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 |
| 1 | allergies | nightmares, mood swings, hallucinations, crying outburst, bed wetting accidents, facial twitches | my 5 yr old son started taking zyrtec and started having these side effects quickly. I didn't relate it to the medicine, until the facial twitches caused me to do a cross refrence of zyrtec & facial tics...it led me to this web site. I took him off of it right away. Immediatly his behavioral effects stopped, but the facial tics just stopped a few weeks ago. we saw a pediatric neurologist who has seen this type of reactions before. It has taken 2 months to get him back. I am posting this so that I can help another mother that may be in the same panic I was a few months ago. Please feel free to email me if I can help. | M | 5 | 1 months | 8/30/2007 | 1 | hives | extreme weight gain, ate when I wasn't hungry, swelling of eyes and mouth, tiredness, just not feeling like myself, felt out of it. | F | 44 | 30 days | 8/28/2007 | 1 | Allergies | Stomach pains, tired, emotional crying spells | This drug worked great for allergy problems, however, I am thankful I found this website. I have only taken for a week & I am a completely different person. I have experienced crying spells, depression, stomach pain, depressed & tired, contant hunger. I'd rather suffer from allergies than be an emtional wreck. | F | 38 | 6 days | 8/27/2007 | 1 | allergies | I became very depressed and lethargic. Poor short term memory from the constant overtired feeling. Difficulty sleeping, moodiness, hair loss, unexplainable rage and despair, irritability. Discovered side effects by switching back to Claritin to save money and the clouds just lifted within a couple of days. Zyrtec-D was great in relieving my sinus problems from my allergies, but brought me down low enough that I was looking for ways to hurt myself and thought I was about to have a complete breakdown and not be functional in caring for my family. | My daughter (2) also began taking Zyrtec shortly before I did and I didn't realize until I had problems that her sadness and agressive behavior was from the Zyrtec as well. Thankfully we are both off this medicine now. | F | 31 | 3 months | 8/25/2007 | 2 | Allergies | My angel turned into a devil. She's never yelled, hit, screamed or threw tantrums until taking this medication. 10 days ago, she was prescribed Zyrtec for allergies. About 7 days ago, I noticed she started to yell in frustration when taken away from a toy (to eat, change etc). About 4 days ago, she started actually throwing tantrums, with the worst being yesterday. 40 minutes of yelling, crying, screaming. Who is this child?! I finally decided to reread the side effects in the literature given to us by the pharmacy and there in black and white it states "immediately report mental/mood changes to your doctor". She is now off the medication. Yikes! | Now that I've read some entries on this site, I see that she may have had other symptoms as well. Staring off into space for long periods of time, waking in the middle of the night, even crying out in her sleep. How long does this medication stay in your system? Does anyone know? | F | 2 | 10 days | 8/21/2007 | 1 | sinus/allergies | My seven year old daughter began taking Zyrtec daily in July. She has suffered from sleeplessness, extreme temper tantrums, ODD like behavior (very defiant), crying over everything, extreme hunger (even after eating). This behavior has increased and escalated everyday. | We have taken her off this drug. I have reported this to the FDA through a link at the following website www.keepkidshealthy.com. | F | 7 | 30 days | 8/19/2007 | 5 | Allergies / Sinus Problems | Dry mouth, and sleepiness. | ZYRTEC has been a wonder drug for me. Since taking I haven't had any breathing problems, respritory infections, or sinus infections. I have experienced dry mouth and sleepiness, but no less than I ever have with Benadryl. The dry mouth can be pretty wicked at times, I generally take it before bed because it does make me sleepy, but I've actually found it to regulate my sleeping; I can now sleep a full 8 hours instead of my old 4-5 hours a night. When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is run for a glass of water. | M | 28 | 6 months | 8/18/2007 | 1 | allergies, asthma | Depression, weight gain, "zoning out" | After 4 years on Allegra with no side-effects my insurance no longer covered it. I switched to Zyrtec-D and for the last 3 months I have gained weight and been very depressed. I never thought it could be the Zyrtec-D, but on my last trip to the Dr. he asked