Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis User Reviews (Page 3)

• Pirene
• July 20, 2016

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I have been trying to deal with drippy eyes and nose (saturating multiple tissues in a couple of hours), and upon awakening clearing throat for over 20 years since moving from the east coast to CA. I finally decided that I had enough and the doctor told me to try Zyrtec. I started it a few days ago...yep, the drips improved, BUT, I feel exhausted, falling asleep, no energy. I think I may have to deal with the drippy symptoms and tell Zyrtec to take a hike!"

• Rose...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2021

"I tried ceterizine for possible dust mite allergies as I have a few friends who use it daily for environmental allergies and swear by it. Unfortunately, the side effects were intolerable for me. I had a CRAZY amount of anxiety and really dark thoughts while I was on it. I was super irrationally angry as well. I do have GAD but this made it about 100x worse within a couple hours of taking it. I don’t think it helped the allergies much either. I was worried it would make me drowsy, but weirdly I slept maybe 1-2 hours a night for the few days I was on it! It was a pretty intense experience, would not do it again."

• DennisP
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 13, 2019

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Doc put me on ciprofloxacin antibiotic. Had an allergic reaction- head to toe rash and hives. Per docs instructions, stopped the ciprofloxacin and took Zyrtec. Rash was gone within 24 hours. Also cleared up my chronic sinusitis that I had used Claritin for with little success. Still take Zyrtec generic for seasonal allergies and have had adverse side effects."

• Chan
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2018

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Works alright on getting rid of allergies I guess but every time I’ve taken it it’s made my throat extremely sore and my voice hurts. It gets so bad it hurts to talk while taking it so I’m finding something else."

• Allergy...
• January 26, 2018

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Stayed at my friend's house who had a cat. I knew I was allergic so I stayed far away for it. It still got to me enough to where the symptoms bothered me. Sore and itchy throat, itchy watery eyes, coughing, etc. I decided to take a 10mg Zyertec. I normally don't like taking pills. This one said non drowsy so I thought it would be safer. BIG mistake. I was so drained that after I woke up from a 8.5 hr night sleep, I was so tired, I couldn't keep my eyes open. It was so scary that I ended up going to the ER. They gave me fluids to flush it faster but I still suffered the rest of the day. Never again. Although it did help my symptoms, the side effects were not worth it."

• smell...
• April 1, 2010

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Zyrtec is the only medicine that controls my allergy symptoms, but it makes me so tired, sleepy and I always seem to be "zoning out". I even passed a red light at an intersection a few days ago...thankfully no one was hurt."

• Anonymous
• April 16, 2008

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I have used Zyrtec for a couple years to reduce my allergy symptoms and avoid asthma flares. I have a dog that causes symptoms if I play too much, or if I touch my eyes. We got a cat about 1 year ago! Zyrtec met the challenge, the cat sometimes sleeps on my pillow. I am still careful about touching my eyes, but Zyrtec has done a great job. Now that Z is OTC, my doctor switched me to Clarinex, but after a few days I am experiencing symptoms again, swollen lips, eyes, etc.I'm going back to Z!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2020

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "The winds started up 3 weeks ago and my nose from my allergies was just stuffed with sticky phlegm and severe lethargy. I bought the generic brand of Zyrtec and it alleviated the problem somewhat. Today I went to buy more and could't find any so I bought the Zyrtec brand and it is sooooo much more effective. Not just clear breathing, but my usual hyperactive self once more."

• Dani
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2020

"I'm a 21 year old female. The worst allergy medicine I've ever taken, next to Levocetirizine. Besides being sedated and anxious, I most recently have been waking up with hives, shortness of breath, swollen eyelids and top lip, itching and burning skin, and panic attacks. I discontinued this medicine after like 3 months of taking it almost daily, I was absolutely miserable. I will never take this garbage again. I'm on day 2 of not taking it and I'm starting to feel better."

• florida...
• February 10, 2012

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "All day I have had runny nose, itchy watery eyes, sneezing, throat closing. I finally could not take it anymore I did some research online to determine the best OTC medication to use, Zyrtec stood out the most. I figured that it must be pretty strong due to the fact that at one time you needed a script to get it. I took my first tab at 3:00pm its now 3:18. I am starting to feel the effects of Zyrtec I have not sneezed as of yet my watery nose and eye's are starting to clear up. I'm beginning to breathe easier."

• Cures...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2016

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Have always had severe allergies since a child, I first used Zyrtec about 14 years ago, worked great but I could barely stay awake at work, it was bad, I'm a dental assistant and I actually fell asleep while assisting(sitting on the assistant chair!) I could barely drive, I confided in a co-worker and she asked me if I was taking anything, I told her just allergy pills, she asked which ones and she said her daughter takes them but she has to take them a couple of hours before bed. I could have easily had a car accident. Anyhow now i'm researching what to take for mango skin allergy, I have Allegra which isn't as good and since I don't work now I'm going to take Zyrtec for it after reading the reviews on it."

• Click...
• February 21, 2017

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I used Zyrtec for years, not because I wanted to, but because if you stop taking Zyrtec you itch all over constantly. You don't just itch for 3 days like you do when ceasing other allergy meds, it doesn't stop ever. I was finally able to kick it by decreasing the quantity very gradually for a few months while also taking Benadryl. It can be done."

• Zyrtec...
• June 9, 2011

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Make the itching stop. I took this for Hayfever and it worked. BUT, it then caused me to have head to toe bumps and itchiness even after stopping taking it. The itching is keeping me up at night. I am hoping to wait it out and never take it again. Also while I was taking it my eyes and face got really, really swollen. I am still not sure if this was from an unusually bad allergy season or the Zyrtec, but I am going to guess it is the Zyrtec because my allergies have never caused this before (usually I just have sinus and itchy eyes). "

• theun...
• July 28, 2009

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Two of us have used Zyrtec for many years because it is stronger than the other so-called non-drowsy antihistamines such as Allegra and Claritin. We need relief mostly for sinus itching, throbbing, pressure, and discomfort; also useful for itchy allergic skin. This medicine will usually cause pronounced drowsiness for the first 3 days, so the best way to get used to it is: take 1/2 a pill daily for 3 days, then the whole pill daily. Also, it may increase urination. But as I say, it is very effective."

