You may take this medicine with or without food. I have been on zyrtec for 2 and 1/2 years. The itching is from hell. I am going to try weaning off Zyrtec slowly, 1/2 a dose then less, have ordered supplement with quercetin and beta glucan alongside the vitamins A, C, and D, and the minerals selenium and zinc. Stops itch almost immediately. Finally! 2 to 5 years: Week 2 Upon starting my second week of withdrawal, the itching was still pretty constant, but the intensity had lowered. Albeit, smaller ones that the initial attack in 2018. In addition, FDA continues to monitor and assess serious adverse events for all approved products reported by healthcare providers, patients, and others. So glad for you Barbara! My plan is to reduce to 2.5mg in the next couple of months (wintertime in Australia) so that in spring I will be able to come off it completely. Best of luck to you! Zyrtec (Cetirizine Orally Disintegrating Tablets). You should also not drink alcohol while taking either of these medications because it can make these side effects worse. Upon starting my second week of withdrawal, the itching was still pretty constant, but the intensity had lowered. I too have been experiencing the itching and the anxiety and the depression when trying to quit. As stated on the FDA website Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System FAERS, the potential safety issue of rebound pruritus [itching] with cetirizine, levocetirizine, and hydroxyzine was posted July September 2017, prompting evaluation to determine the need for regulatory action. Popped another Zyrtec and it went away. Still holding on taking the antibiotic. Susan, Im sure you have ptsd from scabies, but I assure you that those damn bugs are gone and this is a different beast! The most common side effects, usually mild to moderate, are sleepiness, fatigue, pharyngitis, dry mouth and dizziness. I still itch a little every night (I wonder if I have a histamine intolerance) and I do fine with an Allegra or Benadryl. As Susan said, this feels similar to scabies mites, which I have had years ago. Vitamin C is crucial during illness/ infection and most of us dont get enough in our daily diets. As a result of this review, the prescription levocetirizine Prescribing Information was revised to include the following information about pruritus after discontinuation of cetirizine in the Adverse Reactions-Postmarketing Experience section (6.2): FDA plans on publishing the results of the review in a peer-reviewed journal to further disseminate the information. It is considered a second-generation non-sedating antihistamine. (I found this method on a Google search) I stopped the Claritin after 3 days, and there was no itching! Day 4 was the worst, and since I had read that, I tried to be patient, and the hives did finally go away, not to return. I looked it up to see if this was common and found all these blogs. The next time, I cut one in half for 3 days. Here is the link http://www.floodlawgroup.com/zyrtec-withdrawal-lawyers/ 48 hours after my last pill I began itching like crazy. Then, it dawned on me that I had run out of Zyrtec when I was filling my pill minder last week. My mom is going through the same thing. Uses: The body needs to get back in balance without meds and that can take some time. Its been absolute hell, and The headache that feels like a migraine has also been intense, but is improving a bit each day, along with sleep and weight loss. a discolored tongue. I hope you can find a way off Zyrtec and then in time be completely itch free! -Maintenance dose: 2.5 mg orally once to 2 times a day These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Im sleeping with an ice pack on my chest and legs to sooth the hives/bumps. (I specifically took Costcos generic version of Zyrtec called Aller-Tec. Both contain the same active ingredient, Cetirizine HCl the generic name of the drug but most people know the brand name of the drug, Zyrtec.) She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. This all began over two years ago when I began taking it daily. Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. That it was more of a withdrawal. The next day I had an appointment with my PCP to have a biopsy of the rash. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. 2 to 5 years: Glad to know you are doing so well post Zyrtec! Recently though, I was reading up about chronic urticaria and an article mentioned the typical duration is less than a year, so this eight year itch situation didnt make much sense to me. Its excruciating. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. OMG!!! Im glad it worked out for you, but my question for you and other allergy sufferers out there, is that once you are off Zyrtec, what are you doing now, or planning to do to alleviate the other allergies problems that we suffered before Zyrtec? Then I went cold turkey. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. The 5th day the tingling of my tongue and lips was gone. Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine often used to treat allergies, nasal congestion or hives. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. I only have these dreams as the latter.. I developed chronic hives about 6 months ago. I would love to never take another zyrtec but I dont think I can put myself through that agony again. increased sensitivity of the skin to the sun. Im taking it like a marathon, and looking forward to the finish line but I know its going to be misery until then. Itching like crazy and pretty much experienced everything you have so far. 1.9% of children aged 6 to 11 years experienced drowsiness with 5mg of cetirizine and 4.2% of children experienced drowsiness with 10mg of cetirizine. Local lotions and creams dont help. Strenuous exercise. Its important for you to be your number one advocate at this time and take care of yourself first. Spending time on my rowing machine each day, I was forced to focus on something else. I AM DETERMINED THIS TIME I WILL BEAT IT. I am going to start the tapering so that its not a complete shock to our systems, but appreciate everyones stories here! I really like your approach to the withdrawal. Its just baffling. I will hang in there and will never take Zyrtec again!. Should cetirizine be taken at bedtime or upon awakening? Good call to wait on withdrawal until after your surgery and to do it slowly! Ive not been able to make it more than 10 days of the severe itching before Ive become totally deranged. They make you sleepy but have worked better for me. Here are a few of their reports: I took Zyrtec at bedtime for two years for allergies. About two days after halving the dose I started itching. Several years back, my MD switched me over to Xyzal because my body had now built up an immunity to all of the other standard medicinal histamine treatments. Every day since then the itch has subsided more and more. Despite my dermatologist downplaying my experience and symptoms, I feel encouraged after reading this blog, as I now understand why Im having these symptoms. Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Zyrtec theory still held strong. I did purchase some lotions that help to numb the skin, including Sarna Anti-Itch Lotion, Bengay with Lidocaine, and I bought hydrocortisone cream to relieve the itch. It took more than a year. Still itching.but Im super depressed and having the worst panic attacks ever. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose. Same with pepperminty shampoo and oils. -Maximum dose: 5 mg/day during the day but was still around at night. Best of luck to you! I work in the medical field (ICU nurse) and not a single person I mention this to has any idea that its a thing. Thank you so much for sharing this! Readers have been complaining about this reaction for many years. Along with its needed effects, cetirizine (the active ingredient contained in Zyrtec) may cause some unwanted effects. Now I want to plan and get off this ridiculous medicine. Just try to withdrawal when things are slower or easier with work or school and dont try this during busy months. "Product Information. Version: 12.01. prednisone, fluticasone nasal, montelukast, loratadine, cetirizine, promethazine, Benadryl, diphenhydramine, Xolair. Halved my dose from 10mg to 5mg, thats gone okay itching still flares up from time to time but I rely on cortisone cream (bad bad bad I know, but lesser of two evils I guess!). Claritin is active in the body for at least 24 hours. Swallow several times as the tablet dissolves. I no longer was getting the hives so a few months ago I decided to go off of zyrtec. The itch was a 3 out of 10, but still flared up to a 4-5 at night. Hot showers makes it worse while cold compression/showers are magic. Red Wine/Alcohol Red wine is a big no-go with Zyrtec withdrawal. Allergies were terrible but Ive moved so am now off it for good. There were moments in the past where my skin would constantly itch and I did not know why. dizziness. After a couple of months, my husband asked a pharmacist what the best options were and came home with zyrtec and a steroid cream. She said she had never seen anything like it and could not readily identify it. In addition to treatment with Permethrin, a limited course of steroids and Ivermectin, I was prescribed double doses of various oral antihistamines (Allegre, Zyzal, Zyrtec) to relieve the symptoms of what is known as post-scabies, which was basically more intense itching and hives! Im glad you found remedies to help with the itch. Use these dosage charts for infants and children under 12 years old: Use Zyrtec exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Thinking that a hot bath would help, I sat in one for almost an hour. Dr. Woodcock has asked me to respond. I take Benadryl from time to time to help with allergies. It kept me grounded and sane as I went through my painfully itchy month from hell withdrawing from Zyrtec. Q. I stopped taking Zyrtec last week and have been suffering extreme itchiness since then. I decided to try another antihistamin called fexofenydril. The most commonly reported side effects include somnolence, dizziness, and headache. Then about 4 weeks ago, I tried a new shampoo free from parabens and sulfates, supposedly natural and discovered I was allergic to one of its ingredients (cocamidopropolyl betaine). Im on day 5 of Zyrtec withdrawal (which I didnt even know existed) Ive been taking it for a year and a half and I decided to go off it since its not ragweed season or Spring pollen season yet and wanted to see if I did okay in the winter without a daily allergy pill. I was now a 6 on my itch scale. I started taking the Zyrtec about 8 years ago when I became itchy and a friend with dermatographia recommended it. I did it as I would most other long-term drugs: I tapered it back. This year was different! Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose. Anything I can do to stop the anxiety? Thanks! Alternatives to oral decongestants are available. