ZYRTEC Reviews (CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 2.0 (1820 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 | FDA Adverse Event Summary
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ZYRTEC | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | Hives | Weight Gain! | I have been taking zyrtec for six months and was wondering why I was gaining weight so fast. Weight gain was not listed as a side effect. I put on 20 pounds in six months and I was trying to lose weight (exercise and low calorie). This drug was great for the hives but now I have to fix another problem...the weight. I wish I was aware of this before taking this drug. | F | 33 | 6 months | 6/27/2007 | 1 | All year allergies | No ENERGY! Always tired, lethargic. Weight gain. | At the time the allergist changed my prescription from Claritin to Zyrtec, I was recovering from a broken elbow with nerve damage. So, I was on other medications and never made the connection to the tiredness, as I also went through menopause. Everything was too much effort to do. I also took singular, flonase, advair and inderal for high blood pressure. Three months ago I started using NeilMed Sinus Rinse and have had amazing results with not needing to take any of the above drugs, even the blood pressure pill. My blood pressure is great! I'll see how I do when ragweed season comes, as it has always been my most difficult period of the year. Most people in this column have had behavioral changes, while taking the medicine. I have had increased anxiety and maybe depression since I stopped taking all the drugs. No hives or itchness as others have had. As soon as I stopped the Zyrtec, my energy level and the ability to think clearly increased tremendously. Has anyone else had | F | 49 | 8 years | 6/25/2007 | 1 | allergies | HELP!!! My 8-year old son completely changed during the 9 months he took this drug. First his handwriting completely disintegrated until it was completely illegible, then he gradually became more and more hyper, reclusive, stopped playing with friends, couldn't pay attention in school. During the last few months he took it, he became increasingly irritable, until by the end he would frequently erupt into violent rages, during which he would say crazy things about dying, say he hated everyone, etc. He couldn't handle the smallest disappointment. Also, his hyperactivity escalated until it was off the charts. We had to pull him out of the gifted program at school. He really has become a totally different child; he used to be happy, sweet, sunny, with tons of friends, calm and gentle-natured. We've stopped the drug as of two weeks, ago, but he's still not recovered. Can someone tell me PLEASE HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE HIM TO RETURN TO NORMAL. | Please e-mail me if your child has experienced anything similar. He's acting like a crazy person, but I can't believe any type of mental illness would just suddenly appear like this. His irritability and temper when he doesn't get his way are making our lives very difficult. Any information would be appreciated. | M | 8 | 9 months | 6/24/2007 | 1 | Allergies | mood changes, sleeplesness, stomach pain, diarrhea, headaches | This is the worst medication I have ever taken for allergies. At first I was very drowsy all day long. After about a week I had a lot of trouble sleeping. Sleep became almost non-existant and when I tried to sleep I would have bad stomach cramps twitching muscles in my legs. Next was the diarrhea and severe migrane headaches. I went off the pill but still had severe mood swings and sleeplessness for at least a month after I discontinued them. Believe me if you take this medication and even begin to have side effects, my best advice is to stop taking it right then and there. | F | 21 | 2.5 months | 6/22/2007 | 1 | Allergies | Anxiety | Does anyone know of any class action lawsuits against Pfizer for ZYRTEC? | M | 27 | 1 weeks | 6/21/2007 | 3 | severe allergies, hives | numbness with tingling in all my extremities.Progressively worsened to point of pain. | I too thought Zyrtec to be a miracle drug. All my former symptoms completely disappeared. Now unfortunately I have a hard time walking; due to the numbness in my toes. I also have a hard time opening any type of jar and am overly sensitive to to heat and cold in my hands. I stopped taking Zyrtec 3 days ago and I am already getting normal sensation back to my fingers and toes. My feet feel normal. Unfortunately now all my old symptoms are starting to come back...fun for me! | F | 28 | 4 months | 6/20/2007 | 3 | Hard Core Seasonal Allergies | Zombiness, Short tempered. Wish I had these dream problems, they sound fun! | First of all this is the ONLY drug that works for me. I have taken everything to come down the pipes over the last 15 years. Only one other drug has worked for me and the side effects were worse, and it just got discontinued this year. When getting tested my doctor freaked out at my reactions after only a small fraction of the time I was to be tested for... you know its messed up when a doctor get scared :) Problem is, I am sitting here miserable trying to determine if my allergies are bad enough yet to take of the wrath of this pill. I'll turn into a bitchy space cadet with my head in the clouds. Not so sure I can afford it with work and friendships... | M | 26 | 3 years | 6/20/2007 | 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 | 4 | Allergies | Sleep much better, possible increased appetite, but also may be the Astelin. | Worked great on allergies. Induced sleep helpful because I used to be insomniac! | F | 33 | 2 months | 6/19/2007 | 3 | allergic rhinitis / stuffy nose | some slight swelling on my ankles, noticed some weight gain by wanting to eat more. | I usually take this medication at night before going to bed, and I have to admit the medication does what it is suppose to do with allergy symptoms. I am allergic to dust, dustmites, pollen, grasses, mold, and my symptoms were very severe this spring, so my ent started me back on immunotheraphy. | F | 54 | 21 days | 6/19/2007 | 3 | Year-round allergies & sinusitis | severe sedation for 6 months, weight