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 |
| 5 | hives | Heart pounding, vivid dreams, dehydration | I have a lifelong history of allergies and upon turning 40, possibly entering perimenopause, my allergies worsened. I have continued to take zyrtec after it being prescribed at Mayo Clinic. At times I was able to go down to 5 mg once a day with less side effects. Initially while at Mayo I asked "How will I ever get off this?" because of the rebound reaction every time I tried. The doc replied, "with an eye dropper". I think when I was in my forties the reaction to it was not so severe, but upon entering actual menopause, taking it at night has compounded my menopause symptoms. I am seriously looking into going to the desert (low allergen) to try a taper or wait until winter, maybe even trying acupuncture to help getting off it, because in a sense I am addicted to it. Until then I am trying taking it during the day to reduce the night symptoms and drink a lot of water. Any menopausal women experiencing the same? I would love to hear if someone has effectively switched to something better. | F | 53 | 13 years 10 mg 1X day | 3/31/2010 | 2 | Allergies & Hay Fever | Zyrtec worked well to cure my allergies and drip. However, I had HORRIBLE side effects, that I didn't fully realize until I stopped taking the drug. Every time I would consistently take the drug I'd gain weight. I'm 5'2" and weighed ~120 forever. After taking zyrtec for 2+ years, I got up to ~133lb. Finally I quit taking it - cold turkey, and within a week of stopping I'm already down to 126lb. Thank goodness! Mentally, I feel so much better since quitting. I'm HAPPY and clear headed, which starkly contrasts the moody self I'd been for years prior. | I actually tried to quit taking it several times. Whenever I'd stop I'd get horrible headaches and feel very dizzy. Finally, I was out west where it is very dry for spring break. I quit while I was out there, and had no problems. I think it was easier because it kept me dry while I transitioned off of it. I'll post more as my progress progresses. | F | 23 | 3 years 10 mg 1X day | 3/30/2010 | 3 | Seasonal Allergy | I am so shocked to find a reason for my symptoms! I recently had gone to a neurologist because of severe headaches I would experience. I also have dreamy dazes where I feel so drowsy and fatigue. I went to the ER everything is fine. I also get frequent bloody noses, ticks every now and then, dark urine, Lost of interest, chest pain, mood swings, feeling confused, insomnia, and EXTREME HUNGER!!!! I'm very social and very outgoing I always question these side effects and I'm shocked to know that something that helped me so much is causing this!! I hope the withdrawal isn't so bad =[ After 3 years I have an answer! | This drug needs a new WARNING LABEL!!! | M | 19 | 3 years 10mg 1X day | 3/28/2010 | 2 | allergy | elevated blood pressure, rapid heart beat(normally 70 BPM, went to90BPM)difficulty sleeping, easily angered with others. | Initially helped relieve a cough related allergy. Was very concerned with the high blood pressure( never had it before) and was preparing to see my MD. Even thought of going to hospital because I thought I could be on the verge of a heart attack. I mentioned symptoms to a friend who said it could be the zyrtec. Stopped taking it and three days later heart rate down to 80 BPM and blood pressure 140/100 down from 155/105. Im hoping for continued improvement back to my normal 120/80. Wow this stuff scared me! Never had any heart issues before this. Going to go back to Claritin which had barely any side affects. Fortunately no negstive withdrawal symptoms others have reported. | M | 59 | 30 days 10 mg 1X day | 3/28/2010 | 2 | allergies | I gave this to my 9 year old son who just struggles with awful allergies to everything. 1 tsp about 6 pm. He went to sleep at 8pm and slept soundly for a while with no sneezing but still sniffling. Woke up around 2 am and was just angry. Yelling, stomping, gritting his teeth mad at everything. Couple hours later fell asleep .Got up for breakfast in a worse rage. Went from room to room forgetting why he went there.I kept him home from school, he fell back asleep after breakfast and woke up at 1:30pm (when I woke him up) Wow, that was scary. Never again. | This completely changed his personality in one dose and he was very , very sleepy with it. I really was hoping we had found something to help him. I'm angry I wasn't warned. | M | 9 | 1 days 1 tsp 1X day | 3/27/2010 | 1 | allergies | Although I have not had any allergy issues while on Zyrtec, the weight gain and bloating I have experienced has been alarming. I have also suffered severe lethary. These side effects really hit me these past two months of my six months use. Not worth it. | I am off it. Two days... itching, nausea. Cannot wait for it to be out of my system. | F | 35 | 6 months 20 mg 1X day | 3/26/2010 | 1 | SEASONAL ALLERGIES | Heart arrhythmia, palpitations, high blood pressure, weight gain, numerous vivid dreams per night, depressed mood, difficulty stopping med/itching | Unbelievable that Zyrtec is now OTC & so many people are exposed to it's side effects without sufficient warning! After I was finally able to wean myself off this drug, my blood pressure lowered to normal range and my EKG returned to normal. No more dreams or moodiness or unexplained weight gain. But I continued to feel itchy for many months. No one warns you how hard it is to STOP Zyrtec. So K-Mart shoppers BEWARE! | F | 60 | 4 years 1X day | 3/25/2010 | 1 | My 1 year old daughter was having allergy problems so I took her to the doctor and they prescribe this to her also. I gave it to