Drug Ratings for ZYRTECAverage Rating: 2.1 (1497 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 | my 4 year old daughter has been taking zyrtec for 3 weeks now and I have noticed that in that time her stuttering has gotten noticeably worse. She has also been complaining of frequent stomach aches and headaches. My daughter's preschool teacher said that her son who is 11 also had similar side effects. We have stopped this medicine and we will treat her allergies holistically as long as we can. | the medication is working great on her allergies, but the side affects fall short of my satisfaction. This medication should not be OTC in my opinion. | F | 46 | 3 weeks | 5/16/2009 | 3 | Seasonal allergies | Fatigue, lethargy, increased hunger, weight gain, feelings of nausea several hours after taking it, irregular sleep. | While Zyrtec does a great job controlling my seasonal allergies it comes at a high price. I find it hard to believe that only 2% of Zyrtec users are affected by weight gain. Seems like a tons of complaints about it. I've always been a 3 meals a day person but since I started taking this I'm hungry all the time and my stomach is growling between meals. I take it around 8:00 at night so that I can sleep off the drowsy side affects, but they still linger through the next day. I've also encountered some waves of nausea 7-8 hours after taking it (and yes I take it with food). Adding Zyrtec is the only change I've made to my routine so I can't attribute these problems to anything else. | F | 44 | 3 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 5/9/2013 | 2 | Allergies | I lost my sense of smell and taste. | Works on the allergies, but I can't smell or taste anything anymore. | F | 40 | 3 weeks | 7/6/2009 | 2 | Grass, food and dust Allergies | My 8 month old son has been taking Zyrtec for about 3 weeks now as he was diaganosed with several food allergies as well as grass and dust. This was about the time he quit sleeping through the night. He has been waking up screaming, as if having a bad dream. This happens about 5 times a night. His cough, runny nose and sneezing have not gone away. After reading comments on this site, we are taking him off of it immediately. I'm convinced he will go back to sleeping better off of the drug. | M | 3 weeks | 6/20/2007 | 2 | seasonal alergies | sudden weight gain, sore breasts, fatigue | I took this medication a few years ago when I was having bad allergies during pregnancy and loved it then - it definitely got rid of my allergy symptoms. And when I saw that I could buy it OTC I was really happy and ran out and got some when my seasonal allergies kicked in. In the past couple of weeks I have gained 5-10 lbs, despite the fact that I am now exercising regularly and more than I have since my first child was born almost 7 years ago. I realize now that I didn't notice the weight gain the first time because I was pregnant and gaining weight anyway! I have been so frustrated with the weight gain because this is not usually a problem for me and now I find myself thinking about eating all of the time and it feels like a vicious cycle - after reading all of these comments I feel a lot better and am going to stop taking the zyrtec and look for something else. I hope it comes off as fast as it piled on... | F | 42 | 3 weeks | 3/17/2008 | 2 | pet & mold allergies | Unexplained weight gain (4 pounds in 2.5 weeks) - no change in my diet or exercise, constant sugar/carb cravings, irritability, depression, extreme drowsiness in the mornings even though I take it about 7pm. Has also completely thrown off my fertility signs (I practice natural family planning and need to track temperature and cervical fluid). | Helped a great deal with my allergy symptoms, but not worth the side effects for me. | F | 26 | 3 weeks | 8/5/2005 | 2 | hives | My 9-year-old daughter, who is normally the life of the party, now seems depressed. She's definitely not herself. She says she just doesn't feel right, her throat feels weird, as does her stomach. But the depression is what made me go on the computer tonight to find out more about this medication. She's been on it for 3 to 4 weeks for hives. I think she would rather have hives than feel so sad and insecure. | F | 9 | 3 weeks | 8/25/2004 | 2 | Seasonal allergies | Tired, decreased energy. | F | 15 | 3 weeks | 6/5/2012 | 1 | Allergies | When our daughter was around 2 years old, the doctor thought she was having allergies and told us to use children's liquid Zyrtec. She has always been a very laid back, easy going child, but she started having meltdowns at the smallest things, unable to sleep through the night (she would make this odd wailing sound off and on through the night), and was just overall EXTREMELY irritable. In short, she was the total opposite of herself - it turned her into a bit of demon child. At first we chalked it up to beginning the "Terrible 2's", but after a few weeks it finally hit me that it all started about the time she was