• Anonymous
• February 28, 2012

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "It works better than any other medicine I have tried. Down side is the itching, which is caused by its negative effect on the liver. Therefore, I do not take it everyday. I have to wait a day or so in between."

• Pat
• June 23, 2019

"I agree with the comments about making you drowsy and sleepy. Seemed to be ok-ish with half a tablet but as soon as I started taking a full tablet as the high grass pollen season approached, it left me a complete mess. Sleeping for 9 hours a night with 2 hours naps in the day. In work I had to have power naps in the bog so I wouldn’t collapse at my desk. My brain was foggy & it’s drains and sucks the life out of you, to a point that I almost felt depressed."

• bobbyx
• October 3, 2012

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "It really did not work for me. My eyes itched a bit less, but my nose just kept itching and running. Also sneezed multiple time after 1st dose. Tried a 2nd tablet 4 hours later with no noticeable results. This may work for some people but I get better relief from Benadryl, which works well but causes drowsiness."

• Cap...
• June 6, 2011

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I have just decided to stop taking Zyrtec. It worked well on my allergies. However I have had increase in back and joint pain i.e. knee and hip the past two weeks. Not sure it's Zyrtec but felt I'd eliminate it to see if symptoms resolve."

• Betty...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2022

"Okay, I had three days of intense hay fever, my right eye was really itchy and my husband gave me a zyrtec before I went to bed. The next day I felt really off, I got up at my usual time, and did some chores but my arms and legs felt heavy, and even after a few cups of coffee I felt bleah....but the worst of it was everything made me ANGRY. I was super irritable about petty things that wouldn't normally upset me, I was hot, and uncomfortable. I knew this was not ME--today I feel much better. I decided to look up Zyrtec to see if anyone else had a similar reaction--wow, I am so glad I did--I really had a bad reaction to this drug and I am glad I had the sense to figure out what had set off the rage. But, the sad thing is my husband has been taking one of these a day for over 4 years. During this time he has had so many sinus infections, and problems with urinating that he attributed to getting up there in years, and some other psyc. issues that now make me think that it is the Zyrtec."

• Khan
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 31, 2018

"Started taking this for my dust allergy, worked great for that! Except at the same time I started experiencing severe dizzy spells and a really heavy head throughout the day. I had no clue it was related to Zyrtec, when I visited the doc today he suggested to stop taking it and that's when it hit me that these symptoms only started when I started these pills! Terrible medication that sucks the life out of you and sends your brain in to a haze!"

• Unknown
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 17, 2023

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "This medication has its ups and downs for me. I was originally prescribed this medication because of congestion, the pressure I would feel in my ears, and a lack of appetite. I felt like the product worked for a while. It cleared up my allergic rhinitis issues and gave me the appetite I never had. Except for the fact that it came with side effects. I started to have extremely painful muscles in my legs and arms. For some reason, I responded that way to this medication. On the flip side, I was underweight and diagnosed as anorexic, and my white/red blood cell count was very low as a result of my lack of appetite. This medication gave me a strong appetite! As a 6’10 male, it allowed me to bulk up to a healthy 270 lbs. My most recent lab work came back healthy and I feel really great! I just couldn’t continue this medication due to the intense muscle pain I would get. The pain quickly subsided after a few days of not taking Zyrtec. Do not go cold turkey, I got intense itchy skin when I did."

• Bless...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 10, 2021

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I have been on Zyrtec D for about 10 years. I take this once a day. I have tried to go off this medicine numerous times in order to have allergy testing done but I can’t get past the itching and horrible withdrawal systems. This is currently the longest I’ve been off of it and I’m on day 3 and in misery. After 24 hours the itching started. Palm of my hands, feet, legs even inside of my mouth is itching. I wish there would have been a warning on their medication because I would not have ever started it. This is horrible. Completely miserable and all I want to do is take a pill to stop this itching. I have been taking Benadryl which is helping to make the itching not as intense but it doesn’t make it go completely away and the Benadryl makes me so sleepy. Hopefully not too many more days of this because it is absolutely horrible."

• Sarah
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2016

"I would just like to add a positive review in the midst of all the bad one. I realize that everybody react differentlyto each medicine, so I would like to say that I'm one of the people that had no symtomps whatsoever upon taking this medicine. I have severe rhinitis allergy and have been taking lots of other antihistamines. Cetrizine have work really well with me, all of the other literally made me sleep in the middle of the day! Minimal drowziness, and very effective except for some days where my allergy is so severe, I had to take the medication twice because the first one didn't work but this is a very rare case. So please don't hesitate to try it might work really well for you too!"

• Anonymous
• June 11, 2008

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I have had side effects with every single allergy drug I've tried- prescription and none - ranging from sleepy to practically comatose. Zyrtec is the only medicine that helps me and positively impacts my quality of life. "

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2009

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "I just took Zyrtec for the first time last night. I slept great, but now that I am awake, I feel so tired. I am not experiencing any of my allergy symptoms, but I am on Nasonex too. Nasonex and Zyrtec work great together, the Zyrtec is the antihistamine, and the Nasonex is just a generic allergy medication. I am very sluggish, but people have said that it wears off within a couple of days. I am a little drawn back though, people have been saying it causes problems with their moods, but I trust my doctor who prescribed it to me. Hope you all feel better soon."