I went to the doctor and he advised me to continue with Zyrtec! We appreciate your interest and perspective regarding this issue. Thanks for sharing what worked for you! I quit cold turkey after being on it for at least 15 straight years. Im currently on week 1 of 1/4 tablet, but I already feel itchy. Yeah, this itch is ungodly but everyday is a step closer to the end. Thanks! Youre not! Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Disclaimer:EscapingtheMidwest.comis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Hopefully in a week itll be even less and this whole ordeal will be done and the mystery of the itch solved. I wake up at night freaking out that bugs are crawling on me. This year was different! As I said, the comments here were helpful because it gave me strength in my resolve, and I knew that if it was a Zyrtec withdrawal, it was a matter of time and patience. Thanks for sharing your story and best of luck to you as you continue your withdrawal. a type of stomach irritation called gastritis. In France you need a prescription. Im taking the advice from this article, nothing but cold showers til this is overand Im going to make it to the finish line this time!! Im so incredibly miserable right now on day 5. -Initial dose: 2.5 mg orally once a day palpitations, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, loss of appetite, stomach upset, nervousness, sleep problems (insomnia), sore throat, blurred vision, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin), restlessness or excitability (especially in children), skin rash or itching, I just wanted to follow up to my earlier post. Despite my dermatologist downplaying my experience and symptoms, I feel encouraged after reading this blog, as I now understand why Im having these symptoms. The itching is from hell. Thats why we need to know how many people have done well stopping this antihistamine. How do you manage seasonal allergies now? These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. I have no idea if this helped, but I took it everyday. I am going to start the tapering so that its not a complete shock to our systems, but appreciate everyones stories here! No issues with those meds. I also removed any jewelry that bothered my hands and neck. Medically reviewed by Sophia Entringer, PharmD. Well, I tried the itching was too bad and i had work things come up SO here i am in December 5 days into cold turkey and the ITCH & HIVES are really bad. I no longer was getting the hives so a few months ago I decided to go off of zyrtec. I truly believe that weaning off is the best route. Here we are a month later and my body looks mostly healed. I stopped taking cetirizine a couple days ago and now I have an explanation for why Im so itchy! I had tried to quit taking Zyrtec cold turkey, and that went terrible. Itching like crazy and pretty much experienced everything you have so far. This year, within 3 days of stopping Zyrtec I cane up with a terrible rash over most of my body. This is thought to be related to the pseudoephedrine component of the drug. (I found this method on a Google search) I stopped the Claritin after 3 days, and there was no itching! . Take Benadryl at night to help get sleep. 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. Benadryl should not be taken at the same time as cetirizine because it can increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. 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. I have also dropped 10 lbs. It is considered a second-generation non-sedating antihistamine. My last dose was 1/4 of a pill. I dont know what to do about it. Zyrtec (cetirizine hydrochloride) is an antihistamine that treats symptoms, such as itching, runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing from hay fever ( allergic rhinitis) and other allergies, such as allergies to molds and dust mites. This time, I must come off of it, I have to do it quickly, and there is no option but success, so I wanted to thank you for very much for posting your article with tips and tricks so that I can be assured that patience and perseverance will get me to the other side. Please keep in mind I was micro-dosing THC, only ingesting 5 mg of THC at a time. I also used 2% Hydrocortisone ointment to my face and scalp. I want to take him off of it but I dont know how to manage environmental and seasonal allergies without it. Hang in there! Can I take Allegra in the morning and Zyrtec in the evening? Apparently, though, I was itching in my sleep and would wake with scratch marks. Mad at the drug manufacturers, mad at myself for taking the damn drug, and mad that my body was reacting so horribly off the medication. Sure, every now and then something makes the itching flare up, but its nothing like it was before. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. I too am trying to rid zyrtec of my system. 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. 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. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, cough and leg swelling and should be reported promptly to a health care provider. Ive not been able to make it more than 10 days of the severe itching before Ive become totally deranged. Recreational marijuana is legal in Illinois and I have a medical marijuana license due to my degenerative disc disease. indigestion. These tips have helped a ton. Ive tried that before without knowing, and always switched back to Zyrtec because I thought it worked better due to the itchy skin issue. I AM DETERMINED THIS TIME I WILL BEAT IT. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's demands, this is called heart failure. 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. My hands looked ghastly, covered in sores and wounds, hiding them whenever out in public. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. 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. 5 to 10 mg orally once a day She asked how long had I been off the zyrtec. Found nothing wrong with me and I told them about stopping Zyrtec and they say they never heard of anyone having withdrawal or anxiety by quitting Zyrtec. I used a hair dryer to blast the itchy spots. #lakewenatch, Wildfire I was shocked! Common causes include: Strong emotional responses, such as stress, anxiety or panic attacks. Some have also reported other withdrawal symptoms. It also gave me something to share with my PCP, who is an open-minded FNP. At this point, I was getting depressed, mostly because I was sick of dealing with this sh*t. I figured Id suffer for a week, 10 days max. I implore you to do everything you can to avoid taking this stuff. Body tingles back. Cerner Multum, Inc. "UK Summary of Product Characteristics." We suspect that we (The Peoples Pharmacy) represents the discussed on the internet part of that background. Decided 4 months ago to come off it. They make you sleepy but have worked better for me. Im incredibly thankful that I found this page. I filed my fingernails down to nubs because I was starting to claw at myself but I dont want to hurt myself. Im thinking its because my appetite has decreased significantly, but I also read that Zyrtec from hinder fat burning. Fingers crossed that as the year progresses the histamine response lessens and Ill be Z free in 2023. What a drug! Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze. I only have these dreams as the latter.. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 45,241 people who have side effects when taking . At this time, I learned that some people actually have a histamine intolerance and have to avoid certain foods and medication. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. During the first week of withdrawal, I took cool showers, as that brought me more relief than heat. Kathy Jutila has been writing health-related articles since 1979. Not everyone will have the same experience with withdrawal. Im in week 2 of the anxiety and it is terrible. Good call to wait on withdrawal until after your surgery and to do it slowly! This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. What a relief! Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine often used to treat allergies, nasal congestion or hives. 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): Rebound pruritus- pruritus within a few days after discontinuation of cetirizine, usually after long-term use (e.g. Thank you so much for sharing this! Cetirizine will start to work within one hour after you take it. The results of the biopsy were that I was having an eczamous response to either a medication or an arachnid bite. Zyrtec (cetirizine)." I decided to try another antihistamin called fexofenydril. Months later I went back on it due to severe seasonal allergies. 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). Best of luck. Her work has appeared in "Infection and Immunity," "American Review of Respiratory Diseases," "Inflammation" and "Circulation." Why are there no warnings on these medications? [Ref], Very common (10% or more): Somnolence (up to 14.3%), headache (up to 14%), Frequency not reported: Altered sense of taste, paresthesia, hypertonia, tremor, abnormal coordination/incoordination, ataxia, hyperesthesia, hyperkinesia, hypoesthesia, migraine, paralysis, twitching, parosmia, taste loss/perversion, Postmarketing reports: Convulsions, dysgeusia, dyskinesia, dystonia, syncope, amnesia, vertigo, memory impairment[Ref], Common (1% to 10%): Dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, Frequency not reported: Tongue disorder, constipation, flatulence, increased salivation, aggravated tooth caries, eructation, gastritis, hemorrhoids, melena, rectal hemorrhage, stomatitis/ulcerative stomatitis, tongue discoloration/edema, enlarged abdomen[Ref], Common (1% to 10%): Pharyngitis, rhinitis, coughing, epistaxis, Frequency not reported: Dyspnea, respiratory disorder, bronchospasm, upper respiratory tract infection, dysphonia, bronchitis, hyperventilation, increased sputum, pneumonia, sinusitis, nasal polyp[Ref], Frequency not reported: Earache, tinnitus, fever, pain, rigor, thirst, deafness, ototoxicity, accidental injury, face edema, leg edema, malaise, Postmarketing reports: Asthenia, stillbirth[Ref], Frequency not reported: Nervousness, impaired concentration, confusion, decreased libido, abnormal thinking, anxiety, depersonalization, emotional lability, euphoria, paroniria, sleep disorder, Postmarketing reports: Agitation, aggression/aggressive reaction, depression, hallucination, tic, suicidal ideation/suicide[Ref], Frequency not reported: Back pain, myalgia, arthralgia, bone disorder/fracture, leg cramps, arthritis, arthrosis, muscle weakness[Ref], Frequency not reported: Pruritus/intense itching, increased sweating, acne, alopecia, bullous eruption, dermatitis, dry skin, eczema, erythematous rash, furunculosis, hyperkeratosis, hypertrichosis, maculopapular rash, photosensitivity/photosensitivity toxic reaction, purpura, seborrhea, skin disorder/nodule, Postmarketing reports: Rash, urticaria, angioneurotic edema, fixed drug eruption, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP)[Ref], Frequency not reported: Eye abnormality, periorbital edema, abnormal vision, eye pain, conjunctivitis, ptosis, visual field defects, blindness, glaucoma, ocular hemorrhage, xerophthalmia, periorbital edema/eye swelling, Postmarketing reports: Accommodation disorder/loss of accommodation, blurred vision, oculogyration, orofacial dyskinesia[Ref], Frequency not reported: Polyuria, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, dysmenorrhea, hematuria, micturition frequency, urinary incontinence, female breast pain, intermenstrual bleeding, leukorrhea, menorrhagia, vaginitis, Postmarketing reports: Dysuria, enuresis[Ref], Frequency not reported: Flushing, palpitations, tachycardia, edema/general edema, chest pain, cardiac failure, hypertension, hot flashes, peripheral edema, pallor, Postmarketing reports: Severe hypotension[Ref], Frequency not reported: Increased appetite, anorexia, increased weight, dehydration, diabetes mellitus[Ref], Frequency not reported: Reversible transaminase elevations, Postmarketing reports: Abnormal hepatic function (increased transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, GGT, bilirubin), cholestasis, hepatitis[Ref], Frequency not reported: Allergic reactions/delayed allergic reactions, Postmarketing reports: Hypersensitivity, anaphylactic shock[Ref], Postmarketing reports: Thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia[Ref], Postmarketing reports: Glomerulonephritis[Ref]. acne. Are you going through Zyrtec withdrawal? My allergist then started to wean me from Zyrtec by halving the dose. All rights reserved. Strenuous exercise. zyrtec. I still itch a little every night (I wonder if I have a histamine intolerance) and I do fine with an Allegra or Benadryl. I started taking the Zyrtec about 8 years ago when I became itchy and a friend with dermatographia recommended it. Zyrtec (Zyrtec details) has a quick onset of action with relief usually felt within 1 hour. Still itching.but Im super depressed and having the worst panic attacks ever. Can you take antihistamines when pregnant? Ice packs help as well for general itching. I took Zyrtec for 1 year but have now stopped. Most patients with heart disease and allergies can safely take popular antihistamines.