Cetirizine and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• Jak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "This has been the worst medication I have ever been on. My symptoms are EXTREME upper back pain, brain fog, memory problems, fatigue like crazy, anxiety like crazy, and just an overall feeling that something is terribly not right in my brain. I can’t even tell you how I feel. I feel drugged up, but in the worst possible way. My mom actually looked at me and said I seem off. This med worked great for my post-nasal drip, but I will never take this ever again or any long-acting antihistamine. I did not feel this way at first, it’s like this awful med built up in my body, and I’m noticing symptoms now, and it’s terrible. I can’t get it out of my body fast enough!!"

• Mir...
• July 8, 2021

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "This drug is horrific. I’ve been taking Zyrtec daily for about 3 years. It got to the point where my allergies were still so bad that the medication wasn’t even lasting me 24 hours. I did not want to begin taking injections, so I started skipping 2-3 days to see if that would help build my tolerance back up. I’ve been googling itchy palms and soles for months, years, trying to figure out where this was coming from! I finally found the answer, it is Zyrtec withdrawal! I’ve been off of it for 9 days now, and I’m still experiencing severe itching all over my body! Other symptoms included moodiness, weight gain, brain fog, dizziness, and overall dependence on the drug. Zyrtec causes crazy withdrawals! I also feel like my allergies were worse taking this medication, I would get extreme congestion and itchy eyes. Both of those two symptoms have gone away since getting off this medication and removing dairy from my diet. I would rather heal from a low histamine diet than ever take this drug again!"

• bev...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 5, 2021

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "Took Zyrtec for over 10 years. 35-year-old female. I have bad dust and seasonal allergies. It has always been incredibly helpful. I recently read that long-term use of antihistamines can affect brain health, so I decided to quit to see if I notice any changes. Something different happened. I am on day 6 without Zyrtec, and it has been miserable. I had no idea what was going on given the pandemic. I’m nauseous, foggy, my tattoos are raised, my upper arms and shoulders are swollen, my scalp is itching and extremely sensitive, my palms and fingers are itching, and I have bruising on my arms. I finally googled Zyrtec withdrawal, and there it is, exact symptoms. The bruises are from scratching. Today I discovered tiny bumps in the places that have been itchy. I’m wondering how long this will last. Advice: don’t take Zyrtec long-term. If you have been, lower your dosage slowly. Don’t be a hero and go cold turkey. I wouldn’t have, but I’m already so many days into it, I figure it has to stop at some point."

• Dar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2016

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "Zyrtec knocks me out. Period. I took a pill at noon, and by 2:00 PM, I lay down, virtually passed out. I slept for two hours straight. In the middle of the day. When I awoke, I could barely function. Brain fog, lethargy, no energy. To tell the truth, I was so spaced out for so long that I couldn't tell if it helped my sinus condition or not. I wouldn't dream of taking it if I had to drive. It would make a great sleeping pill."

• Mal...
• June 27, 2017

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "My eyes had been bothering me so much, they are constantly red and irritated, gritty feeling no matter what I do from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. I decided to try Zyrtec because my eyes were so bothersome, and antihistamine eye drops didn't work. I've been taking it for 2 weeks, and I have never seen my eyes so white and feeling so good. I don't have to use eye drops at all now. However, there is one downside: Zyrtec makes me feel exhausted. It's not like when you take Benadryl and you feel like you could fall asleep standing up, it's more of a foggy feeling, and you just feel like you could go for a nap, but the feeling never goes away even if you do nap."

• Pat...
• June 23, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I agree with the comments about making you drowsy and sleepy. Seemed to be okay 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-hour naps in the day. At work, I had to have power naps in the bog so I wouldn’t collapse at my desk. My brain was foggy, and it drains and sucks the life out of you to a point that I almost felt depressed."

• xte...
• April 13, 2017

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Urticaria "I've had chronic hives for most of my life. I can't tell you the different types of medical 'cocktails' I've been on. I've tried doxepin up to 100 mg... made me loopy all day long. Don't really want to take anything that will mess with my brain. I've taken Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, Zyrtec with Zantac, I've switched antacids---be careful with Prilosec. That will lower your B12 quicker than anything. Mine got so low, I had to start giving myself B12 shots from taking the Prilosec. Nothing is working for me! I am miserable beyond comprehension! If anyone has any other suggestions, please post. Thank you."

• HBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took one standard dose of cetirizine in the evening to combat hay fever symptoms. I felt really drowsy and sedated within an hour and had to go to bed. I then slept for 9 hours. When the alarm woke me, I could not get out of bed, I was dizzy, my eyes couldn't focus, and I felt so tired I couldn't think straight. I went back to bed and slept with crazy dreams until lunchtime. I forced myself to get up at lunchtime, but I feel dreadful, mind fog, and so, so tired. I would rather have hay fever symptoms than this."

• AZJ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 13, 2022

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "I took this on and off for several years, and then recently, it started to make me feel like a zombie. Is it a new formulation? Not sure... but I suggest you AVOID."