https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2042098619859996. Since that time, I have steadily gained about 30 lbs, and have constant tiredness and brain fog. I went to the doctor and he advised me to continue with Zyrtec! Red Wine/Alcohol Red wine is a big no-go with Zyrtec withdrawal. Day 1 was surprisingly tolerable but on day 2, the itching worsened. I grew up with a wide variety of animals and as an adult now work with them. I AM DETERMINED THIS TIME I WILL BEAT IT. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Zyrtec. Best of luck to you . As I mentioned in myprevious post, the first days after discontinuing Zyrtec were the worst. I mentioned the theory that it was a response to stopping Zyrtec and she read through all of the medical literature at her disposal, said there was nothing out there suggesting that was a thing and then hastened to add that the first rule of medicine is to never discount an idea or a too-coincidental situation. Kathy Jutila has been writing health-related articles since 1979. Thanks! Thanks for letting us know what worked for you. There are articles about how Zyrtec creates this addiction due to the itching also in the French press but again, NO study and NO WARNING on the labels in France either. During the first week of withdrawal, I took cool showers, as that brought me more relief than heat. . The itch was a 3 out of 10, but still flared up to a 4-5 at night. Ive been taking Zyrtec for almost a year now because of my cat allergies. months to years) of cetirizine. Really helped. The weirdest withdrawal symptom I have is vivid, bad dreams. I too have been experiencing the itching and the anxiety and the depression when trying to quit. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 45,241 people who have side effects when taking . Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. This includes alcohol, fermented foods, and some artificial colorings and preservatives because they can trigger histamine release. Take Benadryl at night to help get sleep. Originally started taking it on my doctors recommendation for Chronic Urticaria possible brought on by menopause. 5 to 10 mg orally once a day I later found an article about the itching and took it to her. Taper Your Dosage The second most important piece of advice is to taper your dose. You should also not drink alcohol while taking either of these medications because it can make these side effects worse. Most patients with heart disease and allergies can safely take popular antihistamines. -Relief of symptoms associated with perennial allergic rhinitis due to allergens (e.g., sneezing, rhinorrhea, postnasal discharge, nasal pruritus, ocular pruritus, tearing) in patients 2 years and older When I miss a dose of Zyrtec, my symptoms come back tenfold almost to a textbook time lapse. Coincidentally, I am scheduled for knee replacement surgery in 5 weeks, so have decided to continue taking 2 tabs of Zyrtec 10 mg every night until after the surgery and subsequent PT. Jutila received a Bachelor of Science in biology, and a Master of Science in microbiology from Montana State University. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, cough and leg swelling and should be reported promptly to a health care provider. I switched to allegra, which is also cetirizine to be able to taper off. #stuc, Lost Cove Creek - We got very familiar with this c, One of four cars from the 20s and 30s that w, Atop Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, home of an imp, Dr. Bronners Hemp Peppermint Pure Castile Soap, My Journey Through Varicose Vein Treatment, What Women Need to Know about Varicose Veins, http://www.floodlawgroup.com/zyrtec-withdrawal-lawyers/, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2042098619859996. My cardiologist recommended I stop taking Zyrtec because it can give you an irregular heart beat. Your reactions could be impaired. We still could find nothing in the prescribing information or on the OTC label about Zyrtec withdrawal either. So glad I found this article! Had no idea what was going on, covered in hives, went to the urgent care, they had no clue, gave me steroids. I took it for only 1 month but It is hell. 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. Same with pepperminty shampoo and oils. You can get through this! Sounds like youre on a great plan. Version: 12.01. prednisone, fluticasone nasal, montelukast, loratadine, cetirizine, promethazine, Benadryl, diphenhydramine, Xolair. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, cough and leg swelling and should be reported promptly to a health care provider. for 4.5 years but didnt realize until I accidentally missed a dose. After deciding to go to an allergist and being told to go off any antihistamines for 7 days before testing, I quit cold turkey, not expecting much more than stuffy nose and watery eyes. "In some people, cetirizine may . The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. I often dug my fingernails into irritated skin, activating pain signals and temporarily blocking the itch. you have to do frequent dosing. RxList reports that the overall incidence of Zyrtec-related side effects requiring discontinuation of the drug is not different than placebo in large studies 2. Three nights of practically no sleep. I do have a histamine intolerance Ive had it since I was a teenager and have been on allergy meds my entire adult life. My strength was waning. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. After I read the Peoples Pharmacy article on Zyrtec, I threw my pills away. Zyrtec has been linked to cases of heart failure through an unknown mechanism in a very small number of patients 2. Most commonly abused antihistamines include Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Allegra. :I still have 4 days to go before my testing. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's demands, this is called heart failure. Over the last eight years we have accumulated over 700 comments about this problem. Benadryl is not known to be habit forming, and it helps. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Also, try to withdrawal when you have limited distractions. Allow the tablet to dissolve in your mouth without chewing. You are most definitely not crazy. I had tried to quit taking Zyrtec cold turkey, and that went terrible. But cetirizine can be found in combination with other medications, such as pseudoephedrine in products such as Zyrtec-D, and pseudoephedrine does increase blood pressure. Even my ears, face, throat, and feet are itchy. I have no idea if this helped, but I took it everyday. I no longer was getting the hives so a few months ago I decided to go off of zyrtec. - Because I had Covid beginning of April, I have been taking supplements to build my immunity, it has a lot of Vitamin C, zinc and selenium. Thanks for commenting. I started with 3/4 of a tablet for several months, then 1/2 for several months more, then 1/4 for several months more. Very informative article AND comments here below. #naturesbeauty #, Despite colder temps, a week at the beach is never, Trying to enjoy the simple pleasures I had never had this feeling so I held off on the antibiotic until I could figure this out. My doctor put me on it about five years ago for itching. The 5th day the tingling of my tongue and lips was gone. In order to rate my pain, I decided to use the medical communitys pain scale that assigns numbers 0-10 to judge ones pain (with 10 being the worst pain youve ever experienced) and use this to describe my itch. 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!). Wanted to stop Zyrtec/Allertec/Xyzal because it would make me feel fatigued and clouded all day. 48 hours after my last pill I began itching like crazy. Thank you for this blog. The worst itching still came late, after 10 pm. P eter, 27, who doesn't want his last name published for privacy reasons, first started taking Zyrtec when he was a 26-year-old student studying in Switzerland. At this time, I learned that some people actually have a histamine intolerance and have to avoid certain foods and medication. Note: This document contains side effect information about cetirizine. I think THC has some great anti inflammatory properties. In 2007, the FDA approved Zyrtec, or cetirizine, as an over-the-counter drug to treat allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria, a skin condition characterized by recurrent hives 2. Many thanks to you and all who wrote comment ideas above.. Best of luck to your during this very difficult withdrawal! As soon as I can, I plan to titrate the dose as described by Jessica (over a very long period of time) and am already supplementing with Quercetin/Bromelain (like Lukas and Pam) I will look into taking THC. Some dosage forms listed on this page may not apply to the brand name Zyrtec. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! day 50 of slowly removing bits from the 10mg tablet. ), and the doctors dont know what caused the weight gain. I have been weaning myself off for about nine months! Palpitations are described as an unpleasant awareness of the heart beating or a fast heart rate, called tachycardia 3. Ive been zyrtec free for almost a week now and the itching is horrid. -Maximum dose: 10 mg/day a discolored tongue. #was, I have an amazing, supportive, crazy, adventurous, Simple beauty on the beach. I have also dropped 10 lbs. The FDA actually cites The Peoples Pharmacy in its reference section regarding cetirizine withdrawal itch. Thats when I knew what was happening. Hopefully my itchiness will come to an end. And the fact that it lasts so long (at least for me) is a true test of strength. Many visitors to PeoplesPharmacy.com have reported dreadful itching upon withdrawal from Zyrtec. Now I want to plan and get off this ridiculous medicine. For some people, the itching lasted up to six weeks. Really dont know what to do. Medical professionals have no clue. For Zyrtec, it's 5 mg or 10 mg. Taking my morning pill took the itch away but then my ear would hurt. 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. Zyrtec vs Claritin: Which is more effective for allergies? Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Ive also been avoiding sugar because that raises inflammation which leads to itching. Unfortunately, I am in the UK. I never went through coughing or chest tightness. I have been on Zyrtec for years. I was surprised how good the results were. It was an incredibly satisfying feeling to be completely done with this horrible drug that I clung to for so many years. Older adults may need to take a lower than normal dose. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. I hadnt, but maybe.. by day 2 I felt like my body was like bugs crawling on me. I want to cave and take a Zyrtec but then Id have to start all over. Im so glad I found this blog. -Some experts recommend: Patients over 65 years of age should start with 5 mg orally once a day. Medically reviewed by Sophia Entringer, PharmD. Uses. Clearly they cause problems for so many people. Then I did an online search that turned up Zyrtec withdrawal. In the shower I bring the water to almost scalding and then all the way down to cold and the few hours after are the longest periods of relief. We've heard reports from many people that getting off of Zyrtec (Cetirizine) poses a real itching challenge. In clinical trials, this side effect appeared to be related to the dose of cetirizine, with higher dosages increasing the risk of feeling drowsy. For a year (yes, a year), I took a Z every other day. So glad for you Barbara! Last updated on Jun 2, 2022. I feel for your misery! Im glad you found remedies to help with the itch. I am determined not to ever take this Zyrtec again.. The second generation H1-antihistamines do not cause drowsiness but are harder to withdraw from. Common gastrointestinal (GI) side . Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of cetirizine. If it makes you drowsy, you can take it at bedtime, or as directed by your doctor. Then came the entire body rash and itching. The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people take Loratadine and have Heart palpitations. During my third week off Zyrtec, my skin was healing from all the trauma I inflicted on it from scratching constantly. After two years of taking the allergy drug daily, Peter decided he wanted to stop, only to realize how dependent he had become on it. 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