Xyzal and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2019

For Allergies "My seasonal allergies just started this week due to high pollen count. I was very hopeful for the 24 hr relief promised by Xyzal, especially because it is taken in the evening. I thought the main 'drowsy' effect would be limited to the nighttime. I was wrong! I woke up feeling terrible, could barely wake up, and had to drag through a fog all day at work. Not for me, unfortunately! I guess back to non-drowsy Claritin."

• Bac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

For Allergies "Tried Xyzal for the first time last week. I noticed I was a little groggy, which I've come to expect from most antihistamines. After taking it for 4 days, I have become an absolute mess. Very irritable, moody, crying, and angry. Just generally feel like I'm losing my mind. My 5-year-old daughter had the same reaction. And it didn't even help with the sneezing, runny nose, or watery eyes. In fact, it's given me a headache on top of making me feel insane along with all the allergy symptoms. Back to Claritin for us."

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2018

For Allergies "I'm allergic to things that are both inside and outside on this planet. As far as I know, the only habitable planet that I have no choice but to stay on. My doc recommended Xyzal, I bought it the same day, then read the reviews. I wouldn't take it for 3 weeks after. Out of desperation and suffering, I started 5 days ago. I've slept for approximately 18 hours each day. (I work 12-hour days, so you can assume that I slept quite a bit at work.) When my alarm goes off, I start saying, 'You can do this! Get up, Shelby! Omg, why? Help!' After I wake, I wander around muttering, 'Why am I so tired? Something is wrong, I must be dying.' Not only am I sedated at all times, sleeping on floors and in my car, but I took my children to the park today and fell asleep on the picnic blanket for 2 hours. They could have been kidnapped."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2017

For Allergies "I took one pill at night. I slept all night and all the next day. Do not recommend. I slept all day, so don't even know if it worked for allergies. Nowhere on the package did I see a warning about sleep problems and no additional instructions in the box. Stuck with an expensive product that I cannot use. In my mind, drowsiness is not the same as being sound asleep for over 24 hours."

• Ray...
• June 4, 2017

For Allergies "Found this medication to be completely ineffective in treating my allergy symptoms. Not only was I up urinating many times during the night, but when I got out of bed, my eyes were tearing, my sinuses were swollen, and I was very drowsy. I believe this drug to be just another heavily promoted batch of promises that simply does not deliver. And yes, this stuff is not inexpensive to say the least. Save your money and just buy the home brand of antihistamine."

• hol...
• September 26, 2017

For Allergies "The instructions say that you should take it at night as it can cause drowsiness; however, this medication kept me up all night! It also made me feel anxious and weird. And to top it all off, I am still suffering from allergies. Guess it's time to try something else."

• Lau...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 8, 2023

For Urticaria "I have been taking Xyzal for over five years now and can’t see myself without it. I was diagnosed with dermatographia urticaria at age 14, and it was not manageable with Claritin, Benadryl, or Allegra. A specialist prescribed me Xyzal, and I have been taking it ever since. While I’m not usually affected by the drowsiness associated with Benadryl and Xyzal, it definitely shows up with even the slightest use of alcohol or marijuana (legal where I live). One drink for me on Xyzal is comparable to 5+ for someone not taking it. The drowsiness from interaction and its lack of access in Canada are my only complaints. I’ve had to order it online from Amazon since moving here, as no pharmacies here carry it. I would strongly recommend it to anyone with dermatographia urticaria. I will say I still need to use Allegra in addition on days where I’m exposed to lots of dust or other common allergens but still experience minimal hives on those days."

• Sic...
• January 22, 2011

For Urticaria "I have been suffering with autoimmune chronic urticaria with angioedema since August 2010. I am so over these hives. I was also diagnosed with a mild case of (ITP) idiopathic thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) in August as well. Since then, I have been on a roller coaster with these hives. One day I am hive-free, the next day I wake up with swollen lips, then a few days later my arms, back, and legs are covered in hives. Since August, I have been on Benadryl, Atarax, Singulair, Zantac, Zyrtec, Claritin, methylprednisolone, just to name a few. A few days ago, I looked on the internet and saw Xyzal. I immediately called my allergist and asked for it. I couldn't believe that it was $113.99 for 30 tabs. It was worth a try. Today is day number three on the medication, and I do notice a big difference. I still have a few hives here and there, but overall, it is a lifesaver to me. I have not noticed any major side effects so far. I have been a little drowsy, and I am shocked at that because nothing makes me sleepy. I have a feeling my hubby will have to put this one in the budget!"

• Tom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2018

For Allergies "It worked great for me. I get hives and become really itchy near dust. I thought everyone was itchy all the time, but it turns out it wasn't normal. The doctor said to take this. It hasn't made me tired or have any mood changes, though there are barely any medicines that do make me drowsy."

• cpi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 17, 2017

For Allergic Rhinitis "Been prescribed Xyzal for years. Just recently bought it over the counter for a cheaper price. The plus with this medication is that it helps a bit with my rhinitis and eliminates my hives completely. However, I'm now reading about drowsiness side effects others have been experiencing and wonder if this has been the cause of my fatigue."

• sne...
• January 30, 2010

For Allergies "I have chronic sinus allergies, and my ENT prescribed Singulair and Allegra 180 mg, one tab each per day. These worked fine for me, but my doctor then asked me to try Xyzal instead of the Allegra. I've been using this new combination for about a month or so, but for me, the Allegra may be more effective, and I don't get the 'drowsies' from it as I get with Xyzal. I then did something stupid; I tried being my own doctor and took (2) Xyzal tabs with my usual 20 mg of Singulair. The result being increased histamine and drowsiness... so folks, the moral here is: don't play doctor... abide by your doctor's instructions... he/she knows best."

