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 Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 |
More on ZYRTEC: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZYRTEC | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | 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 day | 10/19/2010 | 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 day | 10/19/2010 | 1 | allergies (cats, dust, ragweed) | exhaustion, feeling wiped-out, nightmares, irritability, unexplained anger, weight gain, difficult swallowing, thick congestion | I have never felt so exhausted. I took 5 or 10mg at night and on weekends I easily slept until 5pm. On weekdays I could barely get out of bed, let alone hold my head up at work. I just couldn't get enough sleep. I found myself so irritable, even enraged, didn't feel like myself at all. Yet, nothing "bad" had happened in my life. My allergist thought I was crazy during the 30 day check-in when I explained the exhaustion and crazy dreams, etc. I am going back to Alavert where I have no side effects. | F | 32 | 35 days 5 or 10mg 1X day | 10/19/2010 | 1 | allergies | Always felt exhausted. Generally, everything seemed overwhelming. | Decided to stop taking zyrtec this week because I was tired of feeling exhausted all of the time. Could not wake up in the morning. After 4 days without zyrtec, I felt much better, but now I am experiencing itching all over. I guess zyrtec prevented this itching, but I am not sure it was worth it. Looking for another solution. | F | 56 | 3 years 1X day | 10/17/2010 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | I have been giving this medication to my 5 year old son for his symptoms associated with his seasonal allergies.. after a month of taking the meds I noticed he started sleepwalkin and then later got depressed and at times would tell me "mom, i'm just sad!" I really didn't put it all together until i came across this website.. he will stop taking Zyrtec as of today!!! | M | 5 | 90 days 5ML 1X day | 10/15/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | Took at night for the first few days, and it seemed to help, kinda. But i was also give flonase and singulair. I stopped the flonase and singulair and continued with zyrtec, i forgot to take one that pm so i took it before work, i was "dingy" all day, felt off balance and just not right and i was SOOO sleepy, i had to leave work early and go home!. Thought ok, i will take it at night from now on, started the next night, i had nightmares all night, i had people chasing me, i woke up SO tired. Tried the next night, more nightmares..... took it for about another week, nightmares EACH night!!! think i would rather have a stuffy nose and itchy eyes than nightmares, i gave it up!! | F | 47 | 2 weeks 10mg 1X day | 10/12/2010 | 4 | chronic idiopathic urticaria | My 6yr old daughter had to start taking zyrtec eveyday to control her chronic urticaria, as time went one her behaviors just have gotten worse. To the point we were thinking about taking her to a pshyc dr. Don't know what else to do I have taken her off for a few days now and the attitude is already getting better. But I had to give her benadryl to keep her from swelling. Which they told me not to give her that cause of the alcohol in it. Does anyone out there that has Chronic Urticaria know anything that helps, without the deppression/anger issues. Please help, thanks! | F | 6 | 8 months 5mg 1X day | 10/6/2010 | 1 | ragweed allergies | Pediatrician recommended to give our 3 year old son for his allergies. Finally, he slept through the night without coughing fits and congestion. However, this medication took my sweet-natured boy and turned him in to something unrecognizeable. Very naughty behavior, total defiance, hitting, throwing, lack of appetite, infrequent urination... Within 3 days of his first dose I realized what the cause of his behavioral changes were and immediately removed him from this medicine (and tossed the remainder in the trash). Very shortly thereafter he was once again my loving son. I sure hope that the makers of this drug read these observations and determine a fix. It's a real shame when something that is supposed to help you can change you in to something completely unrecognizeable. ps: called the pedicatrician's office and they were aware of the possible reactions and noted in his file that my son can not have this medication. | F | 3 | 3 days 1 tsp 1X day | 10/5/2010 | 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 day | 10/5/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | I had a bad case of hives from spring seasonal allergies. I had tried Benadryl (worked, but made me very tired) and Claritin (the 24 hour dosage only lasted about 12 hours). I gave Zyrtec a try. One five milligram pill at 6 am and I was completely wiped out for the rest of the day. I felt like I had taken an entire bottle of Percocet. The next day, I was about 50% better, but still not myself. The Zyrtec did help with the itching, but I couldn't believe how awful I felt after a single dose of an over the counter medicine. I got a shot of Solu-Medrol at the doctor's office and threw away the remaining Zyrtec. | F | 40 | 1 days 5 mg 1X day | 10/1/2010 | 5 | No side effects, only that it takes about an hour and a half to kick in. | I started with an uncontrollable itch all over my body, after taking ZYRTEC, I have been just fine, I only take it when needed. | F | 40 | 1 years 30 MG 1X AN | 9/30/2010 | 3 | seasonal allergies | Exhausted, shakey and very irritable. | Every time I take this drug to dry me out (when the Nasonex isn't cutting it) I feel like a zombi. I'm exhausted, shakey and very irritable the next day -- snapping at everything and everyone. I just want to scream. I need to find