put on Zyrtec. I Googled it and found similar stories in several places, so immediately stopped giving it to her. The difference was immediate - she slept through the night the very first night after we stopped, and within 48 hours her normal disposition had completely returned. | My guess is that majority of the population is not affected by Zyrtec, but for the people who are, it can totally change who you are as a person. Take careful note of your disposition (or your kids' disposition) after you start this drug. | F | 2 | 3 weeks 1X D | 2/14/2012 | 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 | Seasonal allergies | Anger, fatigue, emotional outbursts including crying and yelling, clothes and hair bothering her, stomachache. My daughter has taken Zyrtec (generic) as needed for a couple of years. This time around, she had been on it for about a wk or so but still complained about her allergies. We also noticed her fatigue and thought that she might have a virus but we kept her on the drug. I even slightly increased the dosage this wk (per her doctor's orders) and split it so she took some in the AM and some in the PM but she still was complaining about not feeling well. This wk she has been very emotional over minor things and started to complain about her stomach hurting. Then, she said, "I am mad but don't know why." Later, she said she went to her room and felt like throwing all of her stuffed animals off of her bed, but didn't have any explanation as to why she would want to do so... | She is normally a very laid back and go-with-the-flow type of child so this was concerning. She even said that her heart was beating very fast. I quickly took her off Zyrtec & called her doctor, who simply suggested a different drug because of the fatigue & didn't acknowledge the behavior issues. Last night, after being off of Zyrtec for almost 24 hrs, she said she didn't feel well & she didn't know why, thought her heart was racing & asked if she could go to the doctor in the AM. That was it. We immediately went to the ER of the local children's hospital where she had an EKG that was normal. The doctor there said he sees this problem all the time with antihistamines in children. He stated that some children just go off the wall crazy with them & that it would take a few days for her to return to normal & that if she wasn't better by then to see her dr. That night was horrible & it was almost midnight before she could calm down enough to sleep. Her clothes were bothering her & she was worried about everything. Tonight will be 48 hours w/no meds & she seems to be doing better today w/only one small crying incident about her hair, one time where she said her pants made her feel bad (angry) & one time she said she was mad at her sister & blamed the meds. (LOL) I just want my girl back. I hope this helps someone else. | F | 7 | 3 weeks 1X D | 5/12/2012 | 1 | seasonal allergies | This is actually a rating for my 2 year old daughter's experience. Her doctor recommend OTC childrens zyrtec for slight seasonal allergies. We thought she had suddenly and aggressively started with the terrible two's. She was having constant meltdowns over the tiniest things, hitting constantly, and just being downright malicious. Finally I happened to mention to my sister that my child was on Zyrtec and she told me to take her off it. Turns out my sister gets the same side effects on this drug and since then I have met many people who say that they have had the same experience. My daughter reverted back to her happy-go-lucky, joy to be around self in a matter of a few days. She will NEVER take this medication again. | I have started to notice some of these side affects in myself when i started to take Zyrtec this year. I am switching to claritin or allegra. | F | 2 | 3 weeks 1 pill 1X D | 4/26/2013 | 1 | allergies | numbness, drowsiness, anger and irritability, itchiness | Sometimes zyrtec would relieve my allergy symptoms, other times it would not. I do not know if some of my side effects symptoms are due to my being miserable because of allergies, from not sleeping well, or the drug, but I DEFINITELY DO NOT want to take this drug ever again. My hands and lips feel numb and my face is itchy. I cannot concentrate or function normally because I am so drowsy and out of it. I have definite mood swings which is not like me, and I often feel angry for no apparent reason. This drug is shit. | F | 23 | 3 weeks | 9/7/2005 | 1 | Allergies | Gave to my 3-year-old son for constant cough from allergies. Worked on cough, but turned him into a monster! He would cry and throw huge temper tantrums over the slightest upset. He has been angry and aggressive- attacking his 4-year-old sister when he gets mad. He is normally a sweet child with normal behavior. I could not even recognize the monster child he had become!! He also has had nightmares that have caused him to cry out during sleep. | It took a few weeks to realize the medication is what caused this change. We