• mik...
• September 19, 2009

For Allergies "I have used a lot of different allergy medicines (for dust/mold/pollen), and I have never gotten a side effect as bad as I got from this. I switched from Zyrtec to this because of a discount that was given; I have been on it for close to 10 months, and then I started losing my short-term memory, losing creativity, and it even started to make me slur words. I don't blame it entirely on this medicine; it may have been the combination of this and Astepro, but in my experience, this definitely causes drowsiness. I can't completely say to stay away from it; just be sure to monitor it right away and after about 5 months. I switched to Allegra 180mg. Hope this helps."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2019

For Allergies "Xyzal was prescribed for my daughter by her allergist for abdominal pain and bloating, with hives and an itchy mouth after certain foods. Symptoms getting worse over 5 years. Started whole tablet for 3 nights before cutting it in half due to severe drowsiness and slow response time. Ugh. She weighs 105 lb and is 22 years old. She currently complains of being horribly fatigued all day after 12 hours of sleep. Senior year in college begins next week. Bloating is still occurring, as is abdominal pain."

• Joa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2023

For Allergies "Best allergy medication I have tried in 10 years. No drowsiness, no side effects. It's working perfectly. I take one a day, at night, just as it states on the bottle, and it's working perfectly. Every once in a while, I have to take a Sudafed for a little nasal drip when allergies are severe, but that's rare."

• gle...
• May 18, 2017

For Allergies "I normally use Zyrtec liquid gels - the tablets are nowhere as effective. But they last only about 3 hours. This stuff made me a little groggy, but not when I wanted to sleep, and if it had any allergy effect, it was indistinguishable from nothing at all. Waste of money - I had so wanted a longer-lasting alternative - NG."

• Mol...
• April 7, 2017

For Urticaria "Have used it only 4 days. The first night, I felt quite sedate and went to sleep easily. The following nights were just the opposite. Have great difficulty settling down and getting to sleep. I take it about 9 pm and would like to be asleep by 11:00."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2017

For Allergies "First time using Xyzal last night for allergies. Normally, I take Benadryl, but wanted to give this product a try as it's new OTC. I only took half a pill at bedtime. Yes, my allergic symptoms cleared up, but WOW did it make me tired. I'm thankful I have the day off, as I don't know how I could function at work. I expected some drowsiness, but this far exceeds the effect of a full dose of Benadryl."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "Slept all day after taking it, felt groggy and horrible. Like taking 3 or 4 Benadryl at once. Will never take Xyzal again, the sedation is debilitating, it is so bad. Only took one dose. Incapacitated for the entire day. I have never had any problem with a bad reaction from a drug before. This is a bad drug!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "Slept all day after taking it, felt groggy and horrible. Like taking 3 or 4 Benadryl at once. Will never take Xyzal again, the sedation is debilitating, it is so bad. Only took one dose. Incapacitated for the entire day. I have never had any problem with a bad reaction from a drug before. This is a bad drug!"

• Pha...
• April 24, 2018

For Allergies "After only one dose, in the evening, I have felt sedated for 3 days now. My grandson took Xyzal at bedtime 2 nights, with sedating effects that left him on the couch and sad. We stopped Xyzal and started Allegra, and he is acting like himself again."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2021

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took Xyzal in the evening as directed, and I was so sleepy the next morning that I could barely get out of bed. During the day, the effects didn't wear off until late in the day, so it compromised my ability to focus at work. I know that it doesn't affect everyone that way, but for me, I cannot use this product. It did reduce my allergies, but the sleepiness and brain fog it caused are intolerable unless you plan on staying in bed all day."

• Pra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2022

For Allergies "I took Xyzal for a couple of months, stopped and restarted this spring. Since restarting, I was getting more fatigued and achy, little by little, with almost a drugged/hungover feeling most every morning. It would take me until late afternoon to feel somewhat functional. I chalked this up to other issues (hormonal, life changes, work stress), but then stumbled upon something that discussed such side effects with allergy medicines. After doing extensive research, I've found these effects are not as uncommon, or random, as they first appeared. After stopping about two weeks ago, I don't have the exhaustion, body/joint pain, and drugged feeling every morning. It has been a marked, and remarkable, difference. Granted, I still have allergies...but I'll gladly take those over feeling like I was 137 years old. I was getting afraid that something else was happening or that if this was just 'aging,' I wasn't going to make it much longer! I'm feeling much better now this medicine is out of my system."

• Myx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2017

For Allergic Rhinitis "I found it to be about as effective as Zyrtec, but it made me extremely drowsy. I tried only a half dose each time, and could barely get out of bed the next day. It works fairly well, but for me, it's not worth the side effects."

• Joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2021

For Allergic Rhinitis "So it seems like a lot of people have had bad experiences with this medication and have taken it over the counter. I got a prescription and spoke with a doctor before taking it, so I was aware of some side effects. The first few days were bad. I did experience the additional sleepiness and some bouts of rage and depression. I spoke with the doctor again, and they mentioned to try and stay on it for a week and see if the symptoms subside, and they did. I am 3 weeks in now, and it has helped my allergies a ton, and the side effects are gone. I am feeling great."

• NC9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2021

For Allergic Rhinitis "I have seasonal allergies and decided to try Xyzal, taking 1 pill at bedtime. It worked well for my allergies, but I woke up feeling groggy and fought drowsiness all day. By the afternoon, I took a 2-hour nap. It’s evening now, and I still feel wonky. I think I’ll stick to Claritin."