Zyrtec for Allergic Rhinitis User Reviews (Page 4)

• ban...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 7, 2021

"I was on Zyrtec for 3 years for allergies. I finally scheduled an appointment with an allergy doctor and had to stop the meds before the appointment. After two days, I had intense itching/burning on my palms and soles of my feet. To the point I had to cave and take half a pill, and it would immediately subside after 20 minutes. I stopped the meds after doing some research and seeing how bad withdrawals are. It’s been almost a month since I last took half a pill. I’ve broken out into random rashes on my neck and chest almost daily. Also, every time my boyfriend kisses me anywhere except for my face, I get a red rash. Fun times. Do not use Zyrtec!"

• sti...
• March 9, 2009

"This stuff works great. Clear head and reduced asthma reaction to allergens. The only problem is if I take it at night, it is really hard to get out of bed in the morning, and I am usually groggy for the first couple of hours at work."

• DRS...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2020

"I suffered from reoccurring respiratory infections 2-3 times a year, as well as seasonal allergies. A nurse recommended I start taking Zyrtec daily, so I did. It has been over 3 years now, and I have not had so much as a cold in that time. Now, in the spring, I have to supplement it with Benadryl, as the hay fever can get bad at certain times and make my eyes itch. But overall, I am much better off respiratory infection-wise. I also take L-Lysine daily, and my doctor had made the comment that these 2 combined could possibly act as a prophylactic against COVID as well. Thank you, Zyrtec!"

• Unk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2021

"This stuff worked great in the beginning for my allergies and overall health. I had terrible itchy skin and post-nasal drip that this medication helped with. It also gave me a healthy appetite, as I used to be underweight at 140 lbs most of my life. Now I’m a tall 217 lbs dude, and I feel healthy! The only negative side effect is this medication gave me terrible muscle pain and joint pain. I no longer take it, but it did help me for quite a while. I still have a healthy appetite and am maintaining the weight after being off of it for so long now."

• Ash...
• June 30, 2008

"I've suffered from allergies for 10-15 years. I was prescribed Claritin; all it did was make me tired. I was then prescribed Clarinex, which worked wonders, but after I lost my health insurance, I couldn't afford the prescription anymore. Once I learned Zyrtec had gone OTC, I decided to try it. I've been taking it for about three weeks, and, for the most part, it's working great. To combat the drowsiness, I take it before bed. Still have flares that require other medication, but I'm happy overall."

• Fee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 3, 2022

"Zyrtec works great for allergies, but I was having terrible anxiety. I remembered my son couldn’t take it because it made him so anxious, so I stopped taking it, and most of my anxiety disappeared within a day. Be careful with this medication. It can cause anxiety and depression."

• Mic...
• August 15, 2020

"This is the only allergy medicine I use after trying multiple ones. It works best for me without any side effects except very slight drowsiness. I also have an anxiety disorder, but this medicine doesn’t affect it at all, if anything, it helps. I take it as needed and sometimes daily if my allergies are bad or if my asthma kicks in. I’ve used it on and off for the last 7 years. My allergist recommended it and said it works the best for me after allergy skin tests."

• Be ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2022

"Don’t take!!!! I started taking Zyrtec at the end of February due to fluid in my ears. My medical provider recommended taking it every day through spring. I started feeling very sad and thought I was just because of the long, cold winter. I was also feeling tired all the time and napping more than usual. I thought it was from starting work earlier at my new job. I had my annual physical yesterday, and my MD noticed I had an irregular heart rate, and an EKG verified this. She is referring me to a cardiologist. When I got home from my appointment, I remembered that the only thing that has changed is that I started taking Zyrtec, so I didn’t take it today, and I swear that I feel 10 years younger. My joints don’t ache, I have energy, and I feel less anxious…. I plan to see the cardiologist, but I would bet my house that my heart rate is back to normal without the Zyrtec…."