if I was feeling drowsy. I decided to stop taking it on monday, it is now Friday and boy! what a difference. I have an overall feeling of well-being and I've lost 3 pounds! I am so glad that I found this site. My co-worker told me about it and he has lost 10-15 lbs since getting off Zyrtec without changing a thing! | M | 31 | 3 months | 8/17/2007 | 3 | chronic allergies | Waking up 15 minutes to an hour after going to sleep; says he feels hot and does look and feel a little flushed; uncontrolled crying for no reason; feeling sad for no reason. | My son started zyrtec on his 8th birthday. The regimen is singulair and rhinocort in the morning, and zyrtec at night. This has helped his allergies tremendously. Then he started waking up for no reason after going to bed, feeling hot for little reason (once I thought it was from too much sun), and on numerous occasions, crying for no reason. Tonight I asked if he felt sad, and he said, "Yes, but I don't know why." Tomorrow, we will go without Zyrtec. (He had taken Singulair on and off for over a year so the mood change is not from that.) If he needs a nighttime antihistamine, I will give him what I have taken for 44 years: chlor pheniramine maleate, aka Chlor Trimeton. The only side-effect I've ever had is drowsiness. BTW, I attribute the biggest improvement in my own allergies (shots since age 5) to nasal spray (Rhinocort). None of the new antihistamines do as well as the classic old ones (Benedryl and Chlor Trimeton) but most of the new ones don't make one drowsy. | M | 8 | 3 weeks | 8/16/2007 | 5 | seasonal allergies | none | very hepful | F | 47 | 5 years | 8/15/2007 | 1 | seasonal allergies & environmental | 10 year user of Zyrtec.....75 pound weight gain, my daily thoughts revolved around wanting to sleep, feet and hand swelling, No energy at all, No joy, No affect in my personality, sad and antisocial thoughts & irrational rage. | Quite frankly, I'm scared....Hard to admitt that I didn't put this drug and what has been happening to me for the past 10 years together. I've lost a decade ... my 40's to being in the bad zyrtec haze. I did implore my doctors to help me but they never made the connection to my allergy drug.....Finally, my sister took action and researched this drug and found your website....Well, it's like reading my story over and over again. Okay, what to do....I'm trying to ween myself off and I too have the extreme itching...mainly my hands, scalp, welts on legs when I go 3 days off zrytec. My sleep patterns are so messed up trying to back off this drug. The one thing that I'm trying to be grateful for is that I feel happy for the first time in 10 + years...I'm engaging with others....I'm interested in things...Do you know how long it's been? I look at my body distorted by the awful weight gain and I'm thinking for the first time in ages...Okay lets start walking and running again....Before I w | F | 52 | 10 days | 8/14/2007 | 1 | Year round allergies | Drowsiness, headaches, nosebleeds, weight gain, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, flu like symptoms, blurred vision, upset stomach, numbness, shakiness, hair loss | I did not connect all of the side effects until I found this web site today. I even talked to my pharmacist two days ago. She said it was no side effect from the medications I use and the nosebleeds, headache, etc. may be due to a sinus infection. What a pant load! After reading the feedback here, I will not take Zyrtec any longer. I will immediately begin with my old standbys, i.e. Claritan or Dexchlor. I had used Zyrtec before (about 3 years ago for 1 year) and never connected the dots. I will definitely ask my doctor to add this as do not use to my medical record. I watch my diet, drink about 80 oz. of water per day, etc. Go figure? | M | 50 | 8 months | 8/3/2007 | 2 | allergies- tree poll, grass,ragweed | My 4 year old son who is normally very sweet natured, quiet, and cooperative turned into an aggressive, angry, and irritable boy. He would have fits of rage that were very out of character, developed a low frustration tolerence and would often cry easily, and engaged in "mean" verbal and physical behavior to his siblings and parents. | Zyrtec appeared to work well in gettig rid of my son's allergy symptoms (tree pollen, ragweed, grass), however, the behavioral side effects do not seem to be worth it. | M | 4 | 8 weeks | 8/2/2007 | 4 | Sinusitis | HORRIBLE itchiness after stopping Zyrtec | I have taken this medicine for many years, and was happy with the results until I decided to stop (my allergies had lessened after a move to the city). In 2 -3 