, but when September rolled around I was still bad. Not as bad as last year. With Zyrtec it was Zero. Nothing else works. | F | 38 | 1 months | 10/4/2008 | 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 | 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 | 4 | Allergies | None | I believe the sincerity of those posting here who've experienced problems with Zyrtec. However, Zyrtec works for many adults with no side effects and I would hate to see the drug denied them. My sister led me to Zyrtec after Claritin proved increasingly ineffective. Zyrtec has been wonderful. | M | 44 | 1 months | 4/2/2009 | 4 | seasonal allergies | I have been taking zyrtec d for a month. Ive developed a cough, gained 5 pounds, noticed swelling of feet and hands. The meds. Make me feel great during the day, but I cant handle the side effects. So glad I found this forum. | F | 31 | 1 months | 3/29/2012 | 4 | Allergy induced asthma | I am pregnant so it is hard to know, I have been tired but it could just be pregnancy. | I had a cold in June that I could not get over. I had an extreme cough that kept me up all night. Around this time I also became pregnant. Doc. gave me prednisone 1wk and I felt better and also an albuterol inhaler telling me I suddenly had asthma. I was okay for a month but the cough never really left. I still coughed a lot during the day and often needed albuterol before bed (although it made me jittery). I started needing the inhaler 3 times a day. He prescribed prednisone for 1wk and daily use of Flovent Diskus. I was feeling pretty good and did not need albuterol. After 2wk sample ran out I went to pharmacy and found it was $96/mo. after insurance. I looked up alternatives and found it was category C risk during pregnancy (more experimental than most drugs). Went to my OBGYN and he suggested Zyrtec (only cat. B). I have been on it almost a month and have only used my albuterol once (when I had taken my dose late). I do get a little congestion in the morning which is normal for me and common for pregnant women. I have a productive cough and it is gone before I'm up and about for the day. I am sleeping much better at night and am overall much better off, although Flovent worked too, I feel better about the lower risk. | F | 28 | 1 months 10mgy 1X D | 10/19/2010 | 4 | Allergies | Tiredness, sometimes dries me up too much. | This works very well, but sometimes over dries my nose, so I stop it for a day or two. Makes me rather sleepy, so I take it at bedtime and sleep like a baby. | M | 53 | 1 months 10 mg 1X D | 12/7/2010 | 3 | spring allergies | Take pill at night before bed. Does not make drowsy, but I do sleep longer once I go to bed. Sometimes I'm tired in mornings. Helps alleviate some symptoms. No other effects | F | 21 | 1 months 1X D | 4/30/2010 | 3 | allergies, asthma | Severe tiredness...falling asleep at work at my desk, unable to concentrate, making tons of mistakes and errors at work, forgetful, generally confused, weight gain, stuffy nose, dried blood coming out of my nose. | I was so tired and didn't put 2 & 2 together until I read comments on this website. I slept from 4:30 pm until 9:00 am the next morning without waking up... called in sick to work... too tired to make it in... too tired to exercise. | M | 48 | 1 months | 5/10/2006 | 3 | seasonal allergies | I take 1/2 a pill before bedtime. It makes me so sleepy that I sleep all night and take long naps in the daytime. In between sleep, I lay on the couch tired and foggy. I am crabby, short tempered and impatient I am usually a pretty nice, and easy going on my husband and kids! I have an appetite that is out of control. I am eating constantly. I feel hungry all the time. I have gained 5 pounds. I have no sex drive, which has upset my husband greatly! On a lighter note, it knocks out the allergies.....but at a high price! | I gave it a 3 rating, because it actually works. It knocks out allergies. I am sure that there are people out there that do not experience the side affects. I would recommend trying this medicine, it is worth seeing if you can use it since it works so well. I stopped taking it as of last night, and am alert and awake today for the first time in a month!!! My allergies are not acting up, but they will eventually. I will be going back to the doc to get something different to try. In the meantime, I have OTC medications that sort of work and don't have the bad side affects. | F | 43 | 1 months | 5/1/2006 | 3 | allergies | lethargic | F | 50 | 1 months | 2/20/2009 | 3 | Seasonal Allergies | Been experiencing major fatigue, lethargy, depression, major weight gain, mood swings. | I took it for one week straight, then stopped for one day. That one day was terrible, have very sharp back pains and knee pains, migraines, terrible weakness. While on it, I have terrible thoughts, increase of sexual desire, urge to hurt someone. Will definately stop taking it. Do not give to kids/teens. | M | 14 | 1 months | 8/6/2008 | 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 |