had given it to him intermittently, so it was not as obvious. His sitter and I were tallking about his behavior and when it started- and together had the "aha!" moment. He will not be taking this anymore! | F | 43 | 3 weeks 2.5ml 1X D | 1/5/2011 | 1 | Allergies & Allergy Induced Asthma | My 6 year old was switched from Singular to Zyrtec when he was having too many problems with his Allergy Induced Asthma. Soon after we noticed a handful of changes in him. First we noticed that he was starving all the time, then he started to be moody all the time as well, throwing fits, being mean, rude, yelling, etc. We are taking him off of it as of today to see if my happy, polite, well behaved 6 year old comes back. That was the only thing that changed 3 weeks ago and I cant imagine there being any other cause. | M | 6 | 3 weeks 5 mg 1X D | 10/5/2010 | 1 | asthma, wheezing, hives | My 2 y/o son is taking Zyrtec at advice of allergist. We tried Singular, but he had anger side effects with that medication. Since starting Zyrtec, my son has gone from sweet boy to anger-man. He hits himself, he throws things, he constantly says, "I can't, I can't!" He woke up last night screaming in fright (hasn't done that in over a year). He's just so negative. After reading comments here, I'm taking him off. | As an aside, I had chronic idiopathic urticaria when I was younger (still comes back every now and then). To keep it under control, I took a combo of Tagamet (yes, the stomach acid medicine) and Claritin. My doctor said there is a secondary ingredient in Tagamet that works like Benadryl, but without the sleepy side effects. It might be worth discussing with your doctor if you are trying to find a non-itch solution. | M | 2 | 3 weeks 5 mg 1X D | 10/19/2010 | 1 | allergies | Severe rage, insomnia | 4 yr old DD would have bouts of SEVERE RAGE, couldn't sleep - not worth it... it only slightly helped her allergies | F | 4 | 3 weeks 1X D | 3/15/2011 | 1 | Allergies | Intense depression, Inability to get to sleep, Inability to stay asleep, Nightmares when finally asleep! Insatiable hunger, Unexplainable anger, Consistent exhaustion! | I've only taken it for two or three weeks but I'm quitting it today, I can not have these side effects any longer. | F | 19 | 3 weeks 10mg 1X D | 8/7/2010 | 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 D | 5/12/2010 | 1 | Allergies | Change in behavior of our 7 year old son. He also did not feel right on the medication. | Did not clear up the runny nose. It did lower occurrances of sneezing. | M | 7 | 3 weeks | 6/10/2001 | 1 | seasonal allergies | Our high energy 5.5 yrs old son became irritable, moody and clumsy. We are used to his high level of energy but his normal "ready to learn" behavior at pre-school radically changed 2 weeks after he started the medication. For the first time his teacher complaint about my son not listening, ignoring her and taking one bad choice after another. Behavior at home was not much better, since he's always been so active and he has a little brother, it took me a while to realize how out of control was his behavior. I can't believe our DR would prescribe this med without a warning. I am thankful for all the entries, it is important to share this kind of information. | M | 5 | 3 weeks 5ml 1X D | 2/10/2010 | 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 10 mg 1X D | 2/7/2010 | 1 | Allergies | Mood swings, change in mental state, irrational thinking, dream like states, severe stomach pain, insomnia, crying at the drop of a hat, loss of focus, depression, anger | Don't take this medication. Helps a little with the allergies but rather suffer with the allergies than take this drug again. | F | 19 | 3 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 4/15/2010 | 1 | allergies | itching all over my body, developed vaginitis | F | 57 | 3 weeks 30mg 1X D | 4/14/2010 | 1 | allergies, congestion | depression and extreme emotional sensitivity in my 8yr old son | he was back to normal when he stopped taking zyrtec | M | 8 | 3 weeks | 5/21/2003 | 1 | allergies - heyfever | My 4 1/2 yo son was put on Zyrtec to help control his hayfever. He experienced heightened behavioral problems at preschool - including intense hyperactivity, distractibility and inability to attend. He also experienced stomach problems and had diarrhea every day while on Zyrtec - at first we thought the diarrhea was directly related to an antibiotic he had been put on for 7 days but now we know he was cramping due to Zyrtec. | I might add that my son's doctor mistakingly put him on 10 mg instead of the 5 mg he should have been taking, for his age group. I am taking my son off Zyrtec - all together - and will see if that helps him get back to being "him" at school. If so, we might try a dosage of 5 mg at a later point in time. But after reading the comments here, I'm even skeptical about that level dosage in kids. Last night was his first night off of it and he woke up, mid night, with violent stomach