days after stopping the medicine my entire body is covered in a horrible, hot itch that usually begins in my hands and feet- and only gets worse if you actually itch it; welts begin to raise in the places I touch. At night, the stinging itch gets so bad that I feel like there are bugs crawling all over me; I truly start to go crazy. The itch was so bad, I kept going back on the Zyrtec. Under the direction of a concerned allergist (who had never heard of this type of withdrawal before)I have been trying to wean myself off of it by lengthening the days between taking Zyrtec, and using over-the-counter Benedryl to curb some of the itching. Though the Benedryl does help a little, the itchiness has gotten more intense, and always comes back at day 2. At this point, I have made it 7 days off of the Zyrtec, and the itching has not beg | F | 30 | 9 years | 7/31/2007 | 4 | Severe allergies | Mild lethargy - severe heart palpitations and tachycardia | After six courses of allergy shots, and dozens of other prescription and over the counter medications throughout my life, Zyrtec was a Godsend for me. For the first time, it gave me a life free of itching, eczema, sneezing, asthma and recurring sinus infections, and all this with few if any noticeable side effects. However, over the past couple of years, I've experienced more and more nighttime heart palpitations, heavy heart thumping, as well as persistent tachycardia -- sometimes so much so as to keep me awake. I did not suspect it was Zyrtec until in desperation I stopped taking it. The heart symptoms completely stopped the first night. For two nights I slept like a baby. Beginning the third night after giving up Zyrtec, my allergy symptoms returned with a vengeance. I had forgotten how miserable I was before Zyrtec. I decided to take half a tablet around noon instead of before bedtime. It is better, but I am still, not sure what I'm going to do in the long run. I don't want to conk | M | 58 | 10 years | 7/31/2007 | 3 | allergies | lethargy, weight gain | Thank you to others who have posted on this site. I have been on allergy medicines for over 11 years (first Allegra, then Zyrtec). I had read that Zyrtec could cause depression. (I have not been diagnosed with depression, but was not the happy person I used to be.) I decided to try to wean myself off Zyrtec and use a Neti Pot. First, I used the Neti Pot (which is nasal saline irrigation) for two weeks, while continuing my regular dose of Zyrtec. Then, I halved my Zyrtec dose for a week. (The first day of half a dose was rather unpleasant for my sinuses, but the rest of the week was fine.) So the next week, I quit Zyrtec altogether. The first day was again unpleasant for my sinuses, but by the second day my sinuses were fine. (I was doing the Neti Pot 3 times a dayat this point, planning on weaning myself to 2 times a day once my body was used to not taking Zyrtec.) But the next day, I broke out in hives. It started on my scalp and worked down my forehead and back. By evenin | F | 38 | 8 years | 7/31/2007 | 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 | 5 | severe allergies | some sleepiness--I take it at night | I wonder if some of the side-effects that I see on this board have to do with Zyrtec-D. I would be a mess if I took Sudafed daily. | F | 35 | 3 years | 7/29/2007 | 3 | allergies/ sinues problems | makes me constantly lazy and lethargic, heavy tiredness, horrible insomnia, mood swings, always hungry | it works for me but the side affects really bring me down. i am thinking about asking about something else. | M | 17 | 1 years | 7/29/2007 | 1 | for allergies | I took it and experienced numbness in hands the thumbs the worse, tired, a cough,itching hunger worse. 2 daughters took it and one nose bleeds, tired, stomach aches. the other daughter is the worse. She was itching, but now twitching a lot, her hands, eye blinking, sticking out tongue, repetition of touching her shoulders each side, her arms, her hands like she is stiffing them. Her hands she holds out with palms up a lot. Its compulsive behaivor and she doesn't stop. She has been on it for two months and these all started about 2 and half weeks ago. They seem to be getting worse. I looked up side effects and saw these postings. We stopped taking it. Its been four days and not binging, her twitches are still there but not constant, starting to slow down. | Its to bad these Medical companies don't post all the warnings. Like with any drug they might not affect some people and will effect others. So the ones posting with nothing effecting them your lucky. | F | 40 | 2 days | 7/29/2007 |