Zyrtec and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Ear...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I am a nurse who has been taking this for seasonal allergies and I wanted to write my review on Zyrtec. I noticed depression in mood, weight gain, sluggish bowels, and some urinary retention. All my seasonal allergy symptoms did not subside to my satisfaction. When getting off Zyrtec, you may experience uncontrollable itching that you did not have before taking the med. I'll tell you how to get off it without the itch. Start taking 10mg of Claritin each night for two nights, then cut Claritin in half to 5mg and take for three more nights, then stop taking Claritin. That takes the itch away, and Claritin does not have the withdrawal itch. Once you stop Claritin and Zyrtec, you will quickly lose any weight you gained, and your mood should improve. Hope that helps."

• Nal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "This medicine is absolutely awful. Please avoid! If you take it long term, you will experience the following: 1- weight gain 2- sleepiness 3- irritability 4- heart palpitations 5- severe anxiety 6- muscle twitches 7- hypertension 8- bloating 9- IBS. Those are serious side effects. I implore you to do everything you can to avoid taking this stuff. On a positive note, once you quit, all those symptoms will clear within a few days to a week. PS: when you quit, you may experience severe Pruritus, please wait it out and refrain from popping another pill, I promise you it will go away despite how miserable it can be. It is like withdrawing from a real drug, which is scary. It will subside."

• Jas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 4, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "I have been taking Zyrtec daily for allergies for a year or more. I have tried to stop, and like many others, I get extreme and intense itching. Scratching does not help and makes large red spots. It does not stop and is a horrible feeling. I also had chest and back pain after stopping. It's horrible, and you should not take it. Crazy that they allow this drug. Others posted about weight gain and being tired. This is also something that I have and may have been caused by this drug. Anyway, I have been off it for 3 days. I am hoping this nightmare stops soon because it is a horrible feeling."

• Mir...
• July 8, 2021

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!"

• Anonymous
• February 27, 2012

For Allergic Rhinitis "I thought Zyrtec (cetirizine) was great at first because it worked so well on my allergies. I have gained 15 pounds over 1.5 years. I didn't think it was related to Zyrtec, but recently figured out that it is. I am an extremely healthy eater (no processed foods or white flours/sugars), a runner, and a triathlete without weight issues before Zyrtec. I attributed the weight gain to age, hormones, and finally my thyroid. Blood tests ruled out the hormone and thyroid issues. I only take HRT & Zyrtec. I stopped Zyrtec 3 days ago and have lost 2 pounds without any changes in diet. I am willing to suffer with allergy symptoms if I can lose this weight."

• Anonymous
• June 4, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "I was prescribed Zyrtec by my doctor when I was very young for my seasonal allergies. A few years later, I started taking it every day, and this kept going on for 4 years (daily usage). I will not deny the fact that Zyrtec is the most effective allergy pill I have EVER taken, and that even though it doesn’t completely relieve me from ALL my allergy symptoms, it is fast and effective. However, nothing is perfect. I decided to stop it because I’ve become too dependent on it. I’m sure it’s going to be a tough journey, but I’m willing to do this for the sake of my body. It makes you drowsy, affects your sleep (I have always been a light sleeper, but Zyrtec made it impossible for me to feel like I slept well), causes depression, and worsens my anxiety. I also read that it causes weight gain. I was 60 KG before and was noticeably slimmer. I gained 10 KG in the span of 4 years. Itching is better than being physically dependent on something as strong as Zyrtec."

• Anonymous
• March 2, 2010

For Allergic Rhinitis "Caused loss of ability to focus, gained 30 lbs in six weeks I was on it. Many, many more symptoms. Stopped using, and all but the weight went away. Weight dropped 10 lbs in 2 weeks after stopping."

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I have been on Zyrtec for 2 weeks. My throat is scratchy all the time. I am depressed, and I’ve gained about 4 lbs."