• tdk...
• February 18, 2009

"I have had allergic rhinitis for as long as I can remember. OTCs worked for a while, but my symptoms always returned. My primary care provider prescribed Zyrtec and Flonase. Though prescribed to use each of these medications on a daily basis, I use them only when required, and the combination halts my attacks within 20 minutes of taking them. I could not be happier with this regimen."

• Vio...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 24, 2023

"I only take it when I feel itchy and have watery eyes, an itchy nose and throat, and sneezing mostly due to seasonal allergies. I try not to take it on a daily basis but only if I feel hay fever symptoms are coming. I feel the effect within an hour and for the rest of the day, I’m allergy-free, which is great. However, the next day I’m exhausted, lethargic, find it hard to concentrate, I get a headache, and I feel like my head is super cloudy. If I have no more allergies that day, I won’t take it again, and the next day I’m back to having normal energy. I’ve sometimes had to take it for days and weeks in a row when the pollen levels are very high, and I get the same low energy lethargic feeling every day I take it, but it does prevent a sinus infection, which I am prone to, and stops me from ending up having to take antibiotics."

• Kan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 27, 2021

"I've been frustrated, in pain, and experiencing irritating skin with an uncontrollable itch over my entire body for the last two weeks. I stopped taking the medicine to prepare for an allergy test. A few days later, I'm itching all over; it's affecting me mentally. It was so bad I took Benadryl daily. Guess what? I wasn't able to take my allergy test. When I told my doctor about the uncontrollable itch, they never mentioned this being a withdrawal symptom from Zyrtec; how is it possible they wouldn't be aware of this? I feel like I'm going crazy. The doctor prescribed prednisone to help, but it's not. My scalp, soles, palms, and entire body are irritated and itching. I've cried. Why is this medicine still on the shelf and doctors not warning their patients?"

• Joh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 12, 2023

"I have chronic allergies. From all the drugs I've tried over the years, this one worked the best for me. That's not to say it really worked great. Just better than others. But it's a funny one, some days it worked, some days it didn't. Often I was taking up to 30 mg a day (3 tabs), the effect was fairly mild but better than nothing. About 6 months ago, I decided to stop, so I did, and nothing happened, no withdrawals, etc. I simply decided to try a natural way like Neti Pot, healthier food, and indeed I'm getting better results. Only a strange thing is, after I stopped Zyrtec, I've started to have arthritis problems. Not sure if this drug caused it or my age, but the arthritis has been getting much worse over the past 6 months. On the contrary, I read reports that antihistamines can help arthritis pain, so I'm going to try taking it again for a few days and see what happens."

• Anonymous
• November 13, 2008

"The best OTC antihistamine. Relieves sneezing and that stuffy feeling in your nose. Doesn't seem to do much about the post-nasal drip or the coughing, though. A bit of a stimulant for me, it makes me a bit energetic and hyper, even with just 5 mg."

• Ray...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 10, 2021

"I began taking Zyrtec on a daily basis around 1.5 years ago. For allergy testing, I stopped Zyrtec cold turkey. One day off Zyrtec, I was dealing with intensely itchy hands and fingers, and some dizziness. After 2 days, I was miserable with the itchiness on my arms, neck, chest, stomach, and hands. I have never felt anything like it before. Even the intensity of mosquito and ant bites pales in comparison. Three days off, I was in bed for 5 hours because I was so dizzy I couldn't stand up, and my whole torso was on fire with itch. I called my allergist, who told me to take Benadryl. Thirty minutes after taking the Benadryl, the itchiness and dizziness was completely gone. The next day, I started taking Zyrtec again. I thought that it was all because I was allergic to something in my environment, but I have never had those symptoms occur like that due to seasonal allergies before stopping the Zyrtec."

• Ska...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 26, 2017

"This product has worked well for me overall. I use it in conjunction with Dymista, and the two together are great. If I miss a dose, then I'm itchy all over, so I take it every day religiously. The main side effect I've experienced (and this is common with Claritin and other similar products) is dry eye, but I simply use some Refresh Plus once a day and it's not a problem."