gain, possible others | I have been on this medication since its introduction over 10 years ago. While I have not experienced a tolerance to the med, I have, over all of these years, been treated for almost ALL of the side effects listed in this forum (significant weight gain despite high activity, depression, sedation, etc.). Until recently, I was on 2 antidepressants simultaneously (Wellbutrin XL and Lexapro).The thing that is freaking me out is that on 2 occasions that I have stopped taking it, I experienced WITHDRAWAL SYPTOMS like I would expect from going off of a narcotic (abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fatigue). This is my final attempt and I am weaning myself off of it (Zyrtec every 3rd day and taking Claritin on the off days). Pharmacists assured me there was no such thing as withdrawal from Zyrtec. Thanks to this forum, I finally understand. | M | 48 | 11 years | 6/19/2007 | 1 | allergies - pollen, smog, animals | extreme sleepiness, extreme dizziness, loss of clarity and memory, stomach aches, vomiting | I would need to sleep at least 15 hours a day, and then I would still be groggy. I would forget basic functions (like typing), severe stomach aches that were followed by vomiting. | F | 29 | 20 days | 6/17/2007 | 1 | allergies | disorientation; severe fatigue; inability to think clearly; constant sleeiness; vivid, horrible nightmares; | I was recently switched from Allegra to Zyrtec due to an unexpected pregnancy. I had taken Allegra for years with no side-effects. Immediately after taking Zyrtec, I was unable to function at all. I could only stay in bed most of the day. Thankfully, I am a teacher and this happened during summer break. I can easily see why this medication could cause suicide. I would NEVER take this medicine ever again. | F | 37 | 6 days | 6/16/2007 | 4 | hayfever | sedation | For me it works best anything else, however it makes me exremely sleepy. Far more than benadryl. So I have to take it at night before bed, whichs helps to fall asleep, but I feel groogy in the morning, probably due to the fact that I really don't get good REM sleep while on medication. I have bad allergies though, so I have to take a trade off. Honestt, the negative effects are better aren't as bad the positive effetcs. after taking t while though, the neg. effetcs are not as bad. | M | 28 | 2 years | 6/15/2007 | 3 | really bad grass allergies | Weight gain. Initially, severe drowsiness within one to two hours of taking it, but that has subsided. | I've only been taking Zyrtec for one month but I have gained five pounds!!! I have recently moved from an urban setting where I walked everyday, but now I am working out almost everyday and eating better!! This is the only new medication I'm on and, after reading some of these comments, I think it's the Zyrtec. I wish they would've listed this as a side effect. I've battled weight my entire life, I certainly don't need this now! | F | 31 | 1 days | 6/15/2007 | 1 | Hayfever | Bad behaviour! More than usual! | My son has special needs and his behaviour is not great as it is! He has been taking this medicine for 2 days and I've noticed a huge decline in his behaviour. | M | 5 | 2 days | 6/13/2007 | 1 | Post nasal drip and allergies | Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, nausea, diarrhea, gas, heart palpations, flushed cheeks, confusion and sensitivity to light. | This stuff is SCARY! I am a 41 year old man and this stuff had me breaking down in tears within 48 hours. I would just start crying over the smallest things. I'm currently unemployed and, although that's pretty stressful, I have never thought about suicide until I started taking Zyrtec. I was nauseas, had diarrhea, and if it wasn't for this website, I probably wouldn't have figured this out! I stopped taking it and I am slowly returning to normal. However, I switched to over-the-counter Claritin and I still have the mild nausea and flushed face. | M | 41 | 5 days | 6/7/2007 | 5 | allergic rhinitis, rash, hives | No negative side effects. Not even drowsiness. I can take it in the morning. | This has been a miracle drug for me. I can live with a cat now, tolerate dust, mold, pollens, etc. Zyrtec is the only allergy med that worked for me. Improved my allergic conjunctivitis & rash as well. | F | 35 | 5 years | 6/6/2007 | 1 | allergies, hives | Within a couple of days of taking zyrtec, I experienced feeling dizzy, nauseated and like I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Within the first week, I started having awful nightmares, very graphically horrific and I would wake up very disoriented. It would take me a good half hour to be able to open my eyes and just get out of bed, then I'd spend the whole day feeling groggy. I thought that it could be the medication, so I stopped taking it for a week. Within 3 days off of it, I started returning to completely normal. I thought that a great way to see if it truly was the zyrtec or not would be to try it one more time. All it took was one dose and my stomach is killing me and I could not wake up this morning for anything. It is 1:30pm and I am just starting to feel awake, however I'm still disoriented. | When I called my doctor's office to explain what I've been experiencing, they fluffed me off telling me that the side effects I complain about are not side effects of this medicine. How frustrating! | F | 30 | 2 weeks | 6/5/2007 | 1 | Allergies | My 4 year old son was prescribed Zyrtec and Singulair last fall. Shortly after beginning, I noticed severe behavioral changes. He become very irritable, aggressive, and non-compliant. He had taken Zyrtec before, and I didn't really notice any changes, so I attributed the behavioral changes to the Singulair. I took him off of both meds and things went back to normal. We started back on Zyrtec a week ago. Five days in, he is exhibiting the same behavioral changes as last fall. I stopped giving it to him today. | I really wish that pediatricians and pharmacists would warn parents to watch for these changes in behavior when prescribing Zyrtec. These little guys are at our mercy and don't deserve to have to feel like this. | M | 4 | 6 days | 6/4/2007 |