Itching Withdrawal From Cetirizine Or Zyrtec (Page 17)
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I want to know how many are suffering from withdrawal from this drug that causes itching all over the body. At the people's pharmacy there is an article about this very problem, yet Zyrtec doesn't list the information on their web site. This is my third attempt to get off of this med and I'm going crazy from the itching.

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Thanks for sharing, Dee.

My partner is went of Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra recently and he is now reacting to the histamine in all foods. He never had noticeable food allergies before, but now, even the simplest, lowest-histamine foods give him a reaction. He flushes after every meal, no matter how simple and singular the foods. (e.g. steamed bok choi, plain white rice, plain lamb = no salt, no oils, etc.)

What has happened to you since your last post? What happened with the reactions you were getting just from the act of eating? Does that resemble my partner's situation in any way?

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Could you say more about this being a neurological itch, not an allergy itch?

My partner doesn't experience itching per say, but he has had severe tingling and sensations all around his body ever since going off of Zyrtec. Sometimes he describes it as itching, but most of the time he describes it as an odd skin sensation.

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Hi Rey,

My partner had a similar experience to yours. He had a few allergies before, but no food allergies that we knew of. Since coming off Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin (he was on all 3), he now seems allergic to almost everything: all types of food, all types of water, all materials and fabrics, etc.

What ended up happening with you? How did it go?

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Continued from previous posts...I had to take a long business trip, far away, so I started taking generic Claritin, I didn't want to deal with it over there. No hives, no itching. Took it for 2 weeks daily, and then I stopped when I got back home. I have not had any symptoms for 4 days, but last night, day 5, I got some hives on my knee. I wonder if it took that long for the Claritin to get out of my system, or if I have introduced an allergin back into my life, after my travels. I refuse Zyrtec, but Claritin seems to be ok. I still have the DAO to finish, and I still think the quercitin works well, but it is so expensive comparatively. About $15 for 30 days, and the Claritin generic at Costco is $11 for 365, a year.

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It took 3 weeks but my itching is gone as are most of the hives. I found a small anti anxiety pill for. Few nights got me thru the second week which was the worst. I also put peppermint oil on all the most troublesome spots And it helped the nerves to quiet. Good luck to you all. Never going back on it again

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I also thought I had developed an allergy to my dogs and discovered it as I was coming off of Zyrtec (I've only had them for a month). So glad I found these posts, I thought I was going crazy. I never had hives until coming off the meds. I was going to continue taking it and put up with the other side effects I had so I didn't have to rehome my dogs because this is absolutely unliveable, and I refuse to rehome my fur babies - so glad that this is just a rebound effect from the meds. It's terrible, but it's nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel where this may stop and it's common.

I'll be one of the few trying to hold out on taking it again, though it's proving difficult.
Thanks everyone!!

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Just an update, I've been taking a half of an Allegra every day in the hope that weening may work better than cold turkey, which as we all know, leads to unbearable itching. I haven't had any hives or itching in over a month and am preparing to ween further, perhaps cutting the Allegra into thirds.

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Thankfully my rash stopped after 10 days although the itching of hands and feet took longer. I was advised by a doctor to come off this medication slowly and then symptoms would be less.

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Thank you all for your posts. I thought i was having a reaction to supplements. I have stopped Zyrtec 4 days ago and the itching is monumental. I have also been having increased migraines since I stopped usage. Not sure if it's related.
Curious how long it has taken people to have the itching resolve. Leaving on an international trip in 3 weeks. Would love to be past this...

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FINALLY. Someone in the medical profession who will not encourage the use of Zyrtec. This to me is a sign of progress to get this stuff off the market, the very first I've ever heard. Up to now doctors (including mine) deny any correlation and this has been so frustrating. We on this blog will not take Zyrtec again most likely, but the millions out there who haven't yet, and will, and will suffer, and on and on it goes. I think it's criminal. I hate when I see those happy Zyrtec commercials. Still!