• ela...
• July 8, 2009

"My child cannot swallow pills, so the chewable Zyrtec is wonderful. Quick tip: to avoid drowsiness the next morning, take your dosage by early evening (don't wait until bedtime). By doing so, you'll get a comfortable night's sleep while breathing easily, too."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 12, 2021

"I have taken this for the first time ever and feel absolutely awful. I lost all appetite, am so tired and lethargic, and have been so itchy tonight that I cannot sleep. I will never take this ever again. I just hope it leaves my body very soon. It did not even seem to help my allergies at all. I was so moody and depressed from this medicine on top of everything else. Never again. :("

• Fun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 16, 2021

"I take this daily as it helps my cat allergies, (I live with two cats), helps my mood swings (I am autistic), and generally just makes me feel a lot better due to decreasing all the inflammation in my body from all my health issues. Or maybe it's just a placebo effect."

• Lau...
• January 13, 2018

"I used Zyrtec D for some really bad sinus pressure. It makes you sleepy during the day and anxious at night, but it has a very strong decongestant, and it works. I would never consider using it for a chronic condition because the side effects are pretty heavy, but if you're just using it for a few days to help while you kick something, it works great."

• Itc...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 9, 2021

"I had to go off Zyrtec for allergy testing, and the itching was awful. I was able to get prednisone to take, but by nighttime it wore off, and I was up itching. I didn’t want prednisone at night as it wires me, but I guess the itching kept me up anyways. I also take Zyrtec at night. So mornings are very difficult to wake up. I notice now that I’m off it, getting up isn’t as rough. What can I take to replace it that won't put me through awful withdrawal itching? Please help! Don’t take Zyrtec."

• Let...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 8, 2022

"I use this for seasonal allergies. I only take it as needed. I tried the 5 mg dose, but I found the 10 mg dose is more effective. It clears from the body in about 48 hours, so take heed because you do not want to have it in your system if you are planning on going out drinking alcohol on a weekend or whenever. I would advise not to drink alcohol in general. I find that Zyrtec works better than other allergy medications. I have tried other allergy medications and found that they keep me awake, whereas Zyrtec tends to knock me out, so I only take it a few hours before bedtime. In my previous country, it only came in tablet form. But in my current country, it also comes as a syrup. I prefer the syrup form because it causes fewer stomach issues. I noticed with the tablets that sometimes it would cause loose stools the next day or two. I do not notice that with the syrup, so I think it must be from something that is in the tablets besides the active ingredient. Stay well."

• par...
• March 20, 2009

"This medicine seems to help my 10-year-old son with his allergies, but he still needs Benadryl as well sometimes - to keep the fluid down in his ears. I agree on the square bottle and weird bottle neck - it is very difficult to get just one pill out, and they tend to fly everywhere when they do come out. Hoping they change that bottle."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 15, 2022

"I went off of it because I had the flu and needed to take cold medicine, and it interacted. I have itched for days. Miserable itching, my entire body is raw from scratching, and I felt like I was losing my mind. I realized today the itching is from not taking Zyrtec. Please don’t start this if you haven’t already. It’s not worth it."

• KTa...
• July 5, 2021

"I don't know what day I'm on. It's a nightmare. I washed with apple cider vinegar. And I mixed tea tree oil with cocoa butter and rubbed tea tree oil on my scalp. It's helping. I'm also looking into doing a liver cleanse and currently drinking sassafras tea."

• Swi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2021

"I have to say this medication is amazing for the most part! I have always struggled with too much histamine in my system for years. Not only did it knock out my allergies, but it also gave me an appetite like no other (which I needed). I have always had a lack of appetite as a male over 6 ft. I weighed about 130 - 135 pounds most of my life. Now for the first time, I weigh 186 pounds! The doctor is impressed with how healthy my lab work is! (Since my RBC, WBC, and platelet count was low from lack of nutrition.) All of those things are great for me! The only negative is I think I get some joint pain when I am on this med for 2 weeks or more. So I have to stop it for about 3 days before resuming (joint pain dissipates quickly.) Worth it compared to having allergies and being anorexic."