an alternative as this is not worth the relief I get from the nose drip! When my young son was on this he was also very irritable. Doing much better on Xyzol. I may need to look into that for myself. | F | 46 | 5 days 10 mg 1X day | 9/30/2010 | 4 | dustmite allergies | Realizing that my son, age 15, has been experiencing sleepwalking, and it is getiing worse. He almost walked out of the house at night, and he has become frightened to sleep lest he sleepwalk again. | We are not going to take it for 30 days to see if it makes a difference. | M | 15 | 365 days 30 mg?? 1X day | 9/29/2010 | 4 | Seasonal Allergies | drowsiness | Since reducing my dosage to 5mgs per day I haven't felt the side effects listed before and, I still don't have horrible allergy symptoms. In short the lesser amount of Zyrtec is just as effective as a whole pill but the side effects are mostly gone except drowsiness for about an hour after waking. | F | 39 | 6 days 5 1X day | 9/21/2010 Patient History | 1 | severe allergies | anger, suicidal thoughts, severe weight gain, depression, insatiable hunger, feelings of hopelessness, lack of motivation | There is a woman who commented that there seems to be a 'made up' symptoms and side effects because she has never personally had any. That is ridiculous. Your skepticism doesn't help anyone. For years I have wondered why I continued to gain weight even though I lowered my caloric intake and increased activity. I've never had trouble losing weight in the past. I started taking it in Korea where we were stationed in the military. The allergies were awful. Both my son and I had the same symptoms. Both of us were angry, hungry, irritable and depressed. When we left Korea we stopped taking it and got better. We are in South Texas now and both of us started taking it agin--even though we are in a happy situation, we became depressed, angry, suicidal and had increased hunger and weight gain again. I am happy to have found this website because after I did, I got off zyrtec and I am my happy, healthy self again. I'm losing weight and my son is more stable emotionally. Please do not criticize other people's reactions. Just because you don't have them doesn't mean they don't exist. I am also severely allergic to morphine--just because you are not, does that mean by your calculations I will not die if I take it? | F | 40 | 2 years 10mg 2X day | 9/21/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | I am so glad to read that other people are having the same side effects that I am and I am not losing my mind. I have become depressed, irritable, angry, and can't stop eating - all since starting Zyrtec 13 days ago. I am stopping it today though. I can't tolerate these side effect any longer. I don't think my family can either. | F | 42 | 13 days 10 mg 1X day | 9/17/2010 | 1 | year round allergies | after not taking zyrtec for 3 days I begin to itch severly all over the trunk of my body, now it is down to 2 days. Even when I have no allergy symptoms I have to take it to keep from itching to death. | It helped for the first several years then I found I could not stop taking it even when I didn't need to. How can I get off this medicine? I told my doctor and he said well you must be allergic to something. | F | 56 | 5 years 30 mg 1X day | 9/14/2010 | 1 | allergies | WE gave Zyrtec to our 3 1/2 year-old daughter at her pediatrician's recommendation as she was continuing to have allergy symptoms on Claritin and frequent ear infections. She had an immediate personality change. Moody, defiant, temper tantrums, uncontrollable rages, sleep disturbances, wanted to be held and rocked constantly, wouldn't/couldn't play. Over a few weeks the symptoms improved somewhat, until we missed one morning dose and we were right back to square one with the significant behavior issues. She also has lost two pounds this month due to lack of appetite. We were trying to keep her on it until the fall allergies abated, but this cannot go on any longer. We have put her back on Claritin and will give her benadryl at night if needed to control the symptoms. After two days we are starting to see our sweet angel again. The change in personality in this child was beyond belief, down-right scary. | F | 3.5 | 1 months 2.5 mg 2X day | 9/14/2010 | 5 | All year around allergies | none | First I would like to say is, Why would you give children an over the counter med without a Dr's approval. There are many over the counter meds for children but I wouldn't give my child it without an ok from the Dr. I love Zyrtec. I have major allergies and have tried everything. Over the counter, rx from Dr and nothing helped. Then one day a Allergy Dr gave me a sample of Zyrtec. It was new on the market. I loved it! Won't take any thing else. and when they can out with their eye drops I was in love all over again. Again before Zyrtec eye drops I tried all the rx drops, all the over the counter eye drops and my eyes still itched. My eyes itched so bad I have scars on my eye lids from rubbing them. One drop of Zyrtec eye drops and the itch was gone. I found heaven all thanks to Zyrtec. Thanks Zyrtec, your #1 in my book. | F | 53 | 10 years 10 mg 1X day | 9/13/2010 | 5 | allergies | moodswings, drowsiness | I've been taking Zyrtec off an on for seasonal allergies since I was a kid. It's the only thing I could find that really helps with the minimal side effects. HOWEVER, If i take zyrtec too late a night i just cant get up in the morning. so obviously i suffer drowsiness with it. Also, I get really moody and sensitive a few hours after taking it. I find taking it at about 8 PM is best.. I'm asleep before the moodiness sets in, and I'm able to wake up on time. Abiding by these rules I'm fine with it | F | 21 | 13 years 10mg 1X day | 9/13/2010 |