pains, cramping and intense diarrhea. | M | 4 | 3 weeks | 10/4/2006 | 1 | Sneezing, swollen itchy eyes | My ped gave this to my 20 month old son for his allergies. He turned into a uncontrollable child. Screaming, having temper tantrums, kicking, hitting. I thought, Oh no terrible twos are going to be horrible. We took him off of it and he is back to a normal 2 year old. I do not recommend this at all. | F | 35 | 3 weeks | 5/19/2005 | 1 | Allergies | Iritable like no tomorrow. WOW for someone who was happy go lucky, I turned into a monster after 3 weeks on this medicine and to boot, I've still got the allergies. | F | 38 | 3 weeks | 5/3/2007 | 1 | Allergiesn and Sinus Problems | Utter exhaustion. Drugged feeling, always slightly dizzy. Feel disconnected from everything at times. Outbursts of anger.I first took this drug when i was 15, it worked well for awhile and i don't recall having fatigue as a side effect. I do recall a lot of anger and depression to the point where the doctor wanted to treat me for it but i didn't want to take any more pills. I thought i was depressed because of a broken ankle, not my allergy pills, maybe i was wrong. At one point after returning from a doctors visit finding my ankle was still getting worse i threw my crutch like a javilin at the wall in my house making a large hole. I never had those type of outbursts before Zyrtec. I got off zyrtec the following winter when i kept gettign sinus infections, my depression problems vanished and i was normal again. My ankle was healing and we attributed it to that. | Three weeks ago i had a bad sinus infection and i was leaving to Germany and the doctor gave me augmentin and i asked for a strong allergy medicine because my pollen and grass allergies can get bad in Bavaria. I recieved Zyrtec the first couple of days i felt fine. When i arrived in Germany (4 days after starting Zyrtec) i felt REALLY jet-lagged. It never got better. I can barely get up, i feel drugged and dizzy. I went to the net to research what was up and am thanking God i found this site. Last night will be the last dose i ever take! | M | 18 | 3 weeks | 6/14/2005 | 1 | 5-yr-old daughter has allergies | Mood swings, irritability, tearfulness, fatigue, sleepiness. | My 5-yr-old daughter has seasonal allergies and we tried OTC Zyrtec for the first time. It worked great on her allergy symptomms, however her behavior changed and I couldn't tell why until weeks later a friend of mine told me about her daughter's experience with Zyrtec. My normally happy and sociable daughter was cranky all the time, and would have meltdowns similar to those of a 2-year-old. She was crying non-stop on some days, and just seemed overall miserable and depressed. I have stopped giving her Zyrtec 2 days ago and am hoping to see improvement soon. I am glad I stumbled upon this website and read all the comments. I'm not alone!! | F | 5 | 3 weeks | 4/20/2008 | 1 | sinus infctns due 2 seasonal allerg | 6 year old daughter has been on Zyrtec off and on due to seasonal allergies since she was 2 1/2 or 3 years old. We recently started up again (been about 2-3 weeks now). She has been completely irrational and out of control emotionally. Extreme meltdowns at the least bit of disappointment. As many parents before me have mentioned, my child acted as if possessed. We too had started checking into psych coucil thinking that something had to be going on with her. She experienced extreme rage that was scary to us. If we would start to ask her to do something like put her bike away etc she would start screaming I know I know I am a bad girl and you hate me and on and on and on. There was no consoling her. She also developed what has appeared to be an involuntary tic with what started as rapid blinking of her eyes. Now she appears to be winking rotating from eye to eye. I just today found that numerous studies have shown that a rare side effect is orofacial dyskenesia which is invol | Has not adequately been proven safe for children. Parents do your research before adminstering to your kids!!!!!! Watch for involuntary facial movement. It is not fare that our children have had to endure disciplinary action due to side effects of a drug that I feel should not be prescribed to children. | F | 6 | 3 weeks | 4/10/2007 | 1 | mild allergies | hallucinations, trouble urinating, facial twitches, nightmares,insomnia,flushing,visual spotting,headaches,loss of appetite, staring in space,loss of reality,extreme fright,loss of social skills,not making sense when he talks, crying, negative behavior,psychotic | It has been four weeks since his last dose of Zyrtec and he is still not back. I am sick with worry and am afraid that this is permanent damage. He went from being a super star at preschool to jumping on tables and crying and screaming. He had a ct scan and eeg both were normal. Pediatric neurologist said that it was a toxic reaction to zyrtec and it would wear off. How long does it take to wear off? If anyone has any insight