her that next morning. Within just a few hours, she started getting tired. Which i just figured it was nap time. She woke up about a hour later. Her eyes were so swollen and blood shot, coughing and sneezing worse than before, tired, weak, couldn't eat and even when she would try, she couldn't keep the food down. So i automatically figured it was the med. So, i threw it away and never gave it to her since and never will. Since then, she's been the normal, sweet little girl. | I recommend this product TO NO ONE!!! | F | 20 | 1 days 1X day | 3/24/2010 | 3 | seasonal allergies | Not sure there were any until I see other parents linking it to moodiness and hyper activity. My child is now experiencing a lot of this and we only use it during certain times of the year. I believe I will switch to something else. Behavior is out of the norm. | M | 6 | 1/2 tsp 1X day | 3/22/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | bloated, sleepy, weak, moody, lightheaded | After taking it the night before, I was relieved that my allergy dissipates a little bit but the next day, I had a hard time getting out of bed and my stomach was bloated like never before. I can't work the whole day because I felt weak and sleepy and my head feels so light. | M | 38 | 1 days 10mg 1X day | 3/22/2010 | 3 | Allergy relief | While on the medication, I did not experience any major side effects. HOWEVER, that all changed as the medicine started to leave my body. I began to experience anxiety, cold hands and feet, difficulty swallowing, nausea, dry mouth, insomnia, shallow breathing, and tension in my lower abdomen. I experienced these symptoms just a week before when I first took the medication. I stopped taking Zyrtec because the withdrawal effects are much worse than my own allergies. | Beware for these possible withdrawal side effects: anxiety, heart palpitations, dry mouth, insomnia, nausea, difficulty swallowing, numbness, cold hands and feet, headache, lightheaded, dizziness, shallow breathing. Since I only used it briefly, the withdrawal symptoms seemed to last only about 24 hours. Still a horrible feeling none-the-less. I have not experienced any itching as others may have commonly experienced. That may be due to the prolonged use of the drug. I have been currently taking medications for arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), blood pressure, and anxiety for about 2 years now. I have not experienced any anxiety until after taking Zyrtec. That is how strong the withdrawal symptoms can be. Bottom line is, CONSULT your doctor before using this medication! Especially if you have any heart or other health complications! | M | 31 | 2 days 10 MG 1X day | 3/21/2010 | 1 | seasonal allergies | sleeping issues, crying, whining, nose bleeds, stomach aches, attention issues, fatigue | My daughter was put on zyrtec last spring for seasonal allergies when she was 5. She took 5 mg. once a day. Her doctor just upped her dose to 10 mg. 3 weeks ago. Since then she has had chronic nosebleeds waking each night, she woke up one night and said she felt like someone was watching her and started to cry when she had to go to bed for fear of bad dreams. She was tired and crying over nothing. She couldn't express what was wrong. She said she felt lonely and sad. She had lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks when we returned to the doctor worried about the nosebleeds. She complained of stomach aches and was not eating well. I also began researching ADD and made her an appointment to get her eyes checked for excessive blinking, thought her eye sight was bothering her. Finally, it dawned on me that this all began when we upped her zyrtec dose. I am so disappointed in my doctor for not checking into this. She is a small child, only 40 lbs. and after researching Zyrtec, took her off immediately. We did have to ween her off as she experienced withdrawal symptoms, mainly extreme itchiness, overall fatigue and feeling crummy. I would use extreme caution with putting your child on this medication. It is supposed to be safe and we trust in our doctors, but my trust is gone. | F | 39 | 1 years 10mg 1X day | 3/21/2010 | 1 | allergies | My 7yr old son was on this drug and he will NEVER take it again. Zyrtec made him a different person. He started hurting his sister, was very moody, depressed, etc. Two days after I took him off of it, he was better. I took him off about 6 months ago, and he has not hurt his sister since being off zyrtec. His allergies are okay-he does allergy shots. | Watch your child for agression and depression while on this drug! | M | 7 | 3 years 5mg 1X day | 3/15/2010 | 1 | Allergies | My 5 year old grand daughter had this prescribed by an allergist who wanted her on it full time. I'm an RN and was quite unhappy about putting this child on anything year round....her allergies are minor. She has taken it on and off since she was three. When she took it a couple of months ago we noticed a sudden and very disturbing change in her behavior. She changed from a happy, delightful child into an absolute beast overnight! Totally out of control, very argumentative and unpleasant. Her mother and I were talking and I asked her if there was anything that had recently changed. She reminded me that she had just started her back on her "medicine". I did some research and we were horrified at what I found. We immediately stopped the drug and within 2 weeks she was back to her normal sweet self. In retrospect we think there were various times in the past she had exhibited the same out of control behavior while on this. We now think she was not "going through a stage&quo | F | 5 | 1.5 years 10mg 1X day | 3/15/2010 | 1 | Allergies | 3.5 yr old son behavior changes (moody, aggressive, sleepless nights, hyper-active, emotional, lack of attention/focus, defiant) | 3.5 yr old son was taking for allergies and post-nasal drainage. It helped well with the allergies and drainage. We didn't realize there was anything wrong, we thought a lot of the behavior issues and defiance was his age. We noticed the biggest change after he started Pre-K this past fall. We started getting more and more reports from his teachers of his uncontrollable activity and behaviors as well of his lack of attention. They requested that we speake with the Pediatrician regarding possible ADHD. The problem was, I wasn't seeing it at home much. He took it at night before bed (every night since it was recommended). I am thinking that he was the worst at school because by the time he was home the side-effects were starting to wear off and they were the strongest in the morning. After evaluations were done with the teachers and my family, the doctor agreed it wasn't ADHD. But looking back, after about 1-2 weeks of being on it Zyrtec our sitter stated she noticed his behavior changing and it had gotten progressively worse. For her, he bit a child...that is out of character for him, was hyper active, wouldn't nap, sassy, defiant, ignored her, etc. At school he got to where he was poking other kids, kicked his teacher, hyper, defiant, wouldn't focus, etc). We took him off the Zyrtec and he began changing within the first 2 days he started being more in control, more obedient, less hyper, more sincere and loving. He is slowly getting better each day. Stopped use. | M | 3.5 | 11 months 1/2 tsp 1X day | 3/11/2010 | 1 | Allergies | Heart palpitations, muscle weakness, extreme lethargia, violent mood swings/anger problems, itchy hives, dehydrated feeling, overall poor health and sick feeling all the time. | I have taken this product for a long time. I have used 3 different antihistimines for my allergies over the past 4 years. Its great not to have a runny, sneezy nose 24/7, but over the past few months I have noticed my health declining. The heart problems and muscle weakness are the scariest. I have avoided going to a doctor thinking it must be diet, so I stopped drinking soda and started eating healthier. After a month, I do not see an improvement. Someone told me that it could be the allergy meds and after seeing this site, I am certain of it. I stopped taking the pill yesterday and I should see an improvement in about a month. I will update then. Beware, these side effects are not listed on the bottle people! I feel awful and am very dissappointed. | F | 31 | 10mg 1X day | 3/10/2010 Patient History | 3 | allergies, runny nose, itchy eyes | I took it before bed (I'm allergic to dust and I wake up in the morning congested). I think it worked, but I was so sleepy I couldn't walk a straight line in the morning. I felt like I was hit by a sandbag. | It made me sleepier than benadryl. And even just half a pill made me tired. My daughter takes it sometimes and does not get sleepy. But for me? I became non-functioning. | F | 38 | 2 days 10 mg 1X day | 3/3/2010 | 5 | Hives | No noticeable side effects | My daughter had a horrible outbreak of hives when she was just a little over a year old. It happened over the weekend and the ER doctors didn't know what it was. We took her to a dermatologist the next Monday morning, he diagnosed hives. My daughter was taking Zyrtec, Xantac and Benadryl for several weeks to quell the outbreak. She was then put on 1/2 teaspoon of liquid Zyrtec a day to prevent further outbreaks. After a few months we stopped giving it to her, soon after she broke out again. She is now 2 and a half years old and is back on Zyrtec daily, she is doing just fine. She takes it at bedtime. I see no difference in her sleeping pattern or behavior on or off the medication. From the looks of what I have been reading about other children on Zyrtec, I now feel that we have been very fortunate with our daughter. If she would have had adverse effects I would definitely have stopped it. Though, I am concerned about the long term effects of prolonged usage, effects that may not be visible at this time. | F | 2 | 1.5 years 1X day | 2/28/2010 | 3 | sinus headaches | Graphic and disturbing dreams; some sluggishness | I started taking Zyrtec at night because I was waking up with sinus headaches every morning. It worked well for that, so I have rated it 3. It completely knocks me out, especially if I have had any alcohol at all, even a single glass of wine at dinner, and it takes me a while to get moving in the morning. I have constant, vivid, disturbing dreams almost every night. My husband told me I woke up after an hour last night saying, "Scared, scared" over and over. I have no memory of that. I am going to stop taking this, or at least cut the dosage in half. If you do take it, follow the label warnings - no alcohol. | F | 56 | 30 days 10mg 1X day | 2/20/2010 | 2 | severe allergies | My son's pediatrician and allergist recommended Zyrtec for his severe allergies (certain trees and grasses, ragweed, cats). Soon after starting it his mood changed. He became violent and had uncontrollable tantrums. He began hitting and throwing and throwing fits about the smallest thing. I never related the behavior to the Zyrtec until he became sick and I stopped the Zyrtec in order to give him cough medicine. He almost immediately returned to the caring loving little man that he always was. | Please pay careful attention to your children if you give them this medicine. I feel so bad that I did not relate my son's behavior to the medicine. | F | 25 | 1 years 5 ML 1X day | 2/17/2010 |