Cetirizine and Nausea: What Users Say

• 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."

• Nit...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2020

Zyrtec (cetirizine) "Be careful of this so-called Zyrtec drug, it’s awful! Here is what happened when I tried to quit because I have been gaining weight and feeling depressed on it: 1- Heart palpitation 2- Blurred vision 3- Severe nausea 4- Severe migraine 5- Insomnia 6- Uncontrollable weight loss 7- Irritability 8- Severe pruritus. I implore you do not take this Zyrtec, the FDA is pure awful to not mention the side effects of withdrawal. I have been 12 days Zyrtec-free, and I’m getting my life back!"

• DAr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2020

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "Allergy triggers have been ruthless this year, so I had to bring the ol' Zyrtec out of the cabinet. Everything was great at first, but then I started experiencing nausea that grew worse as the weeks went on. In between weeks three and four, I decided that it was becoming unbearable and also remembered this as being why I stopped taking Zyrtec when I got this bottle last year. My last dose was three days ago. I, like most here, developed the burning/itching withdrawal symptom about 48 hours after my last dose, but it has not been as severe as some describe, nor was it the last time I stopped. My guess is that most reporting intense experiences have taken Zyrtec long-term while I was only a month in this time and roughly two months the last time I took it. I can imagine how bad it could get if it's as noticeable as it is for me after only a month, though. My advice would be to not use this stuff regularly if possible, or at all if you can avoid it altogether."

• All...
• January 26, 2018

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "Stayed at my friend's house who had a cat. I knew I was allergic, so I stayed far away from 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 10 mg Zyrtec. 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 an 8.5-hour 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."

• 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."

• AZJ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 21, 2022

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Allergic Rhinitis "I had been using this several times a week for years. At the same time, I had strange gut pain, mild nausea, and generally, days where I just felt lousy. Many days with anxiety and fatigue. My eyes get extremely dry overnight too. I tried so many things, including many doctor visits, leading to CT scans and ultrasounds, nothing found. I would sometimes have some pretty good days, never realizing that the bad days occurred when I took Zyrtec. I use this site often, as I am very sensitive to all drugs and supplements, but never dreamed that Zyrtec could be the source of most of my issues. After reading the negative comments, I stopped taking it, and my gut pain went away almost immediately, as did the general malaise and anxiety. I had thought these popular OTC antihistamines were harmless! I tried Claritin and Allegra and they are no bargain either, but not nearly as bad as this nasty drug. Good old Benadryl works fine, but is not recommended for daily use."

• bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2021

Zyrtec (cetirizine) for Urticaria "Unfortunately, I had a severe reaction to generic Zyrtec last night. I took 10 mg before bed. I woke up with severe heartburn, nausea, and an abnormal heart rhythm. I took sodium bicarbonate to relieve the acidic heartburn. I went back to bed only to be awakened with another severe heartburn, but in addition, I was extremely dizzy, nauseous, had cold sweats, and a sick feeling. I went to the bathroom nauseous. I barely made it back to bed as I was about to faint. Fortunately, my bed isn’t far from my bathroom, as I almost fell from faintness and dizziness. My head was soaked in cold sweats. In the late morning, I found out that there is a percentage of women in my age group, 60s, that have fainted with Zyrtec who have taken it for less than a month - in which I have only taken it since my Patch Test allergic reactions on Thursday. No other symptoms since the drug wore off."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "The side effects of cetirizine are horrible and not worth taking, it made me drowsy, nauseous, and I could not go to work. I threw it in the trash and would not recommend it. It did nothing for the hay fever symptoms."