to calm down a distraught mother please e-mail me. I have been crying every day and I am so afraid he won't come back. | M | 5 | 3 weeks | 6/1/2007 | 1 | to stop my cough from a cold | I had a cold and the syptoms went away except for my cough so my doctor told me to take zyrtec. I could smell before I started taking it but after 3 weeks of taking it I had no sense of smell. | F | 58 | 3 weeks | 7/16/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | moodiness,aggressive behavior,sleeplessness,irratable, inability to concentrate,rash on the back of neck | My son has not been himself for three weeks, he has been so irritable, angry and aggressive. He has had difficulty sleeping and has had some very serious problems in school with friends and his schoolwork. I only wish I had thought about a possible connection with Zyrtec. Today is the first day I did not give him any and I am hopeful I will notice a difference soon, I will never give him Zyrtec again, I will look into alternatives. | M | 6 | 3 weeks | 6/5/2009 | 2 | Allergies | As others have listed, the first two days of using Zyrtec were "Very foggy"- My mind was in a complete haze. After day four came the aggressive behavior and mood swings. After a week came the depression. Zyrtec did work very well in stopping the allergy symptoms, however, the side effects frighten me. I chose to suffer the allergies. | M | 38 | 2.5 weeks | 4/17/2009 | 5 | for hives and allergies | none for myself and none for my son who is now 11 and has been on zyrtec on and off for allergies for a couple of years | F | 35 | 2 weeks | 5/3/2005 | 4 | seasonal allergies | drowsiness, moodiness - child cries MUCH more easily than when not taking zyrtec. | M | 7 | 2 weeks | 4/30/2006 | 3 | Allergies | dizziness; anxiety (after a few days on Zyrtec-D); numbness | I've had allergies since I was 10 years old. Most of the time I went without medication, but in recent years I've developed more serious problems (example: bronchitis) if I haven't addressed them with remedies early on in the season. Allegra put me to sleep, and Claritin was okay but didn't seem to get rid of all the symptoms. Zyrtec definitely cleared up the symptoms, but the cost of stress and anxiety that it produced were too much for me -- I'm back on Claritin and much happier. | M | 29 | 2 weeks | 4/19/2006 | 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 D | 8/9/2010 | 3 | Chronic year-round allergies | I used to alternate taking this drug with Claritin. For example, I'd take a Claritin one day and the next day a Zyrtec. Then I ran out of Claritin so I started taking Zyrtec daily. Zyrtec dried out my nose so much that it felt plugged up, which was only a minor side effect. However, it made me incredibly drowsy, and I would have to go lie down because I couldn't physically keep my eyes open. The worst side effect I experienced were very disturbing nightmares. I woke up multiple times in the night with these dreams that seemed so real and it was scary. It was not a pleasant experience. I also experienced a good bit of sneezing while taking this drug...so it wasn't that effective. | F | 22 | 2 weeks 10mg 1X D | 6/10/2010 | 3 | Allergies | I know a common side effect is drowsiness. However,I find that I am suffering from insomnia. I also have an increased appetite causing weight gain and have experienced problems with my cycle. | My doctor put me on this drug to control my allergies but told me to take as needed. It worked for me. But I think I will stop taking it and see what happens. I'm not comfortable with the side effects I am experiencing and the comments I have read about the problems associated with discontinuing use. | F | 40 | 2 weeks | 8/11/2005 | 3 | Hives | Ok I took the med in the eve because I felt tired all day after taking it. So in the eve after taking it I would fall right asleep and would either sleep for like 10-12 hours or feel tired all day after waking. It seemed to work for hives. But other side effects where strange dreams, tired, anxiety attacks. | Ok I took the med in the eve because I felt tired all day after taking it. So in the eve after taking it I would fall right asleep and would either sleep for like 10-12 hours or feel tired all day after waking. It seemed to work for hives. But other side effects where strange dreams, tired, anxiety attacks. | M | 28 | 2 weeks | 5/9/2007 | 2 | allergies/sinuses | very irritable, anxious, depressed, dry mouth(very thirsty) | my boyfriend who is 33 started taking zyrtec and within a week my very caring and understanding guy became very irritated with me and he was angry about everything. he finally told me one day that he thought something was wrong, that he felt depressed and very irritable with everything- work, his daughter, me. we suspected it might be the medicine because a guy at work told him that when he took zyrtec is made him mean. needless to say i read all the other comments on this site. he quit taking it yesterday. | M | 33 | 2 weeks | 