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I have been taking cetrizine hydrochloride for a number of years to stop intense sneezing and a runny nose. Last week I was advised by a doctor that he doesn't prescribe this medication as it has bad side effects. He suggested that it was one of the reasons that I had a sinus infection. I have now been off it for five days and a covered with a fine rash. I thought that I was going mad as it is so itchy. Last night my hands and feet were on fire. I am so relieved to find the reason and now just have to try and keep going to wean myself off. I am so mad with the doctors that originally got me using this medicine!!!

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continueing my earlier notes...I got DAO, Swanson ultra brand, at 9,000 HDU potentcy. I have been taking 2 tabs a day, one before breakfast and one before dinner. I have noticed a change in my hive behavior. Prior to takibg the DAO product. I would get hives at 9:30pm every day, but now The start time is all over the map. A couple of times, I got small amounts at 7:30, but most of the time I am getting them between 10:30 and midnight. However, across the board, the intensity and size of the hives is about half of what it was. That's good! I still take the Quercetin when the hives come back at night, but if it is real lite i only take one 500mg tablet.

Something else that is different, is that when I wake up, i have a very tiny patch of hives on my stomac, but they don't itch.

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I switched to Loratadine/Claritine in order to have a break from Zyrtec (since they work differently). No itching at stopping the Zyrtec this way even though I also get the withdrawal itching everyone is complaining of. I haven't found out yet if stopping Loratadine, which I will do when spring is over, will cause the same itching but I doubt it will be as bad as Zyrtec.

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Very interesting, please keep us posted and most importantly, good luck and stay determined.

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Timmy G. Thank you for your research and contributions. I read them with interest and appreciation.

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You are on the right track... For years I suffered with hives ... Gastro symptoms...roscea.. Ocular Rosales. I just got diagnosed with mast cell activation disorder ( histamine intolerance ) ......... I tried dao supplements.. They made me super itchy.. Maybe they will work for you....

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Checking in. My progress has stalled. I am taking the suppliments as I noted in my last post, and yet I am still getting hives, starting lkk5e clockwork at 9:30 pm. Their severity changes day to day, but 6 out of 7 days, they start exactly at 9:30pm. Then, at around 10pm, I take the Bromelain abd Quercetin and I can get to sleep.

I have been reading more about a DAO deficiency, and how this can create a nightly hive outbreak, depending on the food you eat that day. The main thoughts on this are that antihistamines, like Zyrtec, will depleat our natural supply of DAO when talen for long periods of time. Many foods contain histamines, and DAO's function is to neutralize these histamines in our digesttive track. If the histamine is not neutralized, then or bodies try to store it in mast cells. When the mast cells are too full of the histamines, they release it, resulting in allergic like reactions.

So I ordered some DAO suppliments and will try building up this natural histamine eliminator. Still waiting on delivery, will post results here later.

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Checking in my progress for getting off the big Z.

As i noted before, I am taking quercetin and bromelain. I have tried several dosages, and I have settled on 1000mg of quercetin and 500mg of bromelain at 10:30pm, and I make it thru the night sleeping. At 5:30 am my normal wakeup time, i do not have hives, but the itching is starting, ever so slight. But since I am starting my day, my natural antihistamine functions kick in and I remain hive free all day.

I added a few more herbs to my mix, and I think they are helping. Echenasea 1050mg at dinner, licorice root (2 tabs in am, and 2 tabs at dinner), tumeric at am, stinging nettle at dinner.

The licorice root seems to gave yhe most notable value for me, beyond the hives issue. I also have more energy and alertness. I can sense the effects in about 30 minutes.

I hope to reduce these herbs as I notice the hives getting less intense, but I am not there yet. only about 1 week off of Z and benadryl.

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It is difficult to get off of. I used slow release vitamin c and quercetin ( a natural citrus based flavanoid with antihistamine like properties) to help get off of actual antihistamines.

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I've been struggling with the same problem. I was prescribed Zyrtec on a daily basis, due to Urticaria or hives. Eventually, when I went to discontinue this, even temporarily for allergy testing and found the itching to come on about 24 hours after my last dose and it was unbearable. I eventually switched over to Allegra, as I've read it is at least slightly less challenging to get off of. However, I am still taking the Allegra and cannot yet get myself off. I've tried at least 3-4 times, but the itching causes me to give in and take another dose. I'm hoping to titrate off during the winter, but who knows.

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