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies. This needs to get researched! O 0. Thank you for your email of May 15, 2018 to Dr. Janet Woodcock regarding cetirizine (Zyrtec) and levocetirizine (Xyzal) and withdrawal reactions (pruritus). Best of luck to you on your journey. It was so helpful to me. Spray on the really tough spots. I was shocked! Levocetirizine is an antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, itching eyes /nose, and sneezing. -Some experts recommend: Patients over 65 years of age should start with 5 mg orally once a day. Im not sure if the bath simply dried out my skin or if it brought too much histamine to the surface of my skin; whatever the reason, I never took another one. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's demands, this is called heart failure. Had no idea what was going on, covered in hives, went to the urgent care, they had no clue, gave me steroids. I am experiencing anxiety real bad right now. Maybe I really do have some bad allergies. The typical daily dose of Claritin for adults and children who are 6 years and older is 10 mg per day. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Days 3-4 were the worst. a type of stomach irritation called gastritis. 6 years and older: 5 to 10 mg orally once a day After a week I felt wheezy and my tongue felt a bit swollen. It works . What a drug! You are most definitely not crazy. The hives did go away after 3-5 months, but having misunderstood I was taking 4 pills 2x a day (80mg). Scratching and scraping my body was the only thing that relieved the disturbing itch. I also used the softer side of a pumice stone while in the shower to soothe the itch. And for about a week, the hives didnt return. My scalp, my ears (even inside), my mouth and throat, my eyes were itching like hell. Ive been trying to stop taking Zyrtec for many years. As stated on the FDA website Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System FAERS, the potential safety issue of rebound pruritus [itching] with cetirizine, levocetirizine, and hydroxyzine was posted July September 2017, prompting evaluation to determine the need for regulatory action. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, if they get worse, or if you also have a fever. I refuse to go back on any oral allergy medications again. When possible, choose non-drowsy antihistamines, says Dr. Miller. These include Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Claritin (loratadine). No issues with those meds. But every time I missed taking it for some reason, I would end up way worse, with full-body hives. O 0, 3. Heres what I did, what meds I took, and how I coped with my 2+ weeks of misery: Patience Patience is the most important thing. Apparently, though, I was itching in my sleep and would wake with scratch marks. Day 1 was surprisingly tolerable but on day 2, the itching worsened. Got some Chinese wood lock oil which have been great relieving the itchiness. Zyrtec pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings, Zyrtec Dosage Charts (Infants & Children). Hello, my experience after reading Brents message: I took 1/2 Zyrtec for 3 days, then 1/2 a Claritin for 3 days. Older adults may need to take a lower than normal dose. Ive never eaten more clean or been in better shape than I am now, so I decided to test out the Zyrtec withdrawal theory. A. And it clicked. -Maximum dose: 5 mg/day She said sometimes it could last 6 weeks. When I miss a dose of Zyrtec, my symptoms come back tenfold almost to a textbook time lapse. Im being patient so my severe itching and hives also go away. I think I now have developped an intolerance to any antihistamin but if I dont take any Zyrtecat all, the itching is horrible. Best of luck to you! Looking forward to the next 4 weeks for me! I have no idea if this helped, but I took it everyday. I dont know what to do about it. During my third week off Zyrtec, my skin was healing from all the trauma I inflicted on it from scratching constantly. On June 3, 2018 we heard back from another high official at the FDA, Dr. Gerald J. Dal Pan, Director, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology. Maybe you can take a 1/2 Benadryl just to be able to work and exercise. When I reached the 3rd week the itchiness started disappearing but I started getting allergy symptoms like coughing and chest tightness( difficulty breathing). Let your body adjust with every dose alteration you make. In France you need a prescription. I eventually started back on the Zyrtec when the reflux drainage got worse. What I dont get is WHY doctors are not aware of this. I hope your doctors can help. Generic name: cetirizine [se-TIR-a-zeen] Withdrawal from an allergy medication should NOT happen, should NOT take this long, and should NOT make a person miserable for WEEKS. Zyrtec is used in adults and children to treat cold or allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, watery eyes, or runny nose. I believe Ive also developed Dermatographia, or skin writing, from this whole mess. I grew up with dogs and never had hives/itchness like this! Palpitations are described as an unpleasant awareness of the heart beating or a fast heart rate, called tachycardia 3. Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, vision problems, agitation, feeling restless and then drowsy or tired, fast heartbeats, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, trouble walking, or trouble swallowing or speaking. I have been on Zyrtec daily for 12 years for allergies and itchy rash. However, antihistamines that include a decongestant could cause problems. Worth looking at it? 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