7/27/2005 | 2 | ALLERGIES | Drowsiness, lack of concentration, irritability, severe dizziness to the point of almost passing out and weight gain. My face was swelling due to seasonal allergies and the doctor put me on Zyrtec and instructed that I take it at night. I do but am still somewhat drowsy and disoriented during the day. | It did help with the seasonal allergies, which was a first for me. I thought initially that I had a sinus infection but not so. I might take these occasionally but don't want to stay on them continuously. | F | 53 | 2 weeks | 1/10/2007 | 2 | eye allergies | I am so ridiculously happy that I found this forum. I have been hanging out with friends and should be having a blast considering the weekend but found myself not having fun as things progressed. I have had unexplained depression, definite anxiety, bizarre dreams, and mild panic attacks. I am certainly not feeling like myself at the moment. It's been bad enough that I've pondered asking for anti-anxiety drugs from my doctor. I started suspecting a problem with the medicine last night as I had a panic attack within 15 minutes of taking it. I'm not one to ever have a panic attack under any situation. Looking back, these problems started and have continued to get worse since being on the drug. | Other than the obvious problems which will keep me from ever taking the drug again, it did seem to help my eyes. | M | 34 | 2 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 3/21/2011 | 2 | Seasonal allergies/ Insect bites | Eczema, drowsiness, irritability | I began taking Zyrtec by the recommendation of my doctor, to help deal with itching from insect bites. I took it for about two weeks, and in that time, I became tired more quickly, and developed a very short temper. I also developed a very painful, scaly rash on my face. I spoke to my mother about it, and she said that when she tried taking Zyrtec, she experienced muscle spasms in her legs! That sounded a bit too scary to me, so I quit taking it right away. I've been off it for two days now, and the rash is almost cleared, and my mood and energy levels are back to normal. Even if it did stop the itching from the insect bites I don't ever plan on taking Zyrtec again! | F | 17 | 2 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 6/21/2011 | 2 | dander and seasonal allergies | It makes me lethargic and VERY moody/stressed. It also increases my appetite. When i take Zyrtec, I feel very disconnected and impatient. Very unlike my usual self! My daughter (age 5) takes it for cats, too, and is like a zombie all day. I don't like giving it to her unless absolutely necessary. | I will not take it anymore unless I am going to visit a house with cats. It works great for reducing my (very severe) asthma symptoms when exposed to animal dander (no other med. works for that at all). I keep it just for emergencies. | F | 34 | 2 weeks | 1/18/2006 | 2 | allergies | intense paranoia at night; hallucinations; drowsiness | I've only been taking this for two weeks, but it has helped the sneezing at night. However, for the last three days I've taken it, I wake up in the middle of the night feeling incredibly scared (which is unusual for me). It's freaking me out too much to continue, I think. | F | 31 | 2 weeks | 12/6/2006 | 2 | Allergic rhinitis | None | Basically did nothing for me, a lifelong allergy sufferer. Some of the other OTC and prescription medicines do a lot better for me. My current favorite is Singulair®. | M | 38 | 2 weeks | 4/7/2006 | 2 | Itching | Worst allergy med ever!! This made me feel crazy. I was soo easily irritated by anything. I was a crazy women. It also made me sleepy. My mood was constantly down and I'm usually an outgoing fun person. It took my itching away, but I rather itch then Be so nervous and die of a stroke. | Zyrtec withdrawls also stink from what i heard. | F | 26 | 2 weeks 5mg 1X D | 8/11/2012 | 2 | Seasonal Allergies | Extreme irritability, mood swings, depression | I began taking Zyrtec once we moved to North Carolina because my allergies were horrible in the Spring. My wife noticed an extreme change in mood and extreme irritability on my part. I noticed that I was more depressed. After her suggestion to quit the Zyrtec, I began feeling more like myself and my mood changed back to normal. I only took this for 2 weeks and could feel the mood shift pretty quickly. If you decide to try this medication, keep track of your feelings and moods! | M | 26 | 2 weeks 10 mg 1X D | 4/11/2012 | 2 | Year Round Allergies | I take zyrtec at night before going to bed. I find that I have problems waking up in the morning. It's as if I am in a drugged stupor. | I had been taking allegra-d but was told that I needed to switch up my allergy medicine so that my system did not get used to the medicine. I have been on allergy medicines since I was 20. | F | 53 | 2 weeks | 9/29/2008 | 2 | Allergies | Depression | I began noticing that I was unusually troubled about life's typical issues. I felt that nothing in my life was good and there was no hope for anything in my life. Everything was gloom and doom. I had been taking zyrtec for about two weeks so I decided to stop for a couple of days to see if it helped. It did! I am so glad to not feel that way anymore. It did help my allergies so it is unfortunate that I can't take it! | F | 36 | 2 weeks | 7/6/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergy | I Purchased OTC Zyrtec for my daughter as per her doctor, she took the Zyrtec for a little more than 2 weeks. The caughing and sneezing became worse with asthma like symptoms. She was having a reaction to the medicine. I took her off Zyrtec and within a day the asthma symptoms started to clear up. Her breathing became better and the caughing subsided. | If symptoms for taking Zyrtec do not get better in a few days, but seem to get worse, consult your doctor right away. My daughter was on the edge of having a severe asthma attack while on Zyrtec. | F | 15 | 2 weeks | 4/7/2009 | 1 | seasonal nasal allergies | Right sided cardiac failure and hypertension. I experience "cardiac asthma" ie.wheezing after exertion with difficult breathing | This should not be over the counter. Who knew, from the sweet little TV ads that this drug could have killed me. | F | 58 | 2 weeks | 4/19/2009 | 1 | "possible" allergies | nightmares, acting out, irritable, defiant | Zyrtec was prescribed to my 2 1/2 year old. Seemed to work great until she came very defiant, irritable, couldn't sleep. She cried a lot and became very aggressive. We attributed it to the "terrible twos" because she is such a sweet and loving child. I am so glad she hasn't been on it long and we were able to narrow it down to this medication. She is already totally different after just one day off! | F | 32 | 2 weeks | 5/13/2009 | 1 | Allergies | My 5 year old daughter was prescribed OTC liquid Zyrtec by her doctor after an allergic reaction to a cat. She took it for 2-3 weeks. She became extremely combative, aggressive, hitting, kicking, fighting, screaming, crying, throwing tantrums, etc. | Her behavior was so unusual and out of control, that I began thinking about what had changed during that period of time and remembered she had started taking Zyrtec. I stopped the Zyrtec and her behavior changed immediately back to her normal 5 year old self. The change was dramatic and obvious. I found this web site by googling side effects of Zyrtec. After reading some of the comments and my own experience, I believe it is a crime that the manufacturer is not listing aggressive behavior as a side effect for children. I only went through this for a couple of weeks and it was awful, I feel sorry for the parents and kids who were taking this drug and experiencing these side effects unbeknownst to them. My daughter kept telling me she "couldn't help how she was behaving" and cried and was sorry and upset she couldn't be a good girl. I now believe her that she couldn't helpt it, because it changed immediately. I have also taken the pill form of Zyrtec myself for a couple of years to control my allergies and thought I had no side effects, however, I have slowly gained 30 lbs. over the past two years and wonder if this is related. | F | 42 | 2 weeks | 6/1/2009 | 1 | Allergy to cats | I was taking 10 mg a day as a test for two weeks to see if I could live with my girlfriends cat Sam when I realized I was fatigued every day I was on it. I woke each day feeling like I didn't sleep even though I didn't actually wake up during the night. I couldn't concentrate on anything at work and didn't have motivation or the energy to workout or do just about anything. I couldn't remember anything either, my memory seemed to be affected... probably from feeling so damn tired all day. Anyway needless to say instead of taking Zyrtec, I sold her cat on ebay. Just kidding. We gave the cat away and are getting a dog. Thank god. Now maybe I'll marry her.... yeah right! | If you're allergic to cats ... just get rid of the cat. duh! | M | 28 | 2 weeks | 3/26/2009 | 1 | Spring allergies | Mood and personality changes | My husband, a normally gentle soul, became depressed, angry, irritable, and short-tempered within a week or two of taking a generic brand of Zyrtec. This medication had been recommended by a co-worker who also runs an allergy office. My husband stopped taking the medication. In speaking with another co-worker whose child was taking Zyrtec, she said her daughter was experiencing the same symptoms. | F | 56 | 2 weeks | 5/27/2008 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | DEEEE-PRESSION! | THAT stuff is terrible on my system. I had no idea what was making me feel so "dark." It crept up on me; but the literature didn't mention "Depression" - oh no. I thought about the meds in the first 10 days. I tried everything - meditation, relaxation, music, oh hec it was awful. I don't take any other RXs so I guess I'm lucky for my age. I hate that stuff. | 68 | 2 